A candid look at how we can shift our mindset and thrive!

It’s interesting in the conversations that we have been having with clients and other business owners and professionals within our network, how concerned they are about promoting their business right now. With so many businesses closing down due to the pandemic, while other businesses have been able to continue to operate, we have been hearing from a few clients and other within our network, that they feel some guilt about promoting their business. The thing is, we need to keep business growing and thriving because when the pandemic passes, we need to get our economy flowing again and our small businesses are at the heart of the economy. So the way we see, and we have been encouraging our clients and other small businesses, to shift from feelings of guilt for promoting your business, to feelings of wanting to inspire others and keep serving and supporting others too!

How do we do that? Well, the best way is to ensure we stay top of mind as a business in a positive, supportive and inspiring way.

There are ways to approach promotional posts and advertising that can keep your brand both top of mind while also being cognizant of the current pandemic situation that is going on in our world today. With that said, we have put together a few specific ideas on how to adapt and thrive during these uncertain times.

Demonstrate your company core values. First of all, if you don’t have a set of core values for your company, this can be a great exercise to do with your team. If you do have a set of core values, now is a great time to review them and get clear on how you can show the world what you’re all about and more importantly how much you care. An example of a core value might be commitment and you can demonstrate commitment through maintaining consistency, checking in with your clients or adapting a service or developing a different way to serve your customers during this pandemic –all ways that can demonstrate your value of commitment.

Time to step up your online presence. Now is definitely the time to ramp up your online presence and look for creative and progressive ways to promote your business in a non-salesy way. The key is to entice, inspire and engage your audience with fun, educational and thought-provoking social media posts that demonstrate your company’s personality and showcase your ability to connect with your audience. You also need to provide good value, in addition to making them laugh. You want to make them think and you want them to go to your website or better yet, to contact you!

There are very specific steps and strategies that can guide your audience to you and it’s also important to look at your analytics to see what they are drawn to, so that you can keep doing more of the same. Perhaps you can offer people something, a free webinar or a downloadable worksheet that can show people what they need and how you can help them.

Review your branding and your website. This is an area of course, we are very passionate about! We believe it’s important to do an audit of your brand every year or sooner, if you experience significant changes in your business, your team, you add new services and/or products, etc. Those are the obvious reasons that you would do some updates. Have you considered though, how your business has changed? Who your clients are? Are you adapting to the changes happening around you? This is a good time to go over your website and branding to ensure that the overall look and feel is consistent.

Here is a checklist of some simple, yet powerful elements to review where brand consistency is concerned:

• Did you update your logo on all of your media, marketing materials and other collateral?
  • social media platforms, website, newsletter
  • letterhead, flyers, brochures, business cards
  • signage, banners, backdrops, vehicle wraps, apparel
• Are your social media banners relevant to where your business is currently at?
  • Social banners don’t have to be static images either. Consider adding a video to showcase your team, your office or retail space, services and products.
  • Video or slideshows add interest and allow people to see at a glance, more depth of your business.
• Are your colours and fonts consistent?
• Is your contact information accessible and clear?
• Does your website reflect your mission?
• Is there a gallery to showcase your work so people can see examples of what you do?
• Do you have current blog posts? Keep in mind, even once a month is better than 10 in a row, then nothing new for a year!
• Do you post regularly on social media? Or do people have to second guess whether you are still in business?

These are a few of the key elements that people see and they will notice if there are inconsistencies or if something is missing. It’s like the saying goes, “How we do one thing is how we do everything”. This is very true and really, the key to success. Do the right thing, maintain consistency, provide quality service and good value, be responsive and be a trusted professional within our business community. All of these behaviours go hand-in-hand to help your brand stand out which is a great Segway into our next point –what sets your brand apart?

Identify what sets you apart as a brand. If you like to write, this is the time to lay out some themes that align with what your clients often ask about or need help with. We suggest writing blog posts to showcase your expertise and highlight the services you offer to solve common problems and pain points you hear about within your industry. Remember that Google loves fresh content which is good for your SEO (search engine optimization), and it’s even better for attracting potential clients –because they will feel like you are speaking right to them by solving their problems!

This is also a time to look at some of your old content and create some webinars to add variety and show up as an expert! If you’re able to or feel compelled to, offer these short webinars free to draw people in to learn more about you and your business. This is the perfect time to engage with new people and potential identify your ideal clients. Many people are at home during this pandemic, hungry for learning and connection with others virtually. So, consider looking at some ideas for webinars or even doing a series of Facebook Lives to share valuable information, tips or take this opportunity to educate or inspire others within your network. These are a few ideas to help your brand stand out, support your business community and stay top of mind.

Remember it is okay and in fact, we encourage you to promote your business during COVID-19! It’s all in the approach you take in doing so. Focus on inspiring, educating and informing others, be motivational and conversational, and notice what happens!

Are you looking for help with your marketing strategy? Would you like to learn a few more tips or ideas on how to develop great blog posts? Has it been a dream of yours to run a webinar? If so, reach out to us and let’s talk about your dreams, goals and work on a creating a solid plan to make them happen!

We are here to help you, so call us today at 705-302-3386 or email us at meow@cheetahfusion.com to book your strategy session to get that ball rolling!

Stay safe and be well!

Cheetah Fusion Team