Businesses are beginning to adjust to a new normal — shifting business operations, trying new communication styles and tools, and planning for ways to weather the storm once this crisis ends. In order to assist you and your teams with these changes, we’ve put together a collection of resources you may find useful that cover some of the major areas of shift you can use to adapt your business during disruption.
Get Creative With Communication
Communication is vital and brands need to utilize online platforms, such as social media and marketing reviews, to keep loyal customers informed of continuing business and how it’s supporting employees and the community. Considering the current situation, it’s important that these messages are purposeful, empathetic, and personalized to appeal to customers.
Creating a presence centered on the customer experience during times of disruption sounds intimidating, especially when it comes to creating social media marketing for the healthcare industry. However, it doesn’t have to be difficult. By following four basic principles, you create effective community management and easily provide support to customers during this time while improving your reputation.
Plan for Post-Crisis
Even while adjusting to the new consumer landscape it’s important to plan for the future, specifically after this crisis passes. This means establishing relationships and overall credibility now as a way to build trust, so that customers think of you when it comes time for a purchase when your doors fully open again for business.
This type of planning, however, involves leaders making the right decisions during these hard times. ReviewTrackers Founder and CEO Chris Campbell shared some insights on how he keeps the company going through periods of crisis – and especially ways to ensure the well-being of employees and customers.
In terms of customer communications, being proactive and taking the time to reach out and reinforce your relationships seems like a small thing – but in reality, will have a long-lasting legacy well beyond this crisis period. You can easily use resources you already have to take these impactful steps – check out the guide below to see how.
Make Sure Business Information is In Order
A major part of the current communication strategy involves updating business information. Providing details on new hours and contact information helps reduce stress for the consumer and further builds on the trust established when speaking to customers on social media.
The process for updating listings shouldn’t take more than a few minutes, but brands can also use their high-profile listings to communicate and answer consumers’ questions with existing features.
Get the Business Info Checklist
Humanize Your Brand
Showing the human side of a brand is a huge way to build consumer trust, especially in times of crisis. Showing support for staff during this time and participating in community initiatives keeps you in the consumers’ good graces, which can help in the long run and keep you top of mind when people make their next purchase decision.
Inspiration for humanizing your brand can come from other businesses that are already doing it. Take note of their efforts and find ways to fit similar plans of brand engagement into your new strategy.
Put it All Together in a Crisis Management Plan
Above all else, it is important to realize that the COVID-19 crisis will have a major impact on the way businesses operate moving into the future – but with proper adaptation and planning, it is completely possible to innovate and evolve with resilience.
We’ve packaged helpful tips and tactics to help you navigate this ever-changing landscape into the downloadable guide below: