Slowly but surely, the economy is reopening for business — 25%, 50% occupancy. But the answers to when and how you’re opening are likely different for each business owner. Before, during, and after you open, how, if any, will COVID-19 be part of your marketing game? Are you pushing products and services without much or any reference to the pandemic? Are you explaining your reasons for being opening or closed? Where and how are you communicating your safety procedures? Should you update your marketing messaging to include sympathy or empathy? You may need a new marketing plan going forward including an updated (or new) mission, vision, and values statement.
We cannot expect our customers to automatically know our thinking, our plans, and our COVID-19 safety protocols. Your website is one of many opportunities to communicate specifically what you’re doing to keep your customers safe when coming to your location. How often do you update your site? Where else do you communicate your COVID-19 message? Besides your customers and clients, there are other audiences who may need to hear you communicate about COVID-19. Wouldn’t it be easy if there was one, cookie-cutter approach? That’s not the case, nor should it be, because businesses must differentiate themselves from the competition. Hoping for the best (no COVID-19 cases in your business), yet being prepared for the worst gives you a competitive advantage.
Yes, we are all abiding by the CDC recommendations — wearing face coverings, social distancing, and washing our hands. But, no doubt, there is more you’re doing to get those customers back to your establishment. Perhaps you’ve invested in an automated occupancy control system that will make customers feel safer. Or you’ve rearranged for proper social distancing, have hand sanitizer stations around, and/or offering masks upon entering. How are you communicating this to the public — your customers, vendor partners, and prospects? That’s where we can help. And we will customize the approach for your business. Hear how clients use our service.