Keeping Your Brand Alive During Closures

Affected by COVID-19 (Coronavirus) | updated 4.1.20

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The last time business owners collectively felt the pinch was during the financial crisis of 2008, but the experience was nothing like the global phenomenon we’re encountering today. We feel optimistic that we’ll survive — even possibly grow — as a result of this pandemic. Let’s look at some tools to keep your businesses going through these tough times.

Reflect on Your Business Values

The core of your business is the values that sustain it: the heart and soul of what you do and why you do it. Reflecting on what your business is all about may help you discover some ways you can continue to engage with your community.

Do you own a restaurant? Help people come together by teaching them some of your classic recipes in a how-to blog series or video in your own home kitchen. Are you representing a hospitality group that’s still accepting reservations? Delineate the additional efforts your organization is taking to ensure the safety of your guests (and staff!). Do you own a yoga or fitness studio? Bring your classes online and promote them via instagram, youtube, Facebook and your website.

Keep Your Long-Term Goals Alive

In addition to expressing your core brand values, identify and reconnect with your business’s long-term goals. Keeping your business’s big picture in focus may help guide some tough choices ahead. It can also help you develop some meaningful content for your online presence. Lastly, it can provide some inspiration to develop new products, services, or structures that will support your long-range vision while short-term prospects are unpredictable.

Adapt, Adapt… Adapt!

Responding to the needs of your customers may mean shifting operations and communications online. As you set up a new structure to support your business and customers, continue updating your communication strategies. More on this here. Or contact us to help.

Remember to Empathize

Supporting your customers may come in different forms now. Empathize with your customers— these are difficult times for us all, and they may be acting out of character. Warm, caring professionalism is always the best look for your business.

If your business was forced to close its physical location, you’ll likely receive an influx of digital communication. Leave plenty of space for compassion between the lines. It’s going to be easy to project emotions on the little things.

Tools to support your brand health during uncertain times

Now that you have an idea of what to focus on, here are some tips and tools on how to do it.

Organize. The old pen and paper will do, but online applications, such as Google Docs, or Notion, can be a real game-changer. Keeping your business documents, branding strategies and messaging in one place can help to efficiently develop social media posts, website articles, and email templates.
Publish your Communications. One of the most significant sources of website traffic today is still email newsletters. Whether your email list is cultivated through website sign ups, or is simply a compilation your friends and family, reach out and let them know what’s going on in your business. Email newsletters and blog posts give your brand’s voice a direct connection with your customer in a way that is built around your brand. It’s often much easier to put your brand voice into an email than social media or online citation pages like Google. Email newsletters can be a little more informal and personal, since the message goes directly to your recipient’s inbox. Blog posts should be more informational, helping to educate customers on how you can continue supporting each other through these strange times. Your website platform may already have built-in options to develop beautiful and easy email newsletters and blog posts. MailChimp is a fantastic (mostly) free option that grows with your business
Connect With Your Community. There’s no time like the present to establish, revive or refine your social media presence. Not every channel will be suited to your communication goals, so be discerning. The most popular tools currently being used are Facebook, Instagram, Google My Business, Twitter, and video conferencing or streaming services such as Zoom and YouTube. The most important thing is to be authentic and keep things simple.