Social Media Steps For Businesses to Make it Through CoronaVirus

Whether you are a small business, a restaurant, an autodealer, a clothing store, a hair salon, a catering hall, or just about any other business in the country – you have felt the impact of the current COVID-19 (CoronaVirus) that has swept the world. If you have not shut down your business completely, you are no doubt dealing with a workaround on how to stay open, reach your customers or simply stay afloat. 

These are unchartered times for any current business owner and absolutely unchartered times for a business owner in the era of Social Media. There are absolutely businesses out here that cannot and frankly should not open in times like this BUT there is an abundance of steps that you can take to stay in front of your audience and customer base. We hope in the sections below to provide you with options that might be right for you and your business during this time of the great unknown. 

For the Restaurant Owner:

• If possible, start curbside pick up or delivery
• Now is the perfect time to revamp your current menu
• Take out a calendar and prepare a tentative your marketing plan for the remainder of the year
• Go Facebook Live or Instagram Live with your chef and show how to make a specific dish. Do this 2 times a week at the same time to create consistency
• Look into how to build the online ordering app you always wanted
• Go on Instagram and research all of the #Hashtags related to your style of food and then follow them
• When conducting this Hashtag research, notate what works and what does not work so tha tyou can better create your own content or advise your digital agency in the direction youwould like them to take your brand
• In order to continue posting content to your Social Media channels, repurpose some older but generic content so that your account is not going to go dark

For the AutoDealers:

• Facebook Live should be an essential tool in the marketing arsenal
• Take the most frequently asked questions about specific models and create walk around videos answering those questions
• Conduct vehicle walk arounds showcasing specific new technology but create multiple 30-45 second clips for each make and model
• Make sure your website allows online shopping in the sense that the potential buyer can search for their vehicle by making sure your new and pre-owned inventory are listed accurately on the website, allow the buyer to apply for financing and make sure you allow Home/Work delivery so the buyer never has to visit the dealership in person
• Repurpose older images when applicable so you do not have to have too many static images created by your marketing agency
• Showcase current employees in videos and post this to your social media channels
• Find local #Hashtags on Instagram that might pertain to your business such as a local car club
• When conducting this Hashtag research, notate what works and what does not work so that you can better create your own content or advise your digital agency in the direction you would like them to take your brand

For the Clothing Store Owner:

• Facebook Live should be an essential tool in the marketing arsenal
• Now is the time to look into the ability to start driving traffic to your website and develop a way to sell your items on your website
• Start utilizing videos and Lives in order to discuss new materials for the upcoming season
• Showcase new looks that are coming out in a month or two
• Take questions and answers in regards to style questions such as what tops would be worn best with which shoes and why
• Showcase current employees in videos and post this to your social media channels
• Find local #Hashtags on Instagram that might pertain to your business and also join Facebook groups that are local to your business (Mom/Dad groups are great but there are thousands of others)
• When conducting this Hashtag research, notate what works and what does not work so that you can better create your own content or advise your digital agency in the direction you would like them to take your brand

For the Hair Salon Owner:

• Facebook Live should be an essential tool in the marketing arsenal
• Now is the time to look into the ability to start driving traffic to your website and develop a way to sell your hair care products through e-commerce
• Start utilizing videos and Lives in order to discuss new styles and cuts
• Take questions and answers in regards to style questions
• Showcase current employees in videos and post this to your social media channels
• Find local #Hashtags on Instagram that might pertain to your business and also join Facebook groups that are local to your business (Mom/Dad groups are great but there are thousands of others)
• When conducting this Hashtag research, notate what works and what does not work so that you can better create your own content or advise your digital agency in the direction you would like them to take your brand

For the Catering Hall Owner:

• Facebook Live should be an essential tool in the marketing arsenal
• Now is the time to look into your current website: does it showcase all of your essential selling points? Is it mobile friendly? Is it easy to navigate? Are the images crisp and do they tell a story?
• Start utilizing video walk throughs of the available rooms. Give a bride, groom, parent or business owner an idea of what they would be booking
• Showcase current employees in videos and post this to your social media channels
• Find local #Hashtags on Instagram that might pertain to your business and also join Facebook groups that are local to your business (Mom/Dad groups are great but there are thousands of others)
• When conducting this Hashtag research, notate what works and what does not work so that you can better create your own content or advise your digital agency in the direction you would like them to take your brand
• Now is the time to reach out to additional photographers and other vendors to see their work as a potential in house vendor

As you can see there are quite a few methods and tactics that you can deploy and to be clear,  this is literally just the ip of the iceberg in regards to what you and your business can do to stand out in this time. While other businesses are standing still and sitting tight, you can get your name and brand out to the masses. Of course it is always a good idea to send an email to your list because email marketing should not be thrown to the side, but please do not send multiple emails if there is no status change to your business. Every business is sending out email updates but some are excessive and this will in the end, turn your customers away.

We hope that some of these tactics spark an idea for you and your business to move forward during this time. There is no doubt that once the instability and the unknown passes, we are sure to see a surge in consumer spending. When the consumer comes out, it should be your sole goal to be on their mind. If you are active during this time when EVERYONE is on Social Media they WILL see your content. Now the question is, will you be the brand that they want to do business with or will your competitor?

If there is something we missed or something that is not clear or you are frustrated being in the house and want to talk about your business, send us an email or give us a call at 718-578-6073.

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