5 minute read

Great, It’s Finally Time To Re-Open Your Business – Now What?

When your brick-and-mortar business is able to reopen its doors, you may not necessarily be in a position to get back to business or marketing. Customers and employees wary of being exposed to coronavirus may worry about being in an enclosed space with other people. Furthermore, many of your customers are straining to keep their own business or lives afloat as they are in the wake of a crumbling economy. Consumers do not currently have the budget to spend exorbitant amounts of money and for a business, it takes money to make money.

While Buyer Activity Continues To Increase, Businesses Are Fumbling To Engage Effectively

  • Email Open rates declined 3% in one week after trending 17% above pre-COVID levels.
  • Website traffic is experiencing a 3% week-over-week decrease.
  • Ad spend declined 4% week-over-week for the 12th consecutive week.

This does not mean you cannot promote the reopening of your business or that your efforts will be futile. It simply means that you need to market your reopening carefully and in a smart way since you are definitely not the only one currently in this position.

Share Your Safety Measures

Making it clear that you are protecting your employees shows that you care – about your staff and about the customers they come into contact with – it will demonstrate that your business is reputable, ethical and trustworthy.

Both customers and employees will feel assured when they know you are taking steps to keep them safe. Precautions like making hand sanitizer and masks available, cleaning constantly and mandating a six-foot distance rule are great, but they will do little good for business unless people know about them ahead of time. So, how do you get the word out?

Now is not the time to skimp on safety efforts. That includes investing in the cost of frequent deep cleaning.

  • Get the premises professionally deep cleaned once per week
  • Stock up on hand sanitizer and antibacterial hand soap and disinfectant
  • Mandate daily desk and register cleaning
  • Encourage frequent hand washing
  • Allow, and encourage, ill employees to work from home if possible

Implement these measures and make your efforts public. The best image you can convey right now is that of a business that customers can feel comfortable frequenting and spending money at.

Reveal The Guidelines You Are Following

Your customers are already aware of the official guidelines you should be following because they have to follow them, too. Therefore, it is critical to let them know you are complying with guidelines set forth by the following:

  • World Health Organization (WHO)
  • Centers For Disease Control (CDC)
  • Guidelines for opening America up again
  • coronavirus.gov website
  • Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)
  • Your state’s official government website
  • Your state or governor’s official social media accounts

It can not just be said either, you have to show them repeatedly.

Get The Word Out

It is imperative to proceed with caution. During this sensitive time, you should avoid coming off as too glib. You need to make it clear that you are taking the safety of your employees and customers seriously.

Now is not the time for politics either or your opinion on what is going on. The fastest way to lose customers and money is to insult them or to make your company look foolish in your audience’s minds.

Social media is a great marketing tool for getting the word out about the protocols you put into place and your official reopening date. For example, you could present the steps you are taking and ask your followers if they feel comfortable with them or if they prefer other measures. Stress that you value their input. It does not mean you have to implement their ideas; the gesture alone will show them you appreciate their contributions.

You can also establish your brand as a thought leader by writing a blog post or press release about the importance of reopening safely that features your company’s own efforts. Doing so is a subtle way of marketing your responsible actions and positioning your leadership as true experts in the field. Businesses want to purchase products and services from knowledgeable, experienced and skilled brands.

It is also important to make a tactful announcement via email about the current status of products or services, financial help options, or purchasing incentives you may be offering. Customers will wonder if financing is available or if they will still get the amazing deal you made available a couple of months ago. Use great tact when providing updates. If you are doing so via social media, it is best to keep the post brief and to-the-point.

Get The Marketing Guidance You Need To Re-Open Better Than Your Competition

We have never experienced anything quite like the coronavirus pandemic before. This new frontier poses challenges in trying to navigate it successfully. It is critical to handle all of your marketing efforts properly and get the word out effectively, not just those related to reopening your business. After all, how do you expect customers to know that you are reopening – and in a safe way – if you do not give them the information they are looking for and where they are looking for it at?

So, how do you find your way through this mess?

Start with the Tag Marketing COVID-19 marketing strategies eBook. It is chock full of advice that will ensure you conquer marketing challenges and carve out a successful future for your business long after the coronavirus.

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