Article Written by Katina Jaye Beveridge, ASBAS Advisor, Western Sydney Business Centre.
With Glady’s announcement last Thursday, the roadmap to reopening revealing it could be sooner than expected. It is time to begin your reopening marketing plan. Whilst the information on procedures is still being released by our local and state governments. Here are some marketing tips to connect with your audience even before you re-open.
Update Your Website
When the COVID-19 shutdowns began, what seems like a lifetime ago, most companies elected to send out an initial message to the public. These messages should be readdressed and modified once the state is officially reopening. For Non-essential business reopening, this time can provide a rare opportunity to refresh your website. You can improve your website in a variety of ways such as a new design, rebrand or content. With hopefully only 6-8 weeks away, this can be done in this time if you act now.
Update Your Google My Business Page
When reopening a business, it’s critical to update your Google My Business listings. Many restaurants’ listings were automatically altered to “take out only” or “temporarily closed” by Google; if you are now allowing in-business clients or customers, be sure to amend this on your listing.
Create Reopening Offers or Promotions
Be creative. Reopening after operating under different circumstances can be a fresh start in many ways. What reopening promos or sales can you offer to get people back into your business?
Update Your Social Media
- Post the exact date and time (once announced) – Let your followers know when you’ll be reopening on what day and at what time.
- Updated business hours – To avoid misunderstandings, ensure your new business hours are clearly displayed and accessible.
- Address questions on new guidelines and procedures – Post answers to common questions ahead of time.
- Explain new services or products – If your company is offering new services or products, especially those related to COVID, make sure your audience is aware of them!
- Any reopening promotions.
Have a Strategic Plan
In order to make up for lost revenue create a strategic plan to not only recoup the lost income, yet new ways to bring in more.
Whether it be new products/services or new income streams. The old saying ‘if you plan fail, fail to plan’ is very vital here.
Pandemic or no pandemic, marketing to your clients is always a crucial part of running a business. Now more than ever it is important to succeed. Time to ramp up your marketing and be more strategic than ever before. Let’s make this a time to come back better than ever.