Marketing Strategies through Coronavirus - a time for humanity, not push advertising
Many of our members will be using this lockdown period to focus on business recovery plans for once we all return to work.
Making good use of this enforced downtime time is the best thing you can do for your business right now - we are all only too well aware of how the days run away with us once we are all back at work and wishing we had more time to focus on strategic planning. And while right now, being too busy seems like a really good problem to have, since we do have time on our hands right now – let’s use it wisely.
This is your chance to really focus and take the time to formulate a well-considered, achievable and robust strategic plan. And while you may already have one, the unprecedented circumstances we all find ourselves in may well mean revising that plan accordingly and if you don’t have one already then take a look at our Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail article.
But what about right now?
What could you be doing to keep promoting your business though the remainder of the isolation period?
If you were considering using the coronavirus as an angle to keep clients loyal and coming up with a promotion proceed with great caution. When businesses start capitalizing on a crisis like this it screams opportunism and can definitely harm your brand more than help.
In fact, it is OK, even expected, for your business to be quieter than normal right now, that is our new normal. While you don’t want to just disappear into the ether either, perhaps choose to communicate with clients on a more personal basis though rather than mass promotion.
This is a time for you to make use of Social Media creatively and a great way to stay engaged with your clients without hard sells and push marketing. Given the economic impact to all of us it is also a cost effective way to stay connected. And right now staying connected – in a genuine way - is by far the best thing you can do for your business and also your clients.
We all know that therapists go so much further than simply making people look better. You are always on hand as a sounding board for many of your clients. It is a very personal industry and as we keep hearing ‘we are all in this together’ so the best thing you can offer your clients is that personal connection to lift their spirits and help them feel someone is still there to listen. Making someone laugh or smile will go so much further in developing that loyal therapist/client bond than any gimmicky sales pitch. Make sure you come out at the end of this as a humanitarian business who’s focus was on real positives, helping your communities and contributing to uplifting society around you. That legacy will remain long after this crisis has gone.
It is also important to remember though that this is an industry known for surviving economic slumps, so while everyone is equally worried about what this is going to do to the economy, and your clients are as effected in their own lives and jobs as you are, non-essential luxury purchases will definitely still play a role in many people’s lives in a time of need (comfort buying as most of us personally know, is a real thing)
If you are fortunate enough to be in a position to provide & deliver products right now – perhaps rather focus on doing product and treatment features on how those products make your clients feel, or send your clients tips and tricks for how best to use their products without actually hard selling the products themselves.
Also do not be afraid to ask your clients directly what communications they would like to see from you at this time. Successful businesses will take into account what the mind-set of their clients are and how they are all feeling.
While what is happening to each business right now is nothing short of a catastrophe, lockdown is not something we have any control of. We will come out of this wiser and more resilient - and by showing humanity to those we rely on for our success, they will show loyalty in return by choosing your business to make them look and feel their amazing best once more.