Are you ready for a post COVID-19 world?
There is a growing sense out there that the businesses that are going to thrive in the economy in our post pandemic world are going to be the ones who have evolved and adapted to meet their changing market’s needs.
If you’re a business owner who didn’t have a significant online presence before social distancing began, I’d be willing to bet you see just how important it is now.
Of course I’m talking about an effective website that gets results. I’m also talking about your social media and email marketing strategy.
Here’s the reality: in a post pandemic world, customers and clients have learned how to use their smartphones to source the resources they need.
Take me, for example. I bought a BBQ and patio furniture all online. I NEVER would have done that in the past. AND I learned that I liked it. I bought flowers, clothes, makeup, skin care, groceries, birthday gifts, and booze. I bought online courses and digital products.
My buying habits have changed. I know I’m not alone.
I was so disappointed when the stores I sought out to make online purchases from had nothing for me to visit. No website – in 2020! So, I found somewhere that did.
I support small business with my whole heart and it was hard leaving one small business for another but in the end, I was ready to buy. Now my favorite indie stores and restaurants have competition from other indie stores and restaurants. Simply because they adapted, were ready for me, and anticipated my needs.
The same goes for services. How many amazing stories have you seen of business owners creating a beautiful experiences over Zoom? Overnight there were yoga classes, cooking classes, book clubs, masterminds, art classes, and every kind of online workshop you could hope for. All because of creativity, innovation, and technology.
Before the world went into lockdown, I had websites lined up until the fall. And all but one pulled back. In the beginning, I completely understood. The need to feel secure trumps everything. Then I began to wonder if their scarcity mindset wasn’t hurting them more.
My client docket is filling up again. The conversations I’m having with women include realizations about just how important it is to stop waiting. It’s time to evolve now.
By all accounts, there will be another wave of this virus that will likely hit late fall 2020. We now know what to expect.
Social distancing doesn’t mean your clients and customers will stop buying.
If you can’t offer whatever you sell to them because you have no website or brand strategy to reach them, they WILL find a business who does.
If your service involved clients coming to you, it’s time to find a way to create that same experience virtually. If that feels impossible (and it will for chiropractors, RMT’s, acupuncturists, aestheticians, and hair stylists among others), strategizing ways to bring on additional streams of revenue now would definitely be a conversation I’d encourage you to consider.
People are now comfortable spending their money online. Click and collect. Personal deliveries. That’s not going to change.
So today I want to talk about three things that you can be doing now to prepare for the future for your online business.
- Make sure you have an effective social media strategy. This is not about suddenly deciding to show up every day and trying to sell everything from your Instagram posts or stories.
Social media is about creating connection and sharing. It is about letting people see your behind the scenes, your reviews, and your real life. It’s also about finding a way to authentically share what you do.
Social media is about building relationships. It’s not all “buy my product, buy my service, your life will be better.”
Think about it like this: do you like it when you enter a business and the employees pounce on you the minute you go in the door?
Employee: How can I help you? What are looking for? Have you seen these…? Did you know we have a sale on…?
You: (in your head: OMG enough. Can you let me get in the door first?) You probably can’t get, “Just having a browse, thanks!”, out of your mouth fast enough.
Do you know how many businesses use social media just like this?
Look at your social media feeds and consider if you’re coming across like an overbearing, desperate salesperson. If you are, it’s time to create a social media strategy that will serve your revenue goal AND attract new leads. If you don’t know how to do this, while weaving in your offers, let’s talk. - Look at your website and measure its effectiveness. If it’s not giving you the results that you need, maybe it’s time to have a second set of eyes look at it and figure out how you can tweak things to make it more intuitive or easy to navigate.
Maybe you need to find a way to improve your SEO. Start by strategizing creative ways you can implement to drive traffic to your website. And if you don’t have a website, there is not a better time to think about investing in one.
Do you need to spend thousands and thousands of dollars? Not necessarily. And if you want to, there are plenty of people there who can support you. In fact, I’ve just created a brand new service so that I can help small business owners get online and sell their stuff in a more economical way. Is this new offer for you? - Undertake some market research. What an opportunity you have right now! Talk to your market, find out what they need and adapt and evolve and change as needed.
If you’ve been providing a service, find out what kinds of products your market is also interested in that are related to your service offering and figure out a way to sell those. Or, if products don’t feel right, is it finally time to create an online course or digital product?
Now is the time pivot and figure out a way to bring something on that is in alignment with what you do. Products, courses, digital downloads, e-courses, and passive income.
There are all kinds of ways that you can flourish in a post pandemic world. The question is are you ready?
In case you’re curious, these are some of the topics I’ve been supporting my clients with this month:
- Shopify websites
- Creating a digital course (how to create content + how to launch)
- Launching a tiny offer
- Brand strategy
- Social media strategy
- WordPress websites
- Taking better pictures for social media using your iPhone
- Email nurturing series
- Sales funnels
- Creating engagement in social media
- Migrating from Mailchimp to ConvertKit
- Taking live experiences online
If you’d like to have a conversation to talk about where to start, please go ahead and jump in my calendar for a 20 minute free conversation. I believe in you. You’ve got this.
