The past year has forced almost every business to up their virtual presence online. After all, it’s where the world is right now, thanks to lockdowns and social distancing. Whether you run a country pub now offering takeaway roast dinners; a new small business born during endless days at home; a museum offering virtual tours; or any business previously reliant on face-to-face human contact, your days of avoiding online marketing are well and truly over! #ThanksCovid!

Every aspect of our lives have been affected: From the way we shop, to the way we socialise, and the way we work. At times, it may feel like there’s just too much noise online and your business can’t compete. Not so, my friend!

In this blog, we’ll be sharing our top tips for keeping your business visible to customers old and new, helping you navigate through these difficult times with your business until we can return to the lives we once knew!

Staying on top of content:

One of the most important things to do to keep your business visible online is to regularly update your content, both on social media and on your website. Regular, good-quality content will boost your search engine optimisation (SEO), helping to keep you at the top of the Google results page, whilst also supporting the social media platform’s algorithm – something they’ll thank you for with more views!

It’s crucial to consider how often it’s reasonable for you to post online and then stick to it, because consistency is key. It’s no good posting 5 times one day, and then nothing for the next three weeks!

You can also share behind-the-scenes content of how the business looks day to day: promotions and discounts, photos of previous work and testimonials will all go down a treat. People love seeing the face behind the business too! Don’t be afraid to hit that ‘live’ button on your Facebook and Instagram accounts, however scary it is (I know, trust me)!

Keeping customers up to date:

With ever changing government guidelines, and constantly moving goalposts, it’s a good idea to keep your customers up to date with how you’re operating. You may wish to write a post and pin it to the top of your Facebook page, keep a message on the front page of your website, or save as an Instagram story highlight, explaining your safety measures and the limits to what services you can offer during lockdowns and social distancing.

Your customers will appreciate knowing exactly how they can use your business, and the easier it is to access that information, the more likely someone is to use your services. Aim to create as little friction or roadblocks in the buying process as possible, by offering plenty of information and making it clear where to find it.

Refreshing and rebranding:

Continuing on the theme of lessening friction during the purchasing process, this is a great time to re-evaluate your business processes and how they can be simplified. Could you implement a simpler contactless payment system? Could you upload more items to your website? Could you update prices and stock, allowing customers to check-out online instead of needing to call you to place an order?

You could also look at your business’ branding: When was the last time you updated your profile photo, or your website banner? Make sure it’s still easy to identify your business for returning customers, but an added splash of colour, updated imagery and more consistent branding can make a world of difference to how your business is displayed and perceived.

Networking:

This pandemic has definitely shown us that we’re stronger when we work together, so keep this in mind when it comes to your business. Don’t think you’re in this alone, and utilise the businesses around you, whether they are local or simply complimentary to your product or service. What other businesses can you team up with to cross-promote and share audiences to reach more people?

Networking also means taking time to engage with your audience too, so make sure you’re replying to their comments, liking the photos they tag you in, resharing them to your stories and asking questions to drive engagement. The more of a community you can build around your business, the better!

We hope you’ve picked up some valuable insight and tips to implement to ensure your business thrives online, despite the noise! Adapt and evolve with the times, get the basics down to a T, and don’t be afraid to change, you’ve got this!

 

Thank you to our guest Blogger Chantelle Davison – Choice Words By Chantelle