Yay! We’re in the grip of the coldest spring for years, so the prospect of drinking a pint inside a warm pub, or enjoying a meal with friends without having to wrap up in blankets and sitting in their garden, is starting to dominate minds – but not everyone’s.
Over the past few months I’ve noticed business picking up; Even before restrictions are lifted, a number of my clients have been getting ready for the end of lockdown by refreshing their websites and creating new marketing content. These are the forward-looking businessmen and women who are preparing for a recovery in what we hope to be an economic bounce back.
More online business post-Covid
The work environment may not return to as it was, even after June 21, and we’re likely to see a lot more business done online where once it would have been face-to-face. This means your online presence will be more important than ever.
Like everyone else working from home, I had lots of good intentions to make the most of lockdown, shake up the business and become a generally better person; but apart from a tidier garden, mastery of the Rubik’s Cube and learning how to make pork pie crust, I’ve not got much to show for the past year.
But never mind – it’s not too late to prepare for the great reopening and to give your business content a makeover. In fact, you can’t afford to wait for the Government’s approval (especially if a new strain of Covid appears and they decide to extend lockdown) because you can be sure that your competitors aren’t waiting.
Tips for your pre-lockdown content review
If you haven’t already done so, here are some actions to get your business match-fit and in a good place to make the most of what remains of 2021 – and beyond:
- Review your business goals: Are your goals and strategies still realistic for the new reality or do they need revising to reflect changes in customer behaviours and demands brought about by the pandemic?
- Review your online presence: Is your information up to date? Where do you show up? How are you using social media? Are you connecting with customers? Is it easy doing business with you remotely?
- Review your brand: Does it still reflect your business values, your story or even what you do?
- Update your business plan: Plans shouldn’t be written and stuck on the shelf; they should be living documents that reflect changes in goals, timelines, finances, marketing and resource. Stay agile and don’t expect your first plan to be the last.
- Revisit your marketing plan: How are you going to reinvigorate business with existing customers and reward their loyalty? Can you reach out to those former customers who had to stop trading with you when pandemic restrictions were introduced? Are there emerging sectors where you can find new customers? How can you serve all your customers better in the future?
- Embrace the digital: How can new technology speed up your business growth through greater efficiency and reach? Which technologies would give you a competitive edge? Technology is a game-changer and the new working environment is sure to be different to pre-Covid.
- Explore support packages: Which government support packages are available to help get your business get back on its feet.
Planning for the knowns and unknowns
Don’t let the uncertainty of the times stop you from taking action. We’ve all lost a year which we’ll never see again, but this life is your one shot to achieve your aims (sorry Buddhists, but if I do come back as a cockroach I’ll be more interested in gnawing through plywood than launching a tech start-up. That’s also true of my current lifecycle).
No-one can predict the future, but plan for what you do know and how your business makes a difference to existing and future clients. It may not last long in its current form but with a plan, at least you know which direction to head off in when we’re aloud out.
Bill Blogs can help you
If you want help giving your website or online content a bit of a spring clean then let’s talk and discover whether I can help.
