Marketing & Advertising Tips for SMB’s during Covid-19

Small businesses are so important. They are the backbone of our communities. They are hard working people just like you and me that want to make a difference in their community. That is why I always buy local and support local. Since the Covid-19 pandemic has hit I wanted to write a blog to share some tips to help SMB’s succeed during this time.

To start with, the most important thing you can do is COMMUNICATE. This is so easy but often overlooked. For example – update your hours on Google or share a post on social media letting people know what your new operating hours are so you do not miss a customer.

Being vocal during this time is so important as well. Let your local community know where you stand and how people can support you during this time. In addition to letting the community know where you stand, you need to be honest and inform your staff with realistic timelines and or changes so they can plan accordingly.

You are probably going to need to change your business strategy and adapt. You really need to think outside the box right now. For example, a lot of local restaurants are doing exclusive menus and curbside pick ups. You might need to move from in store sales to online sales. Or move from in person meetings to zoom calls to stay in touch with clients and customers during this lockdown. I encourage you to develop some new “outside the box” strategies.

Some ideas to help get business going would include going completely virtual. Shift everything online. Maybe you sell directly from your site. You can promote gift cards with a promotion to drive people to your site as well. I would also limit your working hours and offer your customers pick up and delivery. This is so appreciated and important during social distancing. Also use resources offered by the government if they are available to you.

Something you do NOT want to do during this time is STOP marketing & advertising. Your Sponsored Content & Digital Campaigns will help continue to drive high quality traffic leads. Continue to post on social media and post frequently! A lot of people are spending more time on the Internet so this is a great time to get in front of people. Use this to your advantage by creating engaging content and maybe look into low budget social assets that can be boosted for greater reach.

These are just some tips I wanted to share to help SMB’s succeed. We are all in this together and we will overcome. If you are struggling with your current business model, reach out to the experts at Shaw Media Marketing to see how we can help you stay afloat and grow.