5 Tips to Market Your Business and Survive the COVID-19 Pandemic

The outbreak of fast-spreading novel coronavirus has shaken the economies from its core and small businesses are at its worst-receiving end. While large organizations are facing a significant thrash due to the COVID-19 virus, small businesses are finding it hard to survive during this crisis. However, the best advice one can give you in these unprecedented circumstances is to not let your small business get beaten hard. This is the time when you need to think clearly and devise short and long-term plans and make changes to your marketing. At present, you need to observe what your customers really need to know and how your business can help them. Here are a few tips and tactics to boost your small business and maintain the cash flow during these challenging times: 1. Use local marketing strategies Local SEO is proving to be the best friend of small businesses and customers alike these days. People are feeling the need to search local businesses more than ever as they are being asked to stay in their home, maintain social distancing, and come out only for emergencies and essential things. With local marketing, you can afford to appear in the top results of their searches whenever they search for products or services like that of yours. 2. Use clear messages to help your customers Rather than providing self-serving content, you should focus on sharing information with the fact that you are open (only if you are really operating) for clarification as there is so much uncertainty these days. In case you have operations closed for certain hours of the day or days of the week, it is best to mention clearly about your opening time, closing time, and working days. If you have limited staff, share it with your customers and inform them of expected response or delivery time. Helping your clients this way will prevent disappointment and they might also remember your efforts later. So, practice empathy. 3. Use different channels to show your presence It is critical that you know where you need to spread word about your business. Based on what kind of business you run, channels may vary. Enlist these channels and share with your SEO service provider and ask them to use relevant channels to promote the brand messages. Some of the channels through which people can find your business are your website, Google My Business, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. 4. Add a Banner or Pop-up to your website Usually, people hate these things; however, at present, they seem to be one of the most essential elements to your website. Once people find you online, they are likely to land on your website’s any page. Thus, displaying a home message is not sufficient now. Ask your web development or web marketing team to add a simple and lightweight bar or pop up with a clear message. You also need to ensure that these pop ups or banners are shown to each visitor only once. If the message pops up on every page once a visitor has seen it, they might feel annoyed. 5. Update Google My Business hours and posts For your ease, Google has rolled out a COVID-19 update option under Posts. This update allows your website visitors and local customers to check your current status. Ensure that you include everything in the message that existing and potential customers must know. In case you have made changes to your services recently, for instance, offering home delivery when you were traditionally a sit-down retail store or restaurant before crisis, you can easily add a Google Post to share the information. If you are likely to have potential clients in different city-specific places, ensure to post there as well. Follow these tips and do stringent local marketing houston txto help your local and regional customers and maintain a decent cash flow during this novel coronavirus pandemic.