In the wake of coronavirus and a rapidly changing landscape, many small business owners are finding themselves in unknown territory, uncertain as to what the future holds. As a public relations professional and business owner myself, I understand these fears and frustrations, but we can’t allow them to consume us.
Below are a few suggestions on how to adapt your current public relations strategies and rethink your business in order to keep it running effectively during these times:
Get Creative
Whatever industry you are in, look at where there is a need. For example, restaurant owners can create family style delivery programs and offer them at a reasonable price, delivering meals throughout their local area and to customers who need it the most. This will enable restaurants to continue staffing jobs, while maintaining profits and feeding the community.
Think Community
If there is one thing this pandemic has given us, it’s a sense of community. From your employees to your customers, they are all part of your pack, so connect with them. Have your employees check in with customers and let them know your business is still there to support them with special deals and discounts. For example, if you are in the service industry, check in on clients to see if they are running low on products and consider offering YouTube tutorials on easy “how-to’s” at home.
Engage Your Social Media Channels
With a large portion of the population now at home, everyone has near-unlimited time to refresh Twitter, Instagram and other feeds for news and entertainment, making a strong social media presence imperative.
As a small business, take advantage of this moment and host Instagram lives, ask your customers what they would like you to do more of, and try your best to engage with your online community as much as possible.
Take Action
This is a time to make any changes you might have been too busy to implement while business was in full swing. Sit with your PR team and come up with marketing strategies, fresh ideas for amplification and content, and new angles for business development. And lastly, remember: When you started your business, you had fears and uncertainties, but you saw the bigger picture. Stay focused and determined that you will come out on the other side, and remind yourself, you’ve got this!