The carnage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to businesses in 2020 is immeasurable. Several industries have been adversely affected by it. The world’s governments are doing everything within their power to stabilize the economy and get small businesses back on their feet. There is no doubt that businesses are financially burdened and challenged to adopt new and innovative selling methodologies. However, the silver lining is that companies can strategize and take full advantage of the situation.
5 effective ways to boost your brand reputation
There is no single strategy that can be used to boost your brand reputation. One has to constantly use creative methods to gain brand reputation. However, here are a few effective ways you can always bank on:
Reevaluate your business – Covid-19 has unquestionably changed the way we live our lives. The new normal is something businesses must consider. Do your customers still require a particular product/service? Some products may be irrelevant in the post-pandemic era. Consider reinventing or completely revamping your products or services to cater to the needs of your customers.
For example, if a brand provides office wear for men, it must reevaluate and revamp its product line to suit the needs of countless customers working from home. The brand can create a new line of cozy wear that can be worn indoors.
Alternatively, a business may already have revamped their range of products to suit the post-pandemic world. It is imperative to understand that things are slowly getting back to normalcy. Therefore, these businesses, too, must reevaluate and revamp their products/services. A brand that has been selling sanitizers and face masks, for example, should evaluate if the demand will be high for these products even after the pandemic ends.
Communication is key – It is no secret that communication with your customers is crucial for a brand’s growth. It is all the more important to communicate during these uncertain times. Several surveys suggest that customers find it reassuring if brands regularly communicate with them during a pandemic.
Businesses must utilize all their communication channels, including social media, to continually update customers about the brand. Let them know if your products are still available, if there are any delays in production, what new products are launching, etc.
Opening up communication channels with your customers will help a business gauge the requirements using the consumers’ feedback. Let them know that you care for their feedback and are passionate about helping them in any way you can.
One of the best ways to communicate with your audience, pass the right message quickly to multiple customers at once, and track their response is through email marketing. Email marketing is one of the oldest and most effective ways of communication. Talk to an expert to get the most authentic email list before you launch your email campaign.
Plan ahead: Businesses have been caught off-guard due to the pandemic. But imagine if your business has a crisis plan in place. Now is the best time to plan for the remainder of the pandemic. Planning will help you start 2021 on the right note.
The pandemic has undoubtedly been unpredictable, with lockdowns, government policies, customer behavior, etc. It is impossible to plan with precision, but you can always analyze your business and figure out the pain points.
Audit your business in detail, determine how COVID-19 has impacted your industry and your business goals, and take measures to fix them. Some important areas to focus on are mentioned below.
- Tax or trade issues in your country
- Broken supply chains
- Employee productivity
- Brand response
- Emergency funding
- Delayed launches
Modify marketing strategies – The pandemic led to a rapid paradigm shift in marketing. Many businesses started to rethink their marketing strategy or change its all together. It is very crucial to eradicate all messaging that isn’t relevant anymore. Go through all social media platforms and determine what needs to be removed or changed. Also, integrate relevant aspects into your marketing, such as social distancing, the importance of sanitizing, etc. Be sensitive to your customers, and do not burden them with redundant information.
It is important to maintain tonality across all your messages. Be consistent with your brand tone. However, consider changing it until things get back to normal. This will help you empathize with consumers and gain their trust.
Something to keep in mind is that customers will be expecting you to address the pandemic and its effects on your business. However, you mustn’t use the pandemic as an excuse to get the word out on your product/service. It may be tempting to increase sales, but customers can usually see through this. Nobody likes to be taken advantage of during difficult times.
Furthermore, don’t advertise products that cannot be shipped or are out of stock. You can also consider lowering your paid promotions budget till things get back to normal.
Improve your SEO – If your business has an online presence, use this time to optimize your website for search engines. Due to the pandemic, lesser footfall can be expected at physical stores. Instore purchases are on the decline. Therefore, now is the time to embrace digitalization and create a robust online presence for your brand.
Online sales have been increasing rapidly during this pandemic, and there is no evidence of it stopping post the pandemic. SEO is imperative for a small business, and mentioned below are some tips you can follow to optimize your online business for search engines.
- Improve the load speed of your website as it helps customers seamlessly browse through your website.
- Target trending keywords, create high-quality content, and publish them on your website to rank better.
- Create evergreen content that will remain relevant to your brand and business regardless of the current trends and situation. Be a leader in your industry.
- Update your Google listing to optimize local search and direct them to your online store.
The post COVID world, too, is unpredictable and challenging. However, this does not mean that you do not make the necessary changes to mitigate losses and improve sales. By meeting customer needs, giving them regular updates, adjusting marketing strategies, planning meticulously, and focusing on SEO, you and your business can make the best out of a rather challenging situation.
About B2B Global Access
B2B Global Access was established with an objective to offer outstanding data solutions to clients across the Globe. From lead generation and social media marketing to data appending and lists management, we offer it all.
A successful marketing campaign not only requires tools and talents but exceptional planning and implementation. We at B2B Global Access strive to execute performance-oriented marketing campaigns that will reach the right audience at the right time.
Stay ahead of the competition and be a leader with the effective data services and tools offered by B2B Global Access. Once you get in touch with us, our dedicated marketing experts will understand your business needs and will suggest the best marketing strategy you can adopt. Experts at B2B Global Access continually strive to convert a lead into a sale for you. With our unfaltering dedication and effective tools, you will be able to keep abreast of the competition.
