Withstand The COVID-19 Threat

Public life has come to a near-total halt across the world as people gear up for the deadly effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Health officials have issued warnings for people to avoid these crowded areas.  

This means that whether you’re a large business or a small start-up, you are gearing up for your business to take a significant hit from the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19.  

But that doesn’t have to be the case. You don’t have to lock the doors on your restaurant and give up your dreams of making a livelihood. You won’t even have to exploit your workers or risk the well-being of your customers to make your business work. It takes a bit of careful planning and some tried-and-tested marketing tactics to get your business up and running – despite a pandemic raging in the world. 

Offer Pickup And Non-Contact Delivery Services

It's a testament to the fact that companies can survive the economic challenges of a pandemic while also being a force for the good of their communities. However, to do it right, it is imperative that you redesign your offerings, modify prices to be more family-friendly, and offer safe curbside pickup and delivery solutions to cater to the new demand. When you add these options to your service mix, you assure customers that you’re equipped to meet their needs in the direst of situations.  

Throw paper money out of the mix and encourage customers to pay online or use other cashless payment methods! This works well because handling cash is also known to lead to infections.  With the pandemic in play, bulk-buying trends have increased, meaning customers now want larger purchases that will keep them settled at home for a while. 

This way, they can recreate your business experience from the safety of their homes.  

Manage Inventory To Keep The Essentials

With customers practicing social distancing and self-isolation, you can’t count on consistent sales and cash flow. Once you’ve redesigned your business with your new offerings, let it be your guide to inventory purchases for the near future. A smart move would be to examine operations and identify other potential areas where you can cut costs. These measures will help to manage a tighter budget and control cash burn.

Talk To Your Landlord

If your business is built in a rental space, making rental payments will be very difficult, if not downright impossible. Have a meeting with your landlord for a review of your case, and to possibly negotiate a concession. It may be impossible for them to waive your rent for the next few months, but there are other options. 

Perhaps, they’ll agree to break up the payment into smaller installments or even offer a one-time discount considering the situation. Most businesses will need some time to recover from the pandemic. Lay bare your business’ financial situation and let your landlords know in clear terms how you are with the lack of customers.  

Let them know that they’ll be hard-pressed to come across other tenants in these trying times. Some money is better than none at all, so they’ll be keen to work out a mutually-beneficial solution with you. You must start the negotiations before the next due date so you can have a solution as soon as possible.   

Market Status

It’s more important now than ever to follow strict safety and care protocol, even if you are delivering your products or services.

However, it is critical that you also effectively market your healthy and safe protocol. Also, talk about your coronavirus-safe delivery options to let your prospects and customers know that your business is dedicated to ensuring their well-being at all times.

There are several ways you can do this: 

Use communication mediums like email, text messaging, and social media to inform customers that your business is still operational and offers options Let them know that you can make sure your product or service gets to them.

A little encouragement goes a long way – offer a small discount on their next order and a generous reward for sending their friends and family your way.  It’s important to understand that people are generally afraid of leaving their homes at the moment, but they’ll appreciate the fact that you are willing to deliver to them. Understand their concerns and use this as a viable business growth opportunity.  

Make An Emotional Appeal

There’s no doubt that coronavirus is a tragedy. However, it has been generating interest all over the globe, and you can use it to propel your business to greater heights. Your marketing initiatives should take a softer, more humane approach to selling as you share photos and stories of staff working hard to preparing and delivering quality products and services to customer’s doorsteps. 

Moreover, your marketing efforts can also take on transparency and show initiative: inform customers of the challenges you face in staying open. Also, talk about the preventative measures you are taking to ensure the safety of your customers and your workers. 

Now is the right time to tug at heartstrings and emotionally appeal to your audience, compelling them to choose your local business over the bigger corporations. 

Additionally, use your marketing message to assure customers that your employees are being looked after actively. Often, your customers develop friendly relations with your staff, and they’ll be delighted to know that their friends are well taken care of. At a time where employees are being laid off, audiences are bound to appreciate your gesture of goodwill towards your employees, and delivery staff. You help them take care of their families and get to look good! A win-win situation.

The powerful branding coupled with messages to “raise each other” for emotional appeal. Moreover, their follow-up with 'All In One Digital Marketing Platform' proves consistent, heartfelt words resonate with customers.

Use Social Media To Reach A Greater Audience

Humans are visual creatures, and nothing will get your message across quite effectively as videos and images. Now is the right time to integrate social media into your marketing plan and create viral content that is likely to be shared across multiple channels. 

Customers are in a predicament as they are forced to stay home, – the only interaction they can enjoy with their favorite business is online. There could not have been better timing for you to cement your relationship with them.

Increase engagement levels on your social media pages – reply to comments and queries on the go, host one-on-one interviews on your pages with your staff to let the world know how they are coping, and use this time to add a human element to your dealings online.

As a business, now is not the time to refrain from telling the truth, nor should you let fear silence your voice. Times are harsh, but you can find a balance with staying positive in your marketing, while also acknowledging the situation at hand.  

Powerful messaging is key: Entice your audiences by creating engaging visuals and graphics that power your online marketing initiatives and remind them of their safety during this time. Try our customizable 'All In One Digital Marketing Platform' to create visually inspiring messages, follow-up, and inform them of pandemic-related updates.

Add Value To Ensure Long-Term Gains

With everyone at home, it makes sense that the internet is bursting with content-hungry people.

That presents your brand with the perfect opportunity to get your message across to wider audiences. Paid ad campaigns can only get you so far in the short run, and right now, achieving quantifiable results is impossible.

It’s crucial that you add value to what you put out – buyer guides, how-to videos, informational style posts – these are all forms of information that, by no means, is necessary to share.

However, it makes customers value your service more, especially when you aren’t taking advantage of them. Customers are facing multiple barriers to access when it comes to their favorite business. Short 30 -60-second clips can come across as a symbol of goodwill.

By sharing quick, easy to follow tips, customers can enjoy your ideas at home, until they can savor the real thing once the pandemic is over.

Take on aggressive campaigns that utilize your customer’s search intent to increase your chances of being seen. ‘Add Value’ content will still be ranking in the long run and yield higher ROI.

Suffice to say, your business may not operate at full capacity, but there’s no need to shut it down just yet. People still need good products, and services we bet you’re more than willing to cater to their needs.  

Now is the time to excel at customer service and thank your patrons for their continued support. Times are hard on us all, and a little appreciation can make them feel wanted and welcome.  

Use an All In One Platform for when your business stay on track and emerges even stronger than before. All In One Digital Marketing Platform (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fUuaWVCTcE)

Jesters Digital Marketing (800-518-8410)