The unprecedented wake of COVID-19 pandemic has made ventures risky and challenging for everyone. The forced shuttering of businesses has badly affected companies which require physical presence as a crucial factor in strengthening the connection with customers. Business owners are right in feeling anxious in this time of uncertainty and lack of revenue-generating activities. However this is indeed a test of your business model for it is the one that can adapt well to the changing circumstances that can truly last, just as a flexible tree lasts longer against the storm than a hardwood one. So in the spirit of flexibility, here are five ways to circumvent the limitations of social-distancing and connect more with your customers in novel ways:
- Social Media Engagement
Social media, once merely an advertisement tool, is now a method to enhance customer relationships. The platforms like Facebook and Instagram can be utilized to stream live videos directly into customer’s social media feeds to make them feel like they are a part of your organization. You can also host impactful sessions and webinars to engage your customers which assists in advertising your organization and leaving the company’s imprint in their consciousness. To avoid long term distancing from your customers, it’s important to post regularly which can be supplemented with online challenges or question-answer contests to incite conversation among your clients. It aids tremendously in understanding your customers by assessing their behaviour and needs accurately, or also by receiving any valuable feedback that may come the company’s way, which would have been improbable without the easy accessibility of social media.
- Social Media Giveaways
Who doesn’t love giveaways? Offering desirable products for free encourages participation. Giveaways are fundamentally interactive and attract the participation of a large number of potential customers with comparatively fewer funds. The offer of free products also helps in generating hype on the internet. This helps to keep your customers loyal to the company and also attracts new ones. Prospective customers, lured in by the giveaway, are likely to go through your website frequently, thereby increasing its visibility online in the eyes of the search engines. However, complex procedures to participate in giveaways can create confusion and people may lose interest. So it is important to make the rules as simple as possible yet invulnerable against exploitation.
- Participating in social initiatives
Another effective strategy is to involve in social initiatives that improve the lives of people. This not only improves the relationship of the company with customers but also leaves in their mind a deep positive impression that cannot be earned by any other means, be it advertisement or giveaways. It’s not always the qualitative products that lure in customers; Sometimes the local social initiatives that you undertake beside the regular business operations also attract customers because they feel empowered by choosing your business. During these troubling times, when capital circulation and distribution of resources is barely possible, your team can perform activities like delivering resources to people in crisis, raising funds for non-profit organizations or providing aid to vulnerable groups of people in society. The positivity that you bring about in society with your actions creates an emotional bond that is cemented by gratitude, and it will remain long after the pandemic subsides.
- Sending email newsletters
This pandemic has restricted movement to and from businesses, thereby reducing physical buyers. But these home-ridden people have more time to spend on the internet than ever before. Thus you can grab this opportunity to build relationships with the customers through personalized engagement with emails. You can send emails laden with useful information about the current pandemic situation. At the same time, the emails can be partitioned with information about the services of your company, newsletters as well as a prospectus with relevant blog contents. When people are craving for tips for self-development, you can delight them with extra effective contents uniquely tailored to them. This helps in promoting your business and also shows that you care about your customers.
- Give customers opportunity to contribute to your business
Allowing customers to contribute for your company is one of the simplest ways to uplift customer relationships on a personal level. Since people tend to look for avenues for creative expression during oppressive times like these, you can give interested customers assignments befitting to their skill set, like contributing blog posts, creating illustrations for your company etc. The business can then reward their work acknowledging the time and contribution, which not only stimulates connection but you can ensure their visit to claim the reward after the pandemic. This strategy can double your benefits by diminishing your workload and increasing customer engagement.
There’s no question that the pandemic has severely disrupted business activities and degraded the health of startups that were barely toddling with their initial steps. But despite the challenges, it’s important for you to improvise and adapt to keep your customers engaged. These suggestions are our small attempt at helping you achieve that end.
