These are strange days indeed. Many people are wondering what just happened to their safe, routine lives. Many of these people will be your customers.
But your business probably also needs their engagement anyway – there’s no way of avoiding the fact that the coming weeks and months are going to present new and difficult challenges to us all.
These people sitting at home now – our customers – need support too (and will also welcome a distraction) and as businesses, there are things we can do to help – even when we are working from home ourselves.
So, as a responsible business, what can you do, within the limits of your current working restrictions? How can you help your customers at this time and yet take steps to protect your business from the worst effects of the currently imposed isolation?
Here are a couple of ideas to implement.
Communicate. Communicate even more.
First and foremost – keep in touch!
Your customers are going to feel pretty disconnected and many will be feeling unsettled.
Familiar contact is going to be important to them and will be welcomed. Keep conversation and communications open – even more than usual. And strongly encourage them to make this a two-way process.
Use your existing social media channels and look at increasing them if you can. Hold surveys, polls, live events, ask for feedback. In short, get a conversation going. Show that you care and ask how they are doing and what they have found helpful. Create a space for sharing ideas and thoughts (relevant to your business).
A local wine bar near here has taken their wine-tasting evenings online already and have created a web page that they can host/broadcast by video and as well as watching, customers can respond via a chat-box or webcam if they wish.
Moving ahead, community spirit is going to be key and this is what you should be looking to achieve through your communications.
Likewise, your existing customer support service (if you have one) may be able to be adapted to accommodate current circumstances. Think about the resources you have and how you can change them to suit today’s different market.
For, whether you like it or not, your market has just evolved, and you need to as well.
Adapt your business model
Your market has just changed overnight, and you don’t, then you will lose out. Darwinism was not just about the survival of the fittest, it also favoured those who could adapt in the shortest time.
Flexibility is crucial.
One key issue to mention at this point is about fees. What we are encouraging here is community; it really should go without saying that you shouldn’t be charging for it, although you can, of course, offer extra services after the fact.
The wine bar, for example, is hosting these evenings for anyone who wants to join them – existing customer or not. It’s free entry for all, and all are welcome. If some of them wish to place an order afterwards for delivery – that’s fine, but the event itself is free.
Gyms and health clubs should be arranging to broadcast daily live exercise programs through their website – to anyone, member or not. They can then make an opportunity to book a paid-for virtual session for the members.
Think community and service first, your bottom-line second.
Your customers have given you good business over the years so now is the time to repay some of that loyalty. In return, as you are there for them now, so they will be there with you after we have come through these unusual times.
The other benefit of this is the ongoing well-being of your staff. They too will be feeling a little lost and confused. A new plan of action, altered work methods and even time to learn some new skills will keep minds focussed and energy levels up.
As you keep up and encourage this contact with your customers, do the same with your staff. Create online coffee-talks or yoga classes, share your #stayathome problems and ideas. Encourage them to contribute and be a part of the collective team. You will see the dividends paid out on this approach with them as well.
Be creative in your communication
Whatever you decide to do to keep in touch and boost staff morale, it means careful planning. Get creative and try something new!
There are many ways of connecting through digital channels. Live stream training sessions, recorded video messages that can be sent via social media or embedded in an email, videos can be powerful even without actual filming.
Now more than ever, fresh visual content is essential for your business.
If you’ve never tried video content before, then maybe now is the time to discover some of the ways it can help you keep in contact in a personalised fashion. Think outside the box! Try to collect user generated content from your customers if possible.
So, if you want to improve your Instagram, tweak your Twitter, perk up your posts, put finesse into Facebook or even just enhance your emails – contact Splento and discover for yourself how they can help you boost your business.
Even working remotely, Splento can set up and create live stream delivery services for you, recorded video, edit your own existing content or create a brand new video from your users’ content. Re-edit your archived video to create something new – or produce a short one or three-minute highlight.
Splento is here to help you – producing visual content from start to finish within 24 hours if needed. And with circumstances changing from day-to-day, fast turnaround might be exactly what you need right now.
Call Splento today for a chat about how we can help you to help your customers and staff through the difficult days ahead.
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