I think it is safe to say that it’s been a rough couple of weeks for people and businesses across the globe. There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the next steps we all need to be taking, and the biggest question of all… for how long?

Here in New England we are starting to see businesses and schools close as a precaution - of course, elsewhere this has already been happening for some time now. I just got word yesterday that my son would be home from school for the next 3 weeks.

I spend a significant amount of time each week attending networking meetings, panel discussions, and various other workshops and conferences, but over the past week all events have been postponed through April and beyond. As a marketing firm that is focused around catering to small businesses, these face-to-face events are where I build the majority of my relationships with new clients. I imagine that many of you are in a similar situation, and are wondering the same thing as most of us…

Now what?

Even though we are all on “lock-down”, it is still critical for the success of our businesses that we continue to build relationships and market our companies even though we can’t necessarily do so face-to-face.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot this past week, and here are a few ways that we can all continue to (virtually) move forward.

1. Stay in touch with your clients. This seems like a no-brainer, right? But for many, when we are dealing with a situation such as this one, we often times become so focused on our own panic and hardships that we place less of a focus on those around us.

   Check in with your clients. Whether it is via telephone, video call, or by email to see how they are holding up (phone is preferable, but I think the route you take depends fully on that client’s preference). As a business owner, I am very focused on building an overall relationship with my clients. Pick up the phone and reach out to see if they need anything. It might not even be directly related to how you can help them business-to-business, but as a whole, how are they doing? You might be the first person who has actually checked in and asked this question. Compassion in a time of potential crisis goes a long way.

   This is also a great opportunity for you to let them know about any changes to your business in the upcoming months. Perhaps there is a change in your hours of availability, or maybe you sell products and are switching to fully online orders for the time being. Whatever the case may be. Keep your clients in the loop.

2. Change with the climate. As I had mentioned above, you may be one of the many professionals out there selling products within a store front. For obvious reasons, you are going to see a decline in individuals visiting your business while many of us are following CDC and State health official recommendations. If you aren’t already selling your products online, get a virtual storefront set up where you can sell your products and send out orders through your local shipping providers. If you are a restaurant or bakery, have you thought about ways to provide delivery services? It is important to adjust the way in which you provide your services in order to meet the needs of the current climate and to keep your business afloat.

   For us marketing professionals, this could mean helping these businesses with advertisements through social media and other online platforms to get the word out, or helping them set up their online storefront and delivery system, or working to increase their overall online visibility. The way in which we can help will take on a different translation for each of us, but in order for our businesses to continue to thrive we must be willing to adapt.

3. Now is a great time for video calls. There are many businesses across the globe that have made it mandatory for their employees to work from home. So, how can this be helpful to you?

   We all have them… A list of individuals that we’ve been meaning to reach out to and just haven’t had a chance to do so yet. This is the perfect time. Reach out to these clients to set up a video call. Grab a cup of coffee, change out of your pajamas, and have a virtual face-to-face. At the end of the call, discuss finally getting together face-to-face when we are all back up and operational. But in the meantime, work together to prepare a plan for how your businesses can assist one another.

   But don’t forget, this is also a good time to check in with those you see regularly. Video chat with a co-worker instead of talking over the phone. It will make it feel a little less like you are in isolation and gives you that “face-to-face” that so many of us crave.

   A positive that you can take from this experience; once the call ends, you are already home. You don’t have to worry about meeting up after work for a drink or the drive back to your office/home after. You can change right back into your pjs if that’s you want. Who is going to stop you?

   Not sure which free platform to use for your video calls? There are so many to choose from. Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts, FaceTime, and much more.

4. Adjust your strategy. This piggy-backs off of #2, but adjusting your marketing strategy is important during this time. Understanding the changing needs of the consumers is crucial. Yes, we have social media posts that we’ve already pre-scheduled for the upcoming months, but let’s think about what our revised marketing strategy is and how those posts will help boost your brand as we move forward.

   Stay sensitive to the fact that many of your consumers are probably pretty nervous about what is currently going on around them. When it comes to discussing COVID-19 through your company platforms, yes, we are all going to have to address it at some point, but I would recommend only adding to the conversation if you feel it is helpful to your brand and your consumers.

5. Ask questions. If you are unsure of exactly what your business needs to do to keep engaged, reach out to other marketing professionals. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. This is new for all of us. The majority of us have never been in a situation such as this, and we are all trying to navigate the same uncharted waters.

At the end of the day, it is important that we use this time to recharge. We are all constantly busy by default, and although not under the best of circumstances, we have finally been given an opportunity (forced or not) to spend that extra time with our kids and loved ones. Clean out that junk drawer that you’ve been putting off for the past year, paint the bathroom, or go for a walk in the woods with your family.

But above all, stay healthy, my friends!