Spooky season is upon us, and in any normal year kids old and young would be brushing up their fancy dress costumes for a fun evening of trick or treating, parties, and apple bobbing. Not so in 2020, and with a ‘trick’ already spring on us all in the shape of lockdowns across much of the country, grab yourself a slice of pumpkin pie, and let us treat you with five frightfully good (lockdown-proof) tips to help your business get more sales this autumn.
1) Make Your Prospects Smile
One of the first victims of coronavirus was light-heartedness among businesses. Gone overnight were the toe curling office party pictures that used to appear at random in your inbox, or the director at a supplier company puffing his way up a hill somewhere in cycle shorts, or even the classic April Fool’s joke. With everyone being so deathly serious, a good way of building rapport and clinching sales with your prospects is to make them smile. How you do this is up to you, but you could try a Halloween giveaway or promotion, organise a virtual charity fundraiser, or even give away gated content for free – an e-book, brochure, or White Paper – with no strings attached. It’ll help you stand out from the crowd of very sombre businesses at the moment.
It isn’t just a well-placed joke that could raise a smile this Halloween. You can also make your prospects happy by providing much-needed reassurance – that whether your business is in a Tier 2 area, Tier 3, or wherever else, that you’ve taken every possible step to continue providing an excellent service. Tell them what you’re doing to respect the COVID-19 safe procedures in your area, while also continuing with business as usual.
The ‘Keep Calm & Carry On’ mentality was powerful because it combined gentle humour with the determination to persevere in the face of adversity. The same approach can be applied now with great effect as the pandemic grinds on.
2) Ramp Up Your Social Media
2020 was the year in which social media really came of age. People now spend more of their business and personal time on social media than ever before, which makes your social media channels even more valuable as potential sources of lead generation. Double down on your social media efforts this autumn. Post more considered and valuable content, engage in more adverts, interact more with colleagues, suppliers, and businesses in your industry, and not just to sell, either.
Some of the most successful businesses of 2020 have been those that have actively collaborated with other companies in this sector to share knowledge, provide shared services, and help people and businesses that are struggling. It’s a good time to make a name for yourself on social media as someone who is actively engaged in and committed to the long-term success of your sector, and not just short-term profits. People will take note of this when spending money on services.
With so much more social media content around than normal, quality is king. You don’t necessarily have to share more updates than usual, but concentrate on authentic and authoritative content – and remember that less is still more on Facebook. The fewer posts you publish, the more of your users are likely to see them, due to that platform’s algorithms.
3) Review Your Marketing Messages
Now is a good time to take a look at your marketing strategy and the messages you’ve used over the past few months. What’s worked and what hasn’t since the early days of the pandemic, and what lessons can be drawn from this in order to better resonate with your target customers? Carry out an informal notebook audit of your messages and marketing strategy.
- Review your web content and landing pages – is the content still relevant to where your business is today? Do you need to add anything to clarify your services, or remove material that is non-relevant, or insensitive?
- Think about your customer’s priorities. How have these changed since the first lockdown and are they facing additional worries as we move into the autumn and winter? Remember that it’s not just the pandemic on people’s minds, but Brexit too. In what ways can your products and services make it easier for prospective customers?
- Be consistent and upbeat with the images and messages you use in your content. Be positive in your blogs while acknowledging that many people are experiencing anxiety and concern. Make sure your blog images, infographics and videos reflect the reality of the COVID-19 world – no pictures of crowded offices, big groups, handshakes etc.
If you’d like to review your marketing efforts on a more formal basis, give us a call. We’ll happily review your current tactics and suggest ways in which you can increase returns.
4) Create A Compassionate Brand
Traditional, pushy sales techniques and messages have fallen by the wayside in 2020, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Customers are responding more to empathetic and supportive businesses, so this autumn provides a great opportunity to focus in on the core values of your company in order to strengthen your brand in the eyes of prospects. In your sales and marketing communications, concentrate on understanding your customers concerns, focus on the ways in which your products and services can support them, empower, or entertain them. Produce more educational and indirect sales content, to lay the groundwork for sales in the future.
5) Incorporate Video Content Into Your sales
Many people have really missed face-to-face sales and marketing events this year, ourselves included. One thing that bridges the gap left by personal interaction is video content. Incorporating more video content into your sales communications is a great way of building a personal connection with people, and it’s an easy and cheap way to add flavour and diversity to your email marketing and social media campaigns. Using platforms such as Vidyard and a standard web cam, webinars, Q and A sessions, and personal messages to prospects can be created in minutes, enhancing engagement and boosting your conversion rate. Click here to see examples how you can use video in your sales and marketing efforts.
JDR – Here To Help You Grow Your Business
Digital marketing is one of the best ways of strengthening your brand and growing your business during the coronavirus pandemic, and of keeping your objectives moving during the lockdowns. To find out more about how we can help, please get in touch with one of our marketing specialists today.
Image: Pixabay
