It’s been a long wait for many small business owners to reopen. Weeks, then months went by as companies tried to adjust to a situation that has no parallel in anyone’s lifetime. Norms were turned upside down as businesses in many states shut down. It’s been an unsettling (and unprofitable) experience for many business owners. Regardless of what stage your business is at at the moment, there are things you should keep in mind. Here are some small business marketing tips for reopening that may help make the transition easier.
Small Business Marketing Tips for Reopening: Make Sure People Know That You’ve Reopened
This may seem an obvious point but it’s not. People are being inundated with information about the coronavirus every hour of every day. There’s no guarantee they’re paying attention to whether your business is opening back up for business. Keep in mind that reopening small businesses isn’t necessarily on anyone’s radar. You have to get the word out to your customers that your doors are open. When they have top-of-mind awareness that you’re open, they’ll come. You can’t leave to chance that they’ll just notice. In all likelihood, they won’t. Make sure you’re keeping your Google My Business listing up to date — if you’re working with a small business digital marketing agency, make sure you’re in touch with them about this.
Small Business Marketing Tips for Reopening: Don’t Decrease Your Marketing
As small businesses strive to become more efficient, some will make the mistake of slicing their PPC or SEO budgets to reduce expenses. That’s a huge mistake. Small business digital marketing isn’t something that should be compromised or put on hold until things are “getting better.”
What constitutes “getting better”? Depending on how you define it, getting better might not happen for a long time. Between now and then, your small business has to function. More importantly, it has to be able to generate revenue. Only through small business digital marketing can you put your company in a position to thrive as the economic picture brightens.
“For everyone reopening small businesses, remember that what you did during lockdown dictates how well your company does when you open the doors again,” says Dan Gemp, CEO of Dreamscape Marketing. “If you put your marketing to sleep during quarantine, you won’t hit the ground running. You’ll be struggling just to get to your feet. We’ve seen that happen to some businesses. If you’re still under some phase of lockdown, you have to keep your small business digital marketing alive and well.”
Small Business Marketing Tips for Reopening: Does Your Branding Still Resonate Post-Coronavirus?
As you strive to reopen your business, it may be necessary to re-examine your branding to see if it’s still applicable post-pandemic. For example, if you were branding your small business as providing fast service, necessary safety issues may make this competitive advantage less likely. If you used to promise that customers would be in and out fast, the new normal might be a rude awakening. The prospect of limited capacities and fewer staff members might make such a promise difficult (or impossible) to keep. Therefore, content catering to this competitive advantage may suddenly be horribly out of date.
Small Business Marketing Tips for Reopening: Don’t Be Caught Unprepared If There’s Another Shutdown
As we’ve seen with everything that’s happened since the coronavirus struck, it’s best to cast expectations out the window. Just because you’ve aced reopening your business doesn’t mean that you should leave yourself vulnerable if there’s another shutdown.
No longer how well you’re doing in the reopening phrase, it’s important to keep all of your quarantine protocols on stand by. Although we all hope additional shutdowns don’t happen, it’s wise to be ready if that should happen. The good news is that you’re already been through a shutdown and you know what’s involved.
Small Business Digital Marketing is the Key
“A number of our clients are doing surprisingly well right now,” says Dan Gemp. “That didn’t happen by accident. They kept their heads in the game and realized that marketing wasn’t just some expense that could be cut at will. They marketed harder than ever and they’re in a good position as a result. Reopening small businesses doesn’t have to be difficult. Cleary, there’s a lesson to be learned here.”
As your small business strives to get back into the swing of things, consider the above small business marketing tips for reopening. You should also consider working with a digital marketing firm with the knowledge and experience to help you through this difficult time. Contact Dreamscape Marketing today at [direct] and let’s discuss your post-shutdown marketing strategy.