Even with pandemic restrictions lifting in many areas, business owners are finding it hard to pick up where they left off with their growth. It’s hard to keep your momentum going when you’re not able to rely on the same techniques and approaches that helped you succeed in the past. Below, learn a few things you can try to keep your business going if you’re finding it hard to maintain your success.
Invest in Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways to market your business. As Business.com points out, having good social media content can boost your search engine rankings, increase brand awareness and give you higher conversion rates.
However, it’s hard to walk the fine line between driving customers away with sales pitches and sharing genuinely interesting content that will bring in more followers. Working with a marketing expert can help you strike the perfect balance and get the engagement you’ve always been looking for.
Keep Customers Up-to-Date
In a world where things change on a daily basis, one of the best ways to keep your customers around is to make sure they have the most up-to-date information at all times. Uncertainty about your policies or store hours can cause your customers to hold off on giving you their business, or worse, take their business elsewhere. Customer retention should always be a priority, but in times like these, it matters more than ever.
There are a few ways to keep your customers and clients in the loop. First, make sure you update your website each time a policy or other information changes. Having a constantly-updated COVID-19 information page can show your customers you care about their safety and want them to know what’s going on.
Second, make sure you keep your Google My Business listing up-to-date with the latest policies. Many consumers rely on search engine results to see when businesses are open, and your business listing is likely the first result that will pop up. If you’re temporarily closed or if you’ve changed your hours, your customers will want to see this information reflected accurately.
Third, you may also want to invest time in creating an engaging email marketing campaign that keeps your costumes informed about what you’re doing to keep them safe. As Forbes points out, most people don’t like receiving “newsletters” full of company updates, so it’s important to find ways to keep your email campaigns genuinely helpful and interesting for your subscribers.
Find Other Ways to Stay Productive
Whether you’re currently closed to the public or you’re seeing a dip in business, there are a lot of things you can do to take advantage of this slow period. For example, now might be a good time to tackle repairs and remodeling projects you’ve been holding off on.
You may also take this time as an opportunity to roll out a new type of software that you’ve been wanting to use for your business. Getting your business reorganized or doing a full inventory count is also a good way to spend your time.
In addition, now is an ideal time to start offering new products or services that customers will no-doubt expect even once the threat of the pandemic has passed. Opening an ecommerce store, hosting your first virtual event or launching online tutorials or training videos are all ways to stay productive and keep up with the times.
Staying productive requires having a computer that can keep up with the times. If your PC struggles to run multiple applications or crashes frequently, then you need to consider upgrading. Thankfully, many companies offer a wide range of desktops (such as the ThinkCentre series from Lenovo) that can fit just about any budget.
You don’t have to be an expert in any of these categories to start rolling out new tools and content, and neither do you need to hire a full-time staff member to take care of it for you. Instead, hire a freelancer to handle these tasks for you. There are many ways freelancers can help your business, such as content development and improved branding, so reach out to the appropriate expertise that can take your efforts to the next level.
Navigating your way through the COVID-19 pandemic is challenging and stressful, but these tips will help you stay productive and make the most of this time. Keep in mind that the pandemic might change the way we do business for good, which is why it helps to start adapting now.
By: Katie Conroy