With the spread of Coronavirus worldwide, most businesses have changed the way they operate to keep themselves and customers safe. Local ordinances and recommendations by health agencies have completely altered the way businesses are run. Masks, gloves, sanitizer, and social distancing are now expected by customers, and in some cases they are required by law.
Yet with the rapidly changing guidelines and inconsistent application of safety measures, customers can’t always be sure if companies have COVID-19 practices in place to ensure their health. Promoting your business’s COVID measures is thus an important step for keeping customers informed, as you need them to know that you’re taking their safety into consideration so that they’re able to continue to use your services.
But the reality is that many businesses are not bothering with this step, or not fully integrating COVID-19 best practices into how their company operates. Because of that, your COVID-19 practices may also be an opportunity for marketing. You have the potential to take advantage of the ways in which other businesses are falling behind.
How COVID-19 Practices Can Help Your Business
There are some tasks that every business should do, at minimum:
- Businesses should outline their safety practices on their website, blog, or social media pages. This way, customers know where they can get the services they need without risking their health. In today’s world, providing the safest service is as important as the quality of the job itself.
- Showcasing your COVID-19 measures also indicates to customers that you are focused on them, their health, and their peace of mind. This is essential in building that relationship with your customers and the trust that will keep them returning to you even after social distancing.
- Finally, clearly communicating any changes prevents frustration and confusion. Rather than show up to find your store closed or not having the payment method required by a contactless payment, customers can prepare themselves.
These are critical for every business, even if you’re not specifically marketing your COVID-19 practices.
But you can go a step further as well. Imagine, for example, that you operate a pest control company. A client of a competitor notices that their pest control technician didn’t wear a mask and didn’t social distance, and it caused them to experience some anxiety about their services.
If they see an ad that you created that talks about the precautions you’ll take to protect their health and safety, they may be more likely to choose you in the future. By advertising your COVID-19 practices, you were able to actually grab new clients from those that do not. This is where the changes you put in place to stay compliant and safe during the coronavirus pandemic can actually be an advantageous marketing tool.
Examples of Covid-19 Precautions and Ways to Share
First, of course, you have to integrate precautions. The precautions taken will vary business to business and location to location. A store will be more concerned with masks and enforcing 6 feet of physical distance. Pest control, handyman services, and businesses that involve home visits might limit themselves to work done outdoors. Other measures can include:
- Masks must be worn by employees (and other customers for businesses with a storefront).
- Hand sanitizer is available for customers.
- Areas and equipment are cleaned after every use.
- Contactless and online payments are available.
- Shipping and handling that prioritizes the customers’ health.
Once your COVID-19 practices are in place, you need to market them to your customers. In store signage is important, but using your web presence will let customers know that you promote health and safety alongside your product or service. Options for sharing your COVID information include:
- Social Media – COVID means frequent changes for businesses and social media like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter provide an easy way to give up to date information. Let your customers know how the virus has affected your operations, including business hours, altered services, and expectations with a post every time something changes.
- Website – Information should be kept up to date on your website, especially now. In addition to business hours, you can include a special page, blog post, FAQ, or popup that outlines what customers can expect from you.
- Review Sites – Yelp, Google, and other sites that share information about businesses have special sections for COVID related information. Make sure yours is accurate so customers can quickly find out more about how you’re serving customers and what health measures you’ve taken.
- Add Your Business to Local Directories – Newspapers, radio stations, shopping districts, and more have begun to create online lists of businesses that have safety measures in place for COVID. Check for local directories in your area and reach out to the owner to be added.
Though the coronavirus epidemic and the changes it has required are stressful and frightening for both people and companies, it has also provided opportunities for businesses to show customers how we’re different – proving to them that you care, so that you can start a relationship with them that lasts. If your business is successfully protecting your customers, let them know by promoting your practices.
For those that would like additional assistance in managing their web presence during the time of COVID-19, Great Leap Studios provides affordable marketing services for any budget. Fill out the form on the right to find out more.
