I was recently invited to be a guest on our local community podcast The South Bay Show to share what we’ve been recommending for our clients during the Covid pandemic. We discussed everything from how this time can inspire creativity, to what to plan for when the shelter in place is over. Scroll down to listen to the interview.
Here are our 4 most important tips:
#1 – Don’t go dark on your social channels
Your customers need Clear and Concise Communication. They need to know that you are still there, in whatever capacity that is. For our restaurant clients, and others that have fully closed, we have been encouraging them to continue to post on social media, and also have some fun with it!
Here are some ideas.
- Re-use old content. Pretend everyday’s a throw-back day! Post photos and captions to communicate “we miss you” and “soon we’ll be doing this again”.
- Post video messages from the owners.
- Have your chef do some simple recipe videos at home.
- Share what you are doing now with photos and videos.
- Comment, like, and share posts from your customers and other local businesses.
- Add relevant hashtags – they help your posts reach more than just the people that follow you.
For businesses that are working remotely…here are some HOUSEKEEPING TIPS that you might not have thought of:
- Update your Google My Business and Yelp pages with hours changes, if you are temporarily closed, and when you plan to re-open.
- Change your outgoing office phone message – make sure people have alternative ways to contact you or when you plan to re-open. This might seem obvious but I’ve called a couple businesses and their message hadn’t changed, and I know they are not open.
- Update the content on your website’s home page, you can temporarily change the “Welcome” copy to reflect the situation. If you have a special offer, or you are working remotely, let people know.
#2 – THINK CREATIVELY – Now is the time to be creative!
- Think about how your business can re-focus.
- Can you open an online store? We’ve been setting up stores for clients pretty quickly – usually, within a couple of weeks.
- Can you provide what you regularly offer remotely (e.g. Zoom Sessions)? This works especially well with service providers like therapists, attorneys, money managers, bookkeepers, etc.
#3 – Be generous
What can you or your business offer to help in this crisis? We’ve all seen the incredible acts of kindness and creativity. Ask yourself, “what expertise do I possess that I can offer to others?”
We can’t sew, or manufacture anything…but what we could provide was creative thinking. We have been offering free brainstorming sessions to help businesses think outside the box and help them re-focus. Oftentimes it helps to speak with an objective third party to explore the things you might not be able to see yourself.
Another thing we wanted to offer was positivity and inspiration. So we started the Isolation Inspiration initiative. We’ve been asking for people to send us inspirational quotes that would design for them. They could then print these free poster graphics or share on social media.
If you’d like to submit a quote, visit: isolation-inspiration.info. We’ve heard from five states and two countries so far!
#4 – Be prepared for re-opening
Now is the time to think about how you can you prepare your business for the other side of this craziness. Is there something that you have been putting off, that you now have the time to do?
We have been working with our clients to update and redesign their websites, as well as encourage those that were in the process of launching a new product or service, not to stop that forward progression. We’ve been getting their artwork done, and their marketing plan focused so they are ready as soon as it makes sense for their business
For restaurants, non-essential health care providers, spas, etc., they will have a “new normal”. Safety and sanitary measures will be the most important thing they need to communicate to customers. We’ve been participating in brainstorming sessions with owners to imagine what that plan looks like, and how best to implement it.
We all need to prepare ourselves for a learning curve, and perhaps some starts and stops for businesses along the way. Since this is new territory for all of us, I think this Isolation Inspiration we received, from a high school basketball coach in New York, really resonates….
…Be persistent. Be Positive. Be Patient.
Listen to our interview below.
