There was a time when promoting a business meant elaborate advertisements on TV or large colourful newspaper spreads. Fast-forward to 2020, not only is the marketing landscape completely transformed, but a global pandemic and resulting economic crisis has forced businesses large and small to pivot their marketing (and fundamental operations) in a way most could not have imagined.
The challenges presented as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic have brought opportunity; the chance for businesses to start fresh, reflect on what they’ve been doing and make the necessary investments if they’re in a position to do so. Here are some key lessons small business owners may take from the COVID-19 economic climate, and some steps you can take now to futureproof your business as we (hopefully) enter the post-pandemic world.
Importance of a digital presence
It was clear when many businesses were forced to shut, those with a digital presence had an advantage. Some online retailers, for example, reported huge increases in sales. While psychology practices were not negatively impacted in the same way as some businesses, a website and digital presence is an advantage regardless of whether there are lockdowns in place, and regardless of whether you can service clients online or not. It can enable you to keep connections with clients even when they are not seeking services from you, which can help your practice name stay front of mind, particularly, but not only, for those in your local area. And since lockdown measures have given small business owners the very rare gift of some additional time, some have used this time wisely to develop their website and invest in their overall digital presence.
Social media is your friend
As staying home became the norm, social media usage saw a huge spike as people tried to stay connected with loved ones and maintain a sense of normality. It is possible that even those who previously had not used social media have now started. If you don’t already have a social media account for your small business, this should hopefully be enough to convince you to open one.
Social media can help your business build up presence and awareness. If your business is new to social media, here are some tips to help you get started:
- Firstly, decide which social media platforms will be relevant to your business by studying your client base – don’t feel the need to have an account on every single platform. Rather, focus your advertising efforts on the platforms where you feel you will get the most reach. COVID-19 has also changed social media habits of consumers, with some platforms seeing an increase, and some platforms seeing a fundamental shift in the way they’re used, so make sure to do your research before jumping in.
- Check out the social media usage of other psychologists in your field of work and learn from those who have been adopters of online platforms.
- Paid advertising on social media can be a very cost-effective way to reach large numbers of customers (and target the right ones).
Keep in touch via email
Just like having a website, email marketing for your business will also help you stay on your clients’ minds. The last few months demonstrated the importance of this channel as a means to communicate operational information to clients. For example, you can use this channel to communicate important information such as any practice closures; change in opening hours; as well as reassurance of measures taken to ensure health and safety of consumers, such as cleaning routines and social distancing within the practice. Some companies added a human touch by addressing employment impacts on their staff and being transparent with clients about how their staff members were being supported, and links to relevant resources.
Remember empathy
Whether you already had an online presence or are still in the initial stages of establishing one, one of the most important things to keep in mind when communicating during uncertain times is empathy. Sometimes weaving too much relevance into your communications can be seen as opportunistic. This crisis has forced many businesses to think critically about their marketing and identify messages that are truly valuable to their audience – but this lesson should not be exclusive to the COVID-19 environment and should be an important one to take on board moving into the future.
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