In these times of uncertainty and isolation, it's important to stay front of mind as a business and a brand. Try not to compromise on what you would do in more normal circumstances as this can establish some bad habits that are hard to break. So, let's consider how you might stay in the game.
Start a blog
This might sound simple, but starting a blog is a great way to stay connected to your audience even if you're not directly involved with them. It's a great way to market your business while having a voice on trending topics and current affairs from your businesses perspective. Not only will you still be present but it may even present opportunities you may not have had in more typical conditions.
Email newsletter
If you have a user database it could be leveraged to provide a good starting point for an informative, topical or promotional communication medium that you never had before. According to Mailchimp, the average email mail open rates for marketing and creatives services in 2019 were around 20% with less than 0.5% unsubscribes. This should provide some encouragement for new comers. Here are some ways to get the most out of your newsletter:
- Pay attention to your subject line and opening paragraph.
- Be consistent - without being annoying.
- Use images to enhance the experience.
- Make it engaged - tell a story.
- Measure your results.
Social media presence
Similar to what we've already covered, it's important to be where the people are. In Italy, Facebook has reported a usage increase of 70% across all platforms in March 2020 most likely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Across the board usage has increased and it's important as a business to stay in touch with customers and even consider creating some positive content to distract from the stream of negativity. It is important to be empathic and compassionate whilst continuing to be honest and transparent. The last thing you want to do is cross a line and be needlessly offensive or inappropriate.
Run a competition or promotion
To keep things light and create a distraction from the mundane, a competition or promotion may allow your customers to get creative. Text based (i.e. in 25 words or less describe ...) or image based (i.e. send us your best home office setup) promotions allow people to think outside the box and exercise their minds. It also allows you to connect with a wider audience, especially if you make it easy to enter from anywhere. Email, SMS, hashtags and webforms are great ways to capture content from just about anywhere. User generated content can be repurposed and used again (if it's appropriately collected), so you can use it as a promotional tool moving forward as well.
Provide goodwill
It's important to not only provide value but also goodwill. Not everything you do needs to come with a price tag and offering free advice is a great way to express positive intentions and increase your company profile. Work with another agency or charity to extend value to their customers and ask for nothing in return.
Even if you're just starting a blog or posting on social media, it's important to remain humble and gracious. People will remember a positive experience and this can only be good in the long run.
By
Ashton Bryce
