In the midst of our crazy new normal created by COVID-19, we’re seeing examples of creative connectivity everywhere.
Kids holding signs outside nursing home windows to show love for residents inside, community dance parties on apartment balconies, teachers leaving board games at their students’ doorsteps to encourage family fun during lock down. In times like these, being resourceful for the greater good is what gives us all hope.
So, why not do the same for your business?
For many companies right now, there is uncertainly and also hardship. But the one thing we can control is the way that we react to the challenges that this pandemic has created. I’m doing my best to stay positive, seek out new opportunities, and brainstorm ways to make my time most productive. A few ideas:
Be a good neighbor.
Offer your services that are needed/useful in this time of crisis. Here’s a great example: Cleveland Whiskey usually makes bourbon and rye whiskey. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, they overhauled their distillery to produce hand sanitizer for The Cleveland Clinic health system, providing much-needed products for healthcare workers and patients.
Share your wealth.
What are you good at? Understand that the people/companies who buy your products and services look to you as the expert. So share that expertise—and share it freely. Create podcasts, post how-to videos on YouTube, or host Facebook Live events to share your knowledge about a process, tool or even helpful tips that might be useful for your customers.
Make connections.
Use social media to engage with existing and potential customers. If you haven’t done much with social media marketing, now might be the time to jump in. We’ve all got a lot of extra time on our hands and social media channels have been our lifelines for everything from entertainment to news. The takeaway: Meet your customers where they live: on Facebook, Instagram, etc. And make authentic connections by simply being real. Share your story, how you’re managing your business during this time, useful tips, funny anecdotes, etc.
Review and revise.
Take stock of your current marketing program: What’s working well? Where does it fall short? Think about planning and developing new content during this downtime. And to save time and money, take a look at older content that can you refresh and re-purpose.
Rally your team.
Use collaborative communication tools to connect with your team and stay on track during isolation. Try a new app or platform like Trello for task and project management; Asana to create and delegate tasks (with easy link to your Dropbox and Google drive); Microsoft Office for Teams and Google GSuite (which have a host of options for sharing and editing documents and communicating with your team through the app); and Zoom for virtual meetings and even after work happy hours.
Reach out to suppliers.
Communication is key during times of crisis. Brainstorm ways you can help them or ways that you can work together toward better outcomes not only for your customers, but also for your communities, local nonprofits, etc.
Broaden your mind.
Use your resources to make the most of your time at home. From the online business newsletter Morning Brew (a great everyday read, by the way) here’s a link to help you expand your knowledge, explore new material and keep your mind sharp: 450 free Ivy League courses.
I hope these ideas are helpful. Like you, our Shamrock family is working toward creating a healthier tomorrow for all of us—and we continue to pray for those whose lives have been affected by the virus, especially those who have lost loved ones.
Just know that we’re here if you need us. Keep in touch and stay safe.
