How to Help Your Business Stay Alive and Thrive While Social Distancing (Marketing During Social Distancing Series Part 1)

It’s a difficult time for many right now and with social distancing becoming a priority, in the realm of marketing, this means business protocols and consumer behaviors are shifting rapidly. For business owners, this can mean drastic impacts in what you’re capable of providing as a business as well as your numbers of customers, meaning it can be a scary time especially for small businesses. However, even during these times, it’s increasingly important to bolster your business’ online performance and use the time at home many of us are experiencing to get some quality work done.

With that being said, here are some of our tips to help your business stay alive and thrive during these recent times:

1 – Maintain business as normal, or as close to normal as possible. Depending on your individual business, this can look a variety of different ways, and it will also depend on your location’s current restrictions. For those based on products, focus on what your clients will most be in need of and be sure to advertise shipping or delivery. For service-based businesses, see what offerings you can shift online or into virtual meetings. Chances are, there is something your business can provide even now, whether it’s all the same work you’ve been doing, or something new entirely for the current situation.

2 – Be active on social media. With many customers spending the majority of their time at home, now more than ever, it’s important that your business maintains its presence in their lives and that is often best done through social media marketing. Keep your brand alive by reminding customers of your presence, getting your message out there, and making sure to spread the word about your offerings with frequent posts. If you want the clients to keep coming, then continue to build awareness!

3 – Start up a blog! Blogs are a great way to generate traffic to your website, but they’re also a wonderful way to distinguish you as an expert, build client trust, and spread information about your business. People who are staying inside have time to read, learn, and get further acquainted with your business online, so give them something to connect with! Writing or vlogging are both great options for creating new content for them to enjoy.

4 – Update your website. With changing tides come changes in business, meaning it’s time for your website to be updated! Aside from replacing any old or outdated information in general, you may want to: change your contact or store information, add any new offerings or put any unavailable ones on hold, or even share your personal message regarding what’s been going on in the world. Your website may be one of your only first impressions during social distancing, so make sure it’s performing its best!

5 – Get engaging! Those of us staying in now have the opportunity to engage and interact in ways we haven’t always had time for. This is a great opportunity to start up some new practices with social media lives, story Q and A’s, video group chats, and more! You may have already seen businesses hosting painting parties or fitness instruction through Facebook live– think of any ways you can do similar! This unique connection you can build with your customers during this time can offer them relief in a stressful situation and further bridge any boundaries between your business and your community.

6 – Help your community! During this time, it’s important to remember that we are all in this together. Volunteer and give back by donating blood, reading stories to kids, or assisting your local food pantries. Small businesses and local business professionals, stick together and help each other spread the word and support! Like each other’s pages, share local posts, and collaborate to help each other pull through. As a small business in itself, know that i3 is right there with you to help!

7 – Take advantage of virtual services, education, and meetings with i3! Our business is still fully-operational during this time and we’re ready to help your business thrive, even now. We offer a variety of free options to get you started, but we’re also ready to help you with marketing solutions, marketing coaching, or any other needs via virtual meetings. If you need help with social media, search engine optimization (SEO), website design, branding, or more, now is a great time to contact us!

You can also take advantage of our FREE options, including a selection of our webinars, an Annual Content Calendar to map our your plans, a Digital Marketing Review for expert feedback on your current marketing, a Social Media Audit to track your progress, and a 30-minute Virtual Coffee Chat to start discuss how we can help you. See Part 2 of the Marketing During Self Distancing Series  series here!