The COVID-19 pandemic has presented some hurdles in the business world. As owners transition their businesses from government-mandated closure to a phased reopening, many find themselves wondering “How do I start again?” Unfortunately, since all businesses interact with their customers differently, there isn’t one set “road map.” In this article, we want to go over some general tactics which will help you and your customers navigate these uncharted waters.
First off, now that you can start to slowly interact with customers again, what do you do? If you are a restaurant that can start to fill up your dining room, you will need to make sure table spacing/seating coincides with your state’s guidelines. If you are a retail store, you will most likely need to put markings down on the floor to show social distancing as well as routes through the store to help shoppers practice proper distancing. All of these guidelines can be found online on the CDC website:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/reopen-guidance.html
Now that your business is ready to start seeing customers again, what should you do? Just like you, most customers are ready to get back to some normalcy. With that being said, however, some customers may have some questions about what is being done to protect them from contracting the virus. A good plan of attack is to start by communicating with your customer base and letting them know the “rules of engagement” and what steps you are taking to keep them safe. This communication is crucial in laying the groundwork on what is expected.
Baer Performance Marketing has helped businesses with videos explaining to customers the steps that are being taken to keep them clean and virus-free while in the establishment. The videos are a great way to show the interaction as they will likely experience it. This helps put people at ease knowing you are doing everything with their safety in mind.
Our marketing team has also helped with the development of social media messages letting customers know there are new rules or guidelines while shopping to make the experience safe for both customers and employees. Feel free to send us any questions you have on strategies to get you back up and running!
“How do I let people know about my business?” This brings us to the ads portion of the article. With any business starting up, there needs to be a brand awareness campaign to let customers know who you are and what you have to offer. Even if you aren’t a “startup,” the times are different! Most people haven’t had much interaction with the outside world for the past two to three months. Now is the best time to get in front of your potential customers and build up a whole new base of regulars. Show people pictures of your business, especially if you took the downtime to make updates! Advertising to new audiences can be tricky and somewhat of a daunting task, but no worries, BPM is here to cut through the confusion and assist you in making a strong rebound. Contact us today!
