Data consistently proves companies that continue to communicate with customers during a downturn rebound more quickly and more completely than those that don’t. Now is the perfect time to keep your brand top of mind with customers. But not without using a delicate touch. Follow these keys to marketing in the current atmosphere to serve your customers’ needs and bring them back through your doors.
Evaluate your brand positioning. Think about what your business means to your customers. Is it the same as it was a few months ago? Today’s mindset could mean your customers find value in qualities they weren’t focused on before, so be sure you’re highlighting your business’s most valuable, of-the-moment assets.
Offer reassurance. If your business has adopted special safety measures or policies, share them with your customers. Not only does this ensure they’re prepared when they visit in person, but it also lets them know you’re taking their health and well-being seriously.
Be where your customers are. As people prepare to get out and about again, they’re devouring digital content. Help them find what they’re looking for by keeping your website up to date with current hours and information. Highlight the same details on your social media channels through short, focused posts.
Pay attention to tone. Customers are going through their own individual recovery processes. To avoid inadvertently offending them, highlight services and special offers tastefully. Marketing from a perspective of helpfulness and gratitude will help ensure customers are just as excited about your reopening as you are.
S&A Founder and CEO Chuck Stephens originally wrote this piece as a guest column for the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce June 2020 newsletter.