The virus is going to create chaos for both people and businesses. Here are some things you can do to help mitigate the damages and make the most of a bad situation.
Small businesses need to embrace online sales if people are self-isolating. If you require people to come into your business and can’t deliver a service (maybe a gym or a restaurant) then you can offer gift cards or promotions to help generate revenue now while business might be slow.
If you already sell products or services online, keep in mind that with more people working from home they will probably be spending more time online, including social media. Now would be a great time to advertise on social media.
If you are one of our healthcare partners and offer treatment services, you may see a decline in patients due to travel hesitation and/or restrictions. Can you offer online treatment options to offset this downturn?
Many of you have internal marketing departments, but if you have people absent for weeks at a time due to an illness you can rely on companies like Mediaura to help bridge the gap until you are able to run smoothly on your own again.
If you are working from home and unimpaired by the virus, you can potentially get some things done that you’ve been putting off due to the distractions of the office. Maybe that blog can finally get written, the website can finally be refreshed, your social media can get a new banner, or perhaps you can finally craft that newsletter you’ve been putting off? Working in isolation can give you the opportunity to work and think more deeply on specific tasks.
Maybe you’ve been neglecting your CRM, or you just never found time to sit down and review one? Maybe you haven’t been reviewing your analytics or reports from vendors to see how your marketing initiatives are performing? It’s a great time to schedule a conference call and review that data via a screen-share. You can do that from the comfort of your home.
Of course, there is another side to this. As a customer, please support your local businesses and small businesses. If you don’t want to eat at a restaurant, get carryout or a delivery service. If you just want to wait, buy that gift card. Tip a little extra to offset the potential decrease in business over the coming weeks. Take a minute to write a positive review for your favorite businesses on Google, Yelp, LinkedIN, or Facebook. Keep in mind that the people who will be hit the hardest financially are those who cannot work from home and do not get paid time off.
We all need to pull together (while staying apart) to keep our businesses running and our economy strong. I encourage you to make the most of your time, and if there is anything we can do to help please let us know.
