Page 30 - Australasian Paint & Panel May-June 2020

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Marketing
PAINT&PANEL MAY / JUNE 2020
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MARKETING & YOUR REPAIR SHOP: THE COVID-2019 IMPACT
WHEN BUSINESSES ARE COMING TO A STANDSTILL ACROSS THE GLOBE, NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO BURY YOUR HEAD IN THE SAND SAYS MARKETING SUPREMO KEVIN SPITERI FROM MENACE.
E CERTAINLY DON’T KNOW WHAT
the future holds, but it is important for us as business owners to focus on what we do know now and get the jump on protecting our businesses. The many of the challenges of lockdown will be will us for some time to come such as people worrying about hygiene, and peo- ple who are out of work (and even many that aren’t) not spending money unless
they deem it to be essential.
You might be asking yourself what has
marketing got to do with getting through a crisis? Well, while so many businesses are being forced to close their doors or opt for a different service (think your lo- cal café moving to takeaway only).
Something we have been sharing with our clients, is that now is the time to keep your basic or essential marketing going. If you are doing advertising, building a new website, social media, email marketing, communications; keep doing it. Once the dust settles, you’ll be ahead of the game and ready to serve your customers.
How do you address the above chal- lenges? We’d like to share with you 6 specific tactics that will help maintain business during this time:
1. COMMUNICATION IS KEY
During times of business uncertainty keeping communication lines open with your customers is paramount. It is im- portant to let them know what you are doing, how your business is affected and what you are doing to mitigate the chal- lenges/risks.
Prepare a COVID-19 compliant state- ment. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Then, get the team onto making calls, confirming bookings and advising on the measures you are taking. Personally, ad- vising each and every customer what you are doing will help instill confidence.
Message: Don’t keep people guessing or assuming. You need to advise them each step of the way - you’re open for business, you are COVID-19 compliant, and you are taking all necessary precau- tions in the business.
Ensure you are sharing this message on all platforms that you currently use to communicate with your customers i.e. website, social media, EDMs or email marketing, and signage in-store.
2. UPDATE YOUR WEBSITE & DIGITAL PRESENCE
With online and digital presence being of utmost importance, is your website work- ing for you? Now is the time to ensure your website clearly communicates the steps your business is taking to ensure continuity during these times. Make it easy for them to book online or pick up the phone. Install a chat function to answer any instant questions people might have when looking to get quotes. Show what of- fers you are putting in place in order to drive certainty for customers. These all need to be visible on the home page.
Is your Google My Business (www. google.com/intl/en_au/business/) list- ing up to date reflecting your operating
hours? Have you listed your business on all the Directory Business Listings to ensure its easy for you to be found?
If you are/do get shut down now is a great opportunity to update or redesign your website and have it ready to go when it goes back to business as normal.
3. GET THE JUMP ON SOCIAL
People all over the country are doing one thing more than ever before - they are on so- cial media. Even the least prolific of users are popping their heads on social to contrib- ute. If you aren’t putting content out there for your customers to consume, then they may be looking elsewhere (such as your competi- tors) so now is the time to keep up your so- cial media content. Even if all you have is a business page which has all of your essential information - that’s a start. Facebook is the main channel that will enable you to be found locally. If you have used Instagram and that’s your primary method of connect- ing with your local area and clients, then stick to that. If you have some activity on Facebook, then it’s worthwhile creating sim- ple content - the key is to “Show Don’t Tell”.
4. BE CREATIVE
This goes hand in hand with being on so- cial and also figuring out better ways to do things under these restrictions (as your potential customers will look you up!) Your potential customers are actively con- suming content and you need to keep com- municating with them, why not make it in- teresting? Here are some examples (show don’t tell remember?):