Preparing your Business for Market Revival Article submitted by Blue Level Sponsor, Keystone Click
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f history has taught us anything about business during a recession, it’s that you absolutely must keep getting your message out there. After studying many resources including academic journals, independent research articles old and new, the recurring message is that you must continue to market yourself in order to maintain or grow during a recession. Let’s talk about the stages of crisis communication as they relate to COVID-19.
Stage 1: Immediate Response. Here everyone was posting and stating messages of support and empathy. “We are in this together!” Brands didn’t sell or push their message, rather we focused on sharing and lending a hand. NOTE: In bad times, brands that held out their hand will be remembered in the consumer’s eye in a positive way!
the time to talk about all of the addon features, but rather talk about how safe the vehicle is and how it helps you alleviate stress because it is so comfortable. 3) Messaging should focus on SAFETY and TRUST. Share the safety practices within your organization, including how you are dealing with visitors to your facility. Continue to reinforce trust with your audience. Show up, be a resource, create partnerships, help solve the problem, minimize the hard sales tactics, and most importantly, keep your communication channels open. 4) Show empathy. It is okay to share your emotions with your customers, it’s another way to connect with them and show that you are real.
Stage 2: Pivot & Adapt. Work From
5) Consider the EXPERIENCE. Since we’ve all been at home, we want something new. Consider how you can expand on the experience that you are offering your prospects and clients. How can you make it memorable and different?
Stage 3: Market Revival. We are hopefully entering this stage now. It is 100% important to understand your customer and how they want to engage with your business. Habits have changed and level of comfort in conducting business the old way has changed. Here are a handful of best practices to help you get ready for market revival:
6) Provide options. Even as businesses become physically open, not everyone will be ready to get back to ‘normal.’ Capture their business by continuing to or expanding on your virtual interaction options.
Home is real. Social distancing is real. Brands have pivoted. Some have excelled and some brands have dropped significantly. New offerings are available. Screen time (social media, streaming services, etc) have increased significantly.
1) Plan for various scenarios. We don’t know how long it will be until we are back to normal and we don’t know if things will go back to where we were two weeks ago or two years ago. Map out a couple of ‘What If ’ scenarios and be prepared with how you intend to communicate these. 2) Do you need to reposition your brand and messaging? For example, are you selling luxury vehicles? Now is not
7 ) Don’t forget about your new communication channels. As we’ve all been spending time online, continue to maintain your new communication channels. You’ve started to build new followings. Make sure this is part of your plans going forward. Leverage these channels to communicate how you are conducting business. 8) Continue to re-evaluate your messaging. Things are changing daily. Make sure the message that you are putting out is current with the changes happening in our world. At a
President and Owner, Lori J Highby
minimum, evaluate your message on a weekly basis. In addition, rethink some of the language that you are using. Stop using terms such as uncertain, unsure, unparalleled, unprecedented. Everyone is using this language. Find new terms to express your sentiment. 9) Stretch your creativity. As everyone is opening back up again, you’ll want to make sure your message stands out. Get creative in how you are letting the world know that you are open for business. Consider an event to celebrate that you are back. The most important aspect is to continue to communicate with your audience. Let your customers know how you are conducting business and what they can expect when working with you. Keystone Click is a strategic digital marketing agency. Our research and collected insights help our clients to make the right decisions related to marketing and promoting their business online. Visit keystoneclick.com/profits to download or sign up for our snail mailed Guide to Profits.
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