The Coronavirus has only begun in Canada and businesses are preparing for the inevitable drop in revenue that is predicted to come. Our economy was already suffering and with the arrival of COVID-19, social distancing, hoarding of necessities and everything else – some businesses aren’t going to make it. The businesses that ARE going to make it – are the ones that are quick to adapt, change, and not be overcome by the paralysis of what is happening. We need to focus, now more than ever – we can NOT give up and we need to be intentional with everything we do in these coming months.

We touched on these issues over social media this weekend and we wanted to reiterate it again here in a blog for those of you that may have missed it.

Social distancing doesn’t affect email…

Now is the quiet time to catch up on all your emails and send out the ones you have been meaning to get to. Send out an email checking in on your clients during the Coronavirus pandemic, let them know you are still here and how you are making changes to help. It’s also a great time to start a newsletter campaign if you do not currently have one. Mailchimp is free for under 2,000 contacts and is very easy to use, Active Campaign is our ultimate favourite for any paid email marketing. You can also schedule your newsletters ahead of time, so you may as well use this opportunity to plan ahead for the coming months when things start to get busier, your newsletter will be prepped and ready for you.

Take advantage of the COVID-19 lag in business to uncover missed opportunities

Exploring new business solutions for yourself and your clients may take a ton of time, but it pays off big in the end. Running a business is a full-time job, so we don’t always find the time to sit down and pursue certain leads. You might want to take a good look at your marketing plan and seek out new avenues.

• Go back through old messages and communications and see if there are any past leads that could be revived
• Research new ways to put your business out there that you did not have the time to do before
• Take a peek at what your competition is doing and see if there is something you also could be doing that might work for you

We all have the Coronavirus in common, so build a connection

Now is the time to reach out to your clients online. Most people are in their homes, on their devices and some are going batty from seclusion. If you DO NOT have a social media presence, start one. If you DO have a social media presence, research or look for consulting about how to improve and broaden your reach in order to impact others in a positive way. People are at home RIGHT NOW and are STILL available to you through social media, connection is what people are craving right now, so engage with them across all platforms.

• Reach out, say hello
• Ask your clients if there is something you can do for them
• Reach out to them and build up your brand connection with them
• Ask fun questions on your Instagram
• Make a poll on Facebook
• Donate to local food banks and encourage others to join you
• Start online watch parties so you can show your product to your customers and bring people together using social media Your clients are your community and now is the time to come together in every way.

Flatten the curve by giving your Blog some attention

If you DO NOT have a blog, now is the time to start one. A blog connects customers to you and to your brand, it is one of the biggest ways to boost your SEO. If you DO have a blog, start building up a storehouse of blog posts for the future. Take this time to research topics for your blog and create some brilliant content to use in the coming months. Create a list of blog topics and research what you want to touch on in the future to give to your copywriter or to write out yourself.

You won’t need your facemask to go through your SEO

Ensure that your Search Engine Optimization is on point. Take the time to figure out what your customers are searching for, things may have changed, there might be a better way to reach your customers. Use this time to review your analytics and plan your content based on what the market looks like in the coming weeks and make sure your website keywords are on target. Refresh your keywords – look at your Google Analytics – if you do not have a Google Business Account – get one.

Adjusting your business in a pandemic world

Now is the time to get creative – especially if you offer items that are more of a luxury than they are a necessity. With customers self isolating and social distancing, you need to find a way to still run your business, it may not look the same as it was but making quick changes now will help the survival rate of your business. Most businesses now are mandating that their employees work from home, this is good but now how do you run a business??? Start strategizing, we are dropping our 1-hour Growth Strategy Consultation from $165/hour to $55/hour to help you come up with out of the box, modern ideas, that will help. We are reducing all of our offerings across the board and encourage you to reach out if you are looking for a strategic marketing partner during these uncertain times.

Now is the time to grind, the moves you make now will impact your business in a massive way.

• Start a delivery service to get your product to your customers
• Create branded care packages for those who cannot leave their homes
• Get your business online

We know that times are challenging right now, and without being able to see an end in sight, it can be scary. But we will find a way to persevere through this, people are rallying together to support businesses, big and small. Social distancing is the only way to flatten the curve and encouraging others to do the same is key. Putting your very best foot forward every day is going to make a big difference in the outcome. We are all in this together, let’s support each other. If you have any questions or would like help navigating what is to come, please give us a shout! We are here to help. We are here to see that all businesses, big and small, come out the other side of this, happy, healthy and running at full speed.

Let us know below where you are at – thoughts, fears, how you are going to make this work, feel free to even vent, we feel you and we are here to help as much as we can.