Creativity and adaptability are the only tools for success for businesses trying to survive the increasingly challenging pandemic-ridden global economy.
Organizations that resorted to inflexible responses and kept using the same strategies and tactics soon compromised their growth and continuity. According to Yelp’s Economic Impact Report, more than 97,000 businesses closed down permanently over the last year. This means that 60% of all companies that closed down during the pandemic won’t reopen ever again.
On the other hand, companies that adapted to the circumstances and understood their audiences’ changing needs in these trying times are still going strong.
The good news is that their branding strategies are well-documented and available for all to replicate.
Here’s a quick look at what successful businesses are doing to ensure their continued growth despite the raging pandemic that isn’t showing any signs of giving up:
Prioritize Customers’ Perspective During Interactions
Social media avenues like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter became even more imperative for businesses to connect to their customer base during store closures and remote work.
It didn’t hurt that more people visit these sites quite often during lockdowns. This was made evident by a poll of social media users that revealed 39% of them now spend more time on social media.
Businesses that take advantage of this medium to speak to their audiences have come out clear winners.
At a time when people feel ambiguous about their well-being and the economy, your brand can stand out by responding and addressing your customers’ current needs, concerns and looking at things from their perspective.
There is always an opportunity for brands to be unique and compelling irrespective of the economy. However, during these times, it requires businesses to have a well-executed and careful approach.
Brush Up On Your Digital/Virtual Selling Skills
Since adaptability is the name of the game, businesses that were quick to start selling online survived the pandemic despite all its restrictions and lockdowns.
If the customer can’t come to you, you do whatever it takes to take your product and/or service out to them. And for many businesses, this meant going digital for the first time ever.
Studies show that 70% of marketers now use virtual platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams for their face-to-face interactions and meetings. Interestingly, many of them believe that they’ll continue doing this for the long haul.
Virtual sales calls are no different than in-person meetings, so it is imperative to prioritize making great first impressions.
Dress appropriately. Yes, this is important even in a virtual meeting. Optimize your home office environment and background, and ensure that your video and audio are clear and glitch-free to foster seamless communication.
Furthermore, selling virtually also lets you provide value to your customers upfront. Take this opportunity to be proactive and provide useful, useful resources such as guides, tools, webinars, workbooks, eBooks, etc., to their potential customers.
This will allow you to stay at the top of your audience’s mind whether you close the deal right away or not.
Host Digital Events On Relevant Topics
You can become an industry leader and assert your position as a subject-matter expert by conducting regular webinars and hosting podcasts online. These virtual events are an effective way to provide value while offering educational, informative, and often entertaining content to your audiences.
This is a viable opportunity for businesses to connect with their audience and cultivate a long-lasting relationship.
Of course, because virtual sessions are becoming commonplace, it is essential to find innovative ways to ensure that your webinar stands out from the crowd. That way, you can better connect with your audience with topics that resonate with your audience.
Create an intuitive and interactive experience for your audience. Additionally, you can also invite expert speakers and offer giveaways to audiences to enhance attendance and viewership of your events.
Additionally, 23% of consumers plan to continue watching livestreams and videos even after the outbreak is done and over with, making this an excellent strategy for the long term as well.
Let Everyone Know What You’re Doing
People are starving for personal and social connections in this time of quarantines and lockdowns. Give your audiences some hope to hold on to.
This’d be a great time to humanize your marketing efforts and invite your audiences for a sneak peek into how things get done at your organization. Behind-the-scene videos, employee interviews, and an in-depth look at how Coronavirus has impacted your business will go a long way in helping your fans, followers, and buyers connect with you.
Your prospective clients don’t want to be bombarded with promotional material, and they sure don’t want you to find the humor in this situation (there is none!) But many of them (37%) want to see content that makes them feel some semblance of normality and safety.
It is imperative to keep all the involved parties, such as stakeholders, investors, supporters, etc., on the milestones you have hit along the way. However, make sure you don’t flood your network with irrelevant updates about your business. Only tell them the news that matters to them and contributes positively to the industry at large.
Ensure Transparent Communication With Employees And Customers
Clear, transparent, and authentic communication is fundamental for a growing business.
As a business owner, you need to take on a practical approach to customer communication that has been modified to fulfill your customer’s expectations from the business.
Also, make sure to check in on and take care of your employees.
A team needs direction and leadership during a crisis to help them weather it successfully and work together for a common goal. Talk to your people and let them know that they can share their personal and professional issues with their managers. Together, everyone can find a feasible solution for their problems.
Utilize this time appropriately and get to know your employees more closely, and build a stronger community with your team members.
This, in turn, will give your employees an understanding of their contribution and value to the organization, and they will feel more motivated to grow the business with you.
Look out for them, and they will look out for you.
Wrapping Up
Technological advances have made it possible for businesses to scale effectively, even in such trying times. While the unprecedented crisis has led companies to adopt new strategies, the good news is that many of these tactics will continue to be effective even in a post-pandemic world.
Lastly, your primary concern when targeting business growth should be to make changes ASAP and take action the minute your strategy becomes clear. Shift your priorities and reassess your brand ideas instead of waiting for conservative policies to work, because they won’t.
Ian Haynes is a seasoned writer, providing premium article writing services to a clientele spread across the United States and Europe. He is a strong believer in content marketing, having witnessed how excellent content can allow your business to increase conversions. When he’s not occupied with work, you can find him reading or playing with his golden retriever, Fluffy.