The new norm - even though we hate the phrase!

The new normal is far from normal

Many of our wonderful clients have seen new opportunities for their businesses during Covid19.  Digital has again become at the forefront of communicating with customers and clients.

Below are a few guidelines on what to communicate, how to communicate, and some useful tools to gain further reach.

Firstly, don't pretend everything is just the same as it was, it isn't; so be honest and communicate that. After all we are in this together.

Show empathy for your customers. - Let's be honest, most of us do genuinely care for our customers and over the years, have built strong relationships. Develop methods to provide further support, set up webinars, chat areas etc. for you and also your customers to network and chat. - Be a thought leader.

Don't make your messaging so specific that it dates quickly but make sure the information you convey is factual.

Being realistic and honest does not mean being pessimistic. Change often brings progress.

Keep in regular contact with your customers. This can be done in various ways including blogs, social media and email campaigns.

If you have a physical area of a building - perhaps a showroom or ideas centre, an idea maybe to create a virtual area simulating the experience. You can use video, walkthroughs or CGI.

Re-enforce your brand at every opportunity – set your logo as a background on teams or zooms. Refresh email footers etc.

Just because video conferencing has become an essential communication tool, don't use it when in the past you would have just phoned a customer. With more of us sat behind a computer and staring at a screen, a break from the screen is a welcome change.

Look again at your planned marketing strategy and adapt it – throw it in the bin if needed. Covid19 was not expected and could not have been planned for so changing your plans is not a reflection on you. Adapting to circumstances is, after all, what marketing is all about.

Make your meetings just short of the hour so your customer gets a break before their next meeting.

Ask your customers questions – what do they need from you during Covid19?

Social media is a great way to provide quick updates but make sure your customers know you are there and let them know that this will be a place for quick updates. Make sure you support your customer's social presence too.

Monitor your online stats. See where your visitors and followers come from and if it has changed. Make a note of when peak times are for visitors - this may have changed with more people working from home; many clients are seeing high activity levels earlier in the day. The increase in activity levels could be people using their commute time as work time.

We hope the above has been of use. We are sure many of you are doing a lot of the above. If you would like to chat with us, please call 01422 340220.