During this critical time, it is important for businesses to stay connected with their clients, customers, and employees. Here are a few helpful hints and resources:
Helpful Hints
- Messaging: Messaging should be frequent with up to date content. Be authentic, your customers and clients want to hear from you and they’ve chosen you for a reason. You may consider your employees to be friends — keep in touch.
- Information Sources: Be sure to share and link relevant resources.
- Communications Methods: Social Media, Email, Online Meeting Platform, Phone.
- Advertising and Promotion: Be sure to use advertising (both free and contracted) to expand your reach and communicate your offerings. In times of crisis, many businesses will slash marketing budgets. This is precisely the opposite of what you should do. Businesses who stick to marketing budgets and schedules (or even increase the budgets) have the opportunity to gain market share as their competitors pull back. Make sure to use the Chamber’s new Hot Deals and Member to Member Deals to offer your products and services.
- Graphic Design & Signage: Be sure to notify others of the services you are providing and how they can order and pick-up. Be creative and resourceful in getting the word out. It’s a great time to update that old website, maybe you’re finally ready to add an e-commerce shopping cart or have an idea for product delivery! Maybe it’s time to work on modifying your service model. Many businesses (especially restaurants, but also retailers like Barnes & Noble) are offering curbside service, for example.
- Encourage Feedback: In the age of digital marketing, there isn’t much that’s more important than your online reputation. Reputation management is a key ingredient of customer service and increased sales. Encourage your clients and customers to write a review on Google, Yelp or Facebook.
- Give your clients or customers something positive to think about. The media reports of fatality statistics are depressing so, for a moment, take your customers or clients on a better journey. Let them think about something else for a while.
Resources
- Download and print signs to display in your business regarding safety protocols and guidelines HERE.
- Digital Media Kit from the State of California: https://business.ca.gov/shopsafeshoplocal/
- Interactive Workplace Flyer (Presented by US Chamber): https://www.uschamber.com/app/covid-19-flyer/
- The International Association of Business COVID-19 Communications Guide: https://www.iabc.com/covid-19-resources/
- The International Association of Business COVID-19 Crisis Response Template: https://www.iabc.com/crisis-response-template/
- Redding Chamber of Commerce Hot Deals (this is a brand new section, please post a deal!) https://members.reddingchamber.com/hotdeals/
- Redding Chamber of Commerce Member-to-Member Deals (this is also a new section, you could be the first to post!) https://members.reddingchamber.com/MemberToMember/
