Is Your Small Business Staying Relevant?

The spread of COVID-19 during this year knocked us all off our game, leaving many to scramble to pick up the pieces.

As the months have dragged on in which many businesses have been required to keep their doors closed to in-person customers, it’s been a challenge for all business owners to create content and products that keep audiences engaged.

However, there are ways to keep your customers active with your doors shut and, as quarantines continue, it’s important to stay on top of these so that your business is not lost in the fray. Here are a few ideas:

Creating Shared Value

If your business can find unique ways to tackle the problem at hand (in this case, most stores being closed), it will benefit both you and your customers. This is the idea of creating shared value. It goes beyond simple profits and allows companies to fulfill a greater purpose. For example, some organizations have been able to offer discounts to healthcare workers and those on the front-lines in fighting COVID-19.

This is entirely dependent on the resources available to you and your business — many of the bigger discounts to healthcare workers have been coming from large corporations. However, simply doing what you can to support the cause will not only benefit the community, it will also bring more awareness to your business and brand.

Constant and Personalized Experiences

Smarter HQ found in 2019 that 72% of customers only engage with a brand that provides personalized marketing messages. Your target audience wants to connect with your business. And a change in the internal process of your business can create huge value for your audience.

Something as simple as creating online resources specific to your business can create a personalized experience for your customers. Giving customers the option to do a short video chat in the place of a standard phone call may be one way to accomplish this. However you can best offer your customers an experience as unique as their wants and needs is sure to leave a lasting impression on each individual, lasting well beyond the pandemic.

Being Open and Adapting from Within

This goes back to the internal business process as a means of creating value for your customers. Are you able to create a brand experience for your customers while your doors are physically closed? What unique aspects of your business can you accentuate in an online platform as a way of building an on-going relationship with patrons, both new and old? As long as you’re perceptive to change, as advised by what your audience needs and wants from you, you can stay relevant during these challenging times.

It is no secret that businesses large and small are struggling to keep up with their customers’ needs while they are unable to be physically open to the public. However, by using online platforms and continuing to focus on creating positive experiences for your audience, it is possible to stay relevant and come out stronger on the other side of the pandemic.