Act Quickly:
We are now living in a post-COVID 19 world where customer interaction is an all-time low. COVID 19 has completely shifted the way we do business. Our new focus is on adapting and implementing new strategies to stay afloat. The challenge becomes remaining cost-effective while augmenting safety and efficiency.
Many businesses have now adapted to what seems to be a new norm. For instance, Burger King, Popeyes, Papa John's, Little Caesar's and even some local businesses have implemented contactless and delivery on-demand options.
One of my favorite business models is the one used by, Fabio’s Pharmacy in New Jersey. The company has been delivering pharmaceuticals to its residential and commercial customers since its inception in 2013. Pharmacy deliveries are by no means a new concept but one that seems warranted in the new economy.
Communicate With Your Customers:
People want to know that you are still open, assuming you have adapted new safety and conduct regulations. What’s is your next step? Leveraging your existing contacts i.e. email, website, social and local profiles makes all the sense. Consider them as your digital flyer and street team.
You might want to start by updating all your social media accounts. This way you can effectively communicate with your customers in real-time. Share pictures of your team ready to meet there every need. A good idea is showing the new safety measure your team now adhere to. Moreover, you can boost your post on Instagram and Facebook for as little as $5 per day to improve reach.
Additionally, use prominent messaging and announcements to inform your existing web audience. For example, an announcement bar at the top of your website. Shown below is an announcement bar that you can deploy via the WordPress CMS. I’m sure you can find one for the content management system that you currently employ.
Example:
- Great news! We have now expanded or deliveries to the following zip codes.
- Good news! We are now on your favorite delivery app (Uber Eats, Door Dash, Delivery, etc).
- Our company offers contactless and cashless options.
According to a recent study suggests that There has been 150% growth for phrases like "near me now". For example, "Pizza near me now". This is exciting news for bars, restaurants and other and mortar establishments.
Your local listing is a powerful tool that most businesses overlook. In my experience, I have found businesses neglect to fill out their information or even provide inaccurate information. Imagine this! Your new Thai Food spot has been open for 7 months until 10:00 pm, but your listing has it closing at 4:00 pm.
These profiles allow you to accurately communicate your company’s hours, details, videos pictures, and videos. A bonus is being able to publish deals and events. Each channel has its own unique audience. If correctly optimized has a chance to occupies valuable real estate at the top of the search engines. Local profile optimization is an important factor in winning the war for the ‘3-block’ at top of the Google search engine.
Additionally, Yahoo/Bing, Verizon, Yelp, Facebook and others provide similar options all within their own bells and whistles. I will provide an in-depth analysis of each one in my future posts.
Send Personal Message:
Your email list is now another means of communicating your appreciation. Share a personal message with your customers and let them know that you are here for them in times of need. Provide them with a gift or resource they can use to keep their family safe and healthy.
This is not an opportunity to overwhelm your audience with a ton of sale emails. Just once or twice per month to let them know that they are in your thoughts. If you happen to mention your latest offering a passing, that is fine. I don’t think anyone wants to be hard sold right now.
Direct messages by way of a postcard go a long way in say that you for being a loyal customer. This is however budget permitting.
Written by Tisho Richardson
Tisho has 13+ years of experience as an SEO, Content Marketing Specialist and B2B Social Media Manager. He is highly proficient in the most Digital Marketing utilities including, Moz, SEMRush, Hootsuite and Hubspot Marketing Automation platforms. He can track and measure large amounts of data to present actionable strategies to reduce marketing expenses and increase KPI.
My ‘Keep it real’ Statement: I am an affiliate of some of the utilities that I mention on this website. Which means I receive monetary compensation for promoting them. I will always denote this by (*) at the end of each Link.
