Something which has become apparent from lockdown is that those who are kind will thrive and those who put money before safety will jeopardise their reputation. Protecting your brand starts with protecting your employees, they are the frontline of your reputation so be sure to look after them and do what you can to support them during this uncertain time. Word spreads fast and the last thing you want is for an employee to share a bad experience with your company during this, especially on social media. Businesses who are looking after their staff and putting processes in place to protect their health and jobs will be remembered after this.
They say that the key to all successful and long lasting relationships is effective communication, and yes this includes the relationship you have with your customers and not just the one you have with your significant other! Speak to your users and keep them updated. Share as much information as you can over email, social media and online so that they know you are still operating and available to respond to their enquiries. Additionally, if you can contact your regular and loyal customers be sure to do so. A simple message asking how they are and if there is anything you can do to support them can go a long way.
As well as keeping your current customers updated be sure that you are keeping potential customers in the loop too. If you have had to close for the time being don’t forget to update your website, social media and business listings, it will take a few minutes to do so and will avoid disappointed customers if you fail to respond to their messages. If your business is operating as usual make sure to voice this across your social pages and website, or if there have been some changes to services make sure your users are aware of this.
If your business works with other brands such as suppliers be sure to check in with them to ensure they are still operating as normal (so that you can still provide a service to your customers) and to let them know you are here to support them. Be sure to share their social media posts and in turn they are more likely to do the same for you. Additionally, a lot of independent businesses will be under immense pressure so make sure to support them anyway you can, whether that is buying their products or sharing a post on Facebook. As already stated, those who show kindness and offer support will be remembered once things calm down.
More than ever, it is crucial to be responding to and monitoring your customers concerns in order to protect your brands reputation. Provide your customers with effective solutions and listen to their concerns and offer support. If you are finding that you are getting an overwhelming amount of concerns (for instance if you have had to cancel bookings, orders or services due to the pandemic) then it would be extremely beneficial to monitor your customers enquiries and create a landing page dedicated to FAQ’s during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Make sure to stay safe and look out for your brand, employees, customers and others. If you are looking for any web development or digital marketing support be sure to contact us and make your digital dreams a reality today!
