Are we re-bounding yet?
We are certainly walking an uneasy tightrope right now. Respectful of the times, the weariness of isolation and downtime, we are all ready for change and for the growth we desperately hope is waiting out there.
We feel the desire for shift and change in our bones and dare to be cautiously optimistic. So, we sit down to strategize a plan for re-opening.
“What do we want to say to make our customers feel safe with us? What can we can offer them now — when everything is different?”
It’s a pretty interesting place in which to market your strengths and position yourself, isn’t it? So – exactly how to get one’s head around this and move forward?
First, make sure of your foundation. A good place to begin is with search. Spendable income is precious to consumers right now. So is their health. Your first priority is to double down on your SEO so you are positioned as best answer for customers at the very moment they need a solution.
Search your online presence. See if your website is the first thing that pops up in search for your customers. Maybe it’s your Google My Business listing, Yelp page, or social media. Make sure you update every listing with your most current business information so that customers know how, when and where to find you as the pace of business gets back to usual.
Before you push off the curb, take a look at where you will land. Triple-check every headline, every image, every claim, every testimonial. Make sure nothing can be taken out of context. Your images have absolutely got to be right with appropriate social spacing, no shaking hands or crowds, folks wearing masks, whatever is right for your business model. Then make sure lots of eyes review all your materials so you catch everything.
Show us that you’ve been busy thinking about your customers. Now is a great time to introduce the new you. Warm up your image. Fine-tune your tag line if it needs it. Introduce a new color or background to your logo so we’ll know something new is afoot.
Help make your customer comfortable. Adjust the price of your lead item. Add customer benefits or ways to pay that may help provide reluctant buyers with an anxiety cushion.
Be warm. Be real. Be enthusiastic, but don’t push. Position who you are and what you do in an interesting, upbeat way. Lead your targeted audience to the conclusion that they want to spend with you – to be with you — rather than giving the feeling that you are reeling them in after a long slog in the dry desert.
Keep a steady virtual presence. Virtual conferencing and Zoom meetings are still going to be a thing, especially if and when there are fluctuations in the uptick of the virus. Attention-wandering and Zoom-fatigue present unique challenges. Try to keep anything you present virtually interesting, light, and to the point. Provide an extra special offer or special virtual incentive. Find creative ways to add delight and spontaneity. The gesture will be remembered and appreciated.
Lastly, and importantly, ask for feedback from your customers and your staff. Make sure you are looking in a complete circle to see what’s happening all around you, inside, and out — and how it’s being received.
Want some help with that vital, ever-changing, tenuous marketing task list? Let’s break it up into small-sized chunks and get your business off to a good start. We’re ready to help.
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