So here we are again, the nation is in lockdown. But with our positive approach to 2021, we wanted to share some actions you could tackle from your home, to keep your marketing and brand awareness visible and moving forward.
Whether you’re working at full capacity or things have slowed down a bit, taking a new approach to your daily activities will help inspire and motivate your business during lockdown.
Create content to share
In this virtual period, digital assets are more important than ever. Set some time aside to create a digital/social media plan. Make a list of topics you want to talk about and decide when and what platforms you want to promote them on. You can create a pool of ideas to pick from as and when you’re ready to post, so if you’re busy later in the year, you won’t have to worry about creating content. Ideas could include:
- Topical events/holidays
- Blogs
- Infographics/statistics
- Testimonial graphics
- Video/animations
- Staff introductions
You can find more ideas here: 7 Ways to Improve Your Social Media Presence
Improve your brand consistency
It’s a great time to review your brand. Brands can be pushed, and the lines become blurry, especially when multiple departments are producing materials. A brand is made up of so much more than just a logo. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Does your brand reflect your current/future company positioning?
- Do you have brand guidelines?
- Is your online presence consistent over your social media platforms?
- Are your communications (both internal AND external) representative of your company?
- Do your employees represent your brand?
Read our Simple Brand Audit Checklist to find see if your brand is working for you.
Focus on your employees
With a lot of team members working remotely during lockdown, staff interaction may be low along with morale. Your team creates your business, so focus on your employees’ mental health and value their opinions. Keep them informed and lines of communication well and truly open. You should consider:
- How are you delivering key points of information?
- Does it stand out?
- What medium are you using?
- Is it personal?
- Is it functional?
We have loads of helpful information here in our blogs:
The Power of the Employee and Internal Communications
4 Tips to Create an Effective Internal Communication Campaign
Plan an event
This may sound taboo in a virtual world, but events can still commence, albeit on screen. They are a great opportunity to keep in contact with customers, clients, suppliers and industry experts. Possible ideas could include:
- Guest speakers on a particular industry relevant topic
- Q&A forums
- Panel discussions
- Surveys
Build relationships
Rather than focusing on selling, work on creating a stronger bond with your clients. Get to know them as people, what interests them, what they do in their spare time. Building stronger relationships will work in your favour in the future when work comes around. Possibly think about:
- Asking for a quick video catch up call
- Invite them to a virtual event
- Pick up the phone
- Pop over an article you think they may like to read or a video to watch
- Send them a gif (even if it’s just to make them smile)
Plan a campaign
Just because we’re locked down does not mean your marketing messaging won’t be seen. If anything, people will have more time on their hands and will be more open to communication. You want your brand to remain visible and up to date. Spending can be scary in these times, but damage to your brand is costly too. Simple cost-effective ideas include:
- A landing page and Google or Linked In campaign
- A direct mail piece
- A social media campaign
Check out further ideas in our blog: What should you do for your business right now?
These are just a few ideas you could use to build upon during lockdown. We’re locked in, but this doesn’t mean we have to stop our marketing efforts. It’s about readjusting and taking a new approach, but most importantly of all, pushing forward to keep building your brand and generating both relationships and sales.
