Whether your business is hurt or helped by this pandemic, you’re likely experiencing unprecedented spikes or dips. While this article is aimed at home businesses, much of the advice shared by Media Relations Founder and CEO Lonny Kocina is relevant to any independent business right now.
Media Relations Agency has stayed strong through recessions and post-9/11 by helping our clients navigate marketing environments that can be downright scary. In addition to cutting expenses, Lonny advises businesses to communicate with customers and employees twice as much as usual. “Customers need to feel your presence more than ever and employees will assume the worst if you are not talking to them,” he says in this article.
We’ve seen a dramatic uptick among clients of all sizes asking us for help writing content for blogs, newsletters and social channels. We’re also doing much more designing and sending newsletters for our clients than ever before. This is a healthy mix of B2B and B2C communications. If you’re not sending newsletters, now is the time to give them serious consideration.
Lonny also describes the pros and cons of using all of the promotional channels, now that personal selling is pretty much off the table for the next month or two.
- Publicity: Media coverage is a powerful promotional tool as it provides ample time to explain the product, wide reach and it delivers a message that is generally trusted by the consumer. But you do give up some control over that message.
- Websites: These give you a place to sell your product or service, and ample bandwidth needed to tell your product’s story. However you will likely need to use media coverage to drive people to your website.
- Social Media: Social posts reach customers on a conversational level but they aren’t as good as a salesperson for building rapport.
- Advertising: Today, ads can be both inexpensive and highly targeted. However, the message is often short and it’s easy to be skeptical of an ad.
Interest in other sales strategies such as setting up and managing Amazon stores is spiking.
Lonny also advises, “It’s good to have the basic marketing concepts down pat so you can make intelligent marketing decisions. Many marketers ride the wave in good times without fully understanding what underpins good marketing.”
Lonny’s bestselling book, “The CEO’s Guide to Marketing” outlines a results-driven SAM 6 system that is designed to bring structure to your marketing program. He explains why entrepreneurs/small business owners should read it now. “I remember the scary times when my business went through downturns. I believe my book is the most practical marketing book ever written and it’s worth reading. It’s not the panacea but high sales solve all problems and good business books are an entrepreneur’s best friends.”
