There are lots of dates, times and theories of how long it’ll be before we return to some normality once the dust has settled. What is certain however, is that we’ll all need to be prepared to hit the ground running when restrictions are lifted.
It’s more important than ever that we are ready to do business on the other side of the lockdown. As part of the good business practices we are promoting, we are recommending businesses continue to invest in their marketing to maintain business continuity moving forward and ensure they are ahead of the competition when the constraints are lifted.
Here we share with you our key points as part of your marketing checklist to getting your business ready.
1. Campaign planning to ensure your products and services get to market before your competitors. Most of us have been investigating alternative ways of overcoming traditional routes to market whilst on lockdown, so carry these new routes through and make them key parts of your plans moving forward.
2. Identify and create updated marketing plans for potential lead generation campaigns for each of your target markets, products and services. It’s too easy to take the view that your potential customers are idle, going to be doing the same things they were before, or not interested.
3. Sadly, the economic impact will claim casualties along the way. So it’s important to understand where the gaps open up within your market and max out your leverage in filling them so customers have consistency.
4. There is no doubt the way we do business from now on will have changed. Be adaptable in your marketing approach and don’t fear trying new avenues to get the edge on other businesses.
5. Make sure your team is up to speed. Get them to learn new skills if they are furloughed, get them to explore new markets and encourage them to keep a weekly work-like routines, within the limitations of course. Learning new skills is as much in their interest in personal development as it is yours to use on their return.
6. Refine your budgeting and keep a very close eye on cashflow management. It’s easy to lose sight of the ‘cash’ side of the business when under pressure. Let’s face it, the easiest way to save a companies cash and demise is to stop marketing and make staff redundant, but this has been proved time-and-time again to have a detrimental effect on a companies’ performance. All areas of the business have to play their part in effective cashflow, not just the obvious ones, so budgeting is a way of fairly and effectively distributing the burden. It will astound you where you can make effective cuts and reduce cash wastage.
7. Finally, work closely with your suppliers, as they are just as important to the survival of your company and how it operates, going forward. Speak to them, keep them updated on your companies’ events and plans. Support them as much as you can, you are going to need them once the ‘GO’ button is pushed.
We are all in this together.
We are all in this together and we are here to help if you need us, so please do get in touch if you need some advice.
Keep safe, stay positive and together, we will get through this.
