The current pandemic has created financial instability for a lot of businesses.
The measures that the government took to safeguard the citizens along with the threat of COVID-19 has led to the downfall of many businesses.
A survey says that more than 30% of small businesses may go out of business due to this pandemic, and travel and food( restaurants) industries are probably suffering the most.
The way we used to conduct business before the pandemic doesn’t work anymore.
The ‘business as normal’ is something no one is saying to each other these days.
For small businesses and startups, this is a challenging time, but some ways can help you grow your business or at least keep it afloat. All you need to do is stay calm and rethink your marketing strategies.
There might not be enough capital to launch a big campaign or run ads on social platforms, but you are not out of options. Here are a few cost-effective ways that can help you grow sales and leads for your business.
1) Change your messaging according to the times
Since the pandemic has changed our life, we have to address the same. Your business and the way customers use your product will change too.
So, tell them that and be wary of how you say this.
Don’t be too cheerful or too sad, you don’t want to set a wrong tone.
Few Tips:
- Let the customers know what goods you are still delivering. Tell them that shipping and delivery will take time.
- Go through your social media, write the same message there. Also, delete anything insensitive during these times.
- Make sure your customer knows that you are operating with less staff, and most of them are working from home. They are safe, and they need to be too.
- The messaging tone in all your marketing vehicles should aim at spreading hope, comfort, safety, and well-being.
- Don’t promote a product in a disaster which seems like you are trying to benefit from it. Instead, tell people how they will benefit from it. For instance, Lifebuoy advertisement nowadays says that their soap can help kill all viruses. But they also say that use any soap that you have to keep your hands clean and germ-free. This type of promotion is best.
2) Work on your visuals
The pandemic is the origin for many memes and appealing & memorable visuals. You can use the virus itself or the masks or so on to create visuals with the help of Canva.
Make sure to use them appropriately, but using them for marketing your products in a unique way is a great idea.
3) Work on improving customer relationship
Use this opportunity to improve your relationship with your existing customer to grow your business.
Here are some tips:
- Update your website and blogs with timely and relevant content. Something that aids the customer and solves the challenges which they are facing.
- Use social media and a free toll number for customers to contact you. Also, let them know that you are operating with fewer people and for a limited time period.
- Offer them more products or services and make delivery free or affordable.
- Make sure you reply to every query that the customer poses.
- When the customers are happy, they will buy more, and your sales will increase.
4) Work on your social media strategy
Social media is salvation for most people during this time. It’s the same for you as well as through social media, you can promote your business inexpensively.
You don’t have to run ads on them if you post meaningful content which is appealing as well.
Here are some tips:
- Post quality content. Don’t over-promote and let people know that you understand what you are going through.
- The caption should be well-thought.
- Make sure the customers know what measures you are taking to ensure all their products are safe. Having an anti-COVID policy in place is necessary.
5) Improve your emails
Email marketing is one of the best cost-effective methods for improving sales. But you cannot expect the sales to increase if you are sending generic mail to everyone.
To ensure that recipients open your sales emails read, and act upon them, you need to follow these rules:
Subject line: is the most crucial element of an email. It needs to be simple, and not something that over-pitches your sales. Also, make sure there are no grammatical or error mistakes because that will put the reader off.
Opening line: How do you want to address your recipient when they open the mail? By using their first name, or addressing them as Ms/Mr or dear? It depends on your relationship and need of the email, which is something you should know before you start writing a sales email.
Email Body: of the email depends on the goal you have in mind. What results you expect will lay the bed for the body of the mail.
Closing lines (CTA): Your email needs to have a clear and simple CTA which tells people what you expect them to do. If the next course of action is not clear, the sales email will yield no results.
So, when you are drafting an email marketing strategy, make sure you are aware of who the recipient is, what the professional relationship is like, and what do you want them to do after reading the mail.
Knowing these will help you with coming up with the best sales emails.
The times are tough, and it will take a long time for the economy to get better. But you can stay stabilized your finances and even grow your business with these tips.
Innovation is the key right now, and you need to figure out what works best for your business during these tough times.
Also, be kind to your employees, customers, and other businesses.
Help each other out, and we will come out on the top of this situation soon.
Would you like to share any tip with our readers? Please share it in comments.
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