Now into the first full week of lockdown 2.0, hopefully many of you have redirected your marketing plans, pivoted your PR strategies and are using this time wisely to keep brand awareness high and customers engaged.

We have already seen that businesses that adapt and maintain communication with their customers during challenging times are best placed to bounce back when circumstances change for the better.

With this in mind, here are a few ideas on what you could be doing right now:

Social media – people are spending more time online at the moment as a way to keep connected with friends, family and the wider world. Social media is a great way to keep up a dialogue with your community and ensure they know you are still in business. However, this is no time to be salesy, people are looking for meaningful content, support and authenticity. Be transparent in changes you are making, share positive news stories and inspiring content but also be sensitive to what your customers are going through right now.

PR – for small businesses, now is your time to shine in the PR world. Journalists are championing independent businesses more than ever before. If you have a positive news story, unique products/services, or something interesting to shout about, it is the ideal time to be speaking to your target media.

Email marketing – email is a great way to stay connected to your customers and continue developing relationships. Keep your audience up to date with what you are working on behind the scenes, team news or new products/services that might be of genuine interest to them. A well-written and carefully planned email campaign really can work wonders for building brand trust.

Review – if you’ve been forced to work less due to lockdown, use this time well. Whether auditing your website, reviewing social analytics, setting up partner collaborations or researching media titles and journalists for effective PR, there is lots you can be doing to give your business the best chance possible of not just surviving but thriving in these unique circumstances.

We know there is a lot of doom and gloom in the media right now, but people are still shopping, engaging and making future plans, and more than ever they want to support local. So now really is the time to connect with your clients and customers like never before.

If you need help planning your communications or crafting content and campaigns, please do get in touch.