Pandemics and natural disasters can fundamentally change how you do business.
If you’re like most business owners, the past few weeks have been chaotic and downright scary. If you’re lucky, you’ve had to transition to working from home and change some elements of your daily routine. If you’re less fortunate, you may have had to shut down your business entirely, forgoing a paycheck for the foreseeable future.
Wherever you fall on this spectrum, this is an important opportunity to change your marketing strategy. Your customers, employees, and business peers will be looking to you to set an example, which means your reputation—and your entire business—is on the line.
- Prioritize digital. If you’ve historically relied on paper advertisements and other traditional forms of marketing, now is the time to adapt. People are spending more time online and less time visiting places in person, so you’re going to need to rely on things like content marketing, SEO, and social media marketing.
- Share emergency information. If there’s currently an emergency like a pandemic or a natural disaster in your area, do what you can to share important information on how your customers should respond, prioritizing accuracy. Even if this information is already being heavily distributed, your voice can carry it even further.
- Be transparent about your motivations. Offer people full transparency whenever possible. If you’re facing financial distress or you’re not sure whether or not you’re going to reopen, tell your customers. Don’t try to hide things or obfuscate your message; people are far more receptive to honest, sincere brands—especially in times of crisis.
- Keep people updated. Things may change on a daily basis, or even an hourly basis, so do what you can to keep your customers up-to-date. Let them know if your available products or services change, and if your hours change. Leverage all your communication channels to accomplish this.
If you need help adapting to this “new normal,” or if your marketing strategy is overdue for an overhaul, contact Quez Media for a free consultation today!
