5 Ways to NOT Go Silent on Your Clients through COVID-19

As COVID-19 continues to impact more and more lives, we’re all having to get used to keeping ourselves physically separated and distanced from one another with self-isolating measures. Now, as we are staying at home and limiting in-person interactions, it is more important than ever to find ways to remain connected to your spheres of influence and contacts so they know you care about them especially in these uncharted and fluctuating times.

COVID-19 is already impacting how businesses are operating and how business is conducted and no one really knows for how long or in what ways over time. There are, however, still a few principles that will remain true as we navigate this together and those involve: connection, consistency, being a valuable resource, and showing that you care – all of these are still done through different marketing efforts.

It will be important for you to be able to stand out to your spheres of influence since they will more than likely be getting more digital and virtual messages from other businesses also navigating these times. So, to get noticed we’re reminding you that it takes a certain number of “touches” or “imprints” for your contacts to remember you and while that number varies based on industry and business model, the general rule of thumb is still 7.

So, with that in mind, here are 5 ways you can safely build in your 7 touch points or imprints so that you’re staying top of mind in these socially distanced times.

1) PHONE CALLS, TEXTS, MESSAGING PLATFORMS

Your working environment might be more chaotic than usual if you’re working from a home office, but that’s just how it is going to be for a while. It is still important to pick up the phone and reach people on your lists – check on them to see how they’re doing. You may not get an answer, but leaving a voicemail and letting them know that you are there for them could make a huge difference in the long run.

You can use Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, and Instagram as well to leave recorded voice messages. Or, if you’re up to it, you can leave a video message. These are all freely accessible tools that can help you increase you reach and build your touch points.

Before these COVID-19 changes, Hubspot recommends the optimal time to make those calls is around 3pm and later during your local time on Thursdays and Fridays. They even point out that the best time in the month is between the 28th to the 31st – try different days and times and see if you find these optimal times to be true or not.

2) EMAIL UPDATES OR NEWSLETTERS (AT LEAST MONTHLY)

Your spheres of influence still need to know what is happening out there and with you. If you can share local updates and resources, you’re going to be doing a lot more than many business owners who are still panicking about the shifts of having to work from home or are stepping back to wait for things to settle down before taking action to keep in touch with contacts.

Think of ways you can pull resources and information together so that you become the go-to person for them to turn to (even if it has nothing to do with your industry). Try not to say what everyone else is saying. Try to make it special and deliberate and really helpful. You can even pull some of our resources that we gathered to give those stuck at home things to navigate and explore online from one place with 40 Ways….

As a reminder, your print and email templates can 100% be edited by you if you want to include something more personal or specific to your community. Watch this video VIDEO to see how to make changes to your print template and watch this video  VIDEO to see how to make changes to your email templates.

We also want to remind you that we can automatically send your email newsletter out for you. There is no extra fee for this service. We want you to get your newsletters out which is why we offer this option.

Email us at help@readytogonewsletters.com with the following details and we’ll get you taken care of:

  1. Tell us which date you want your email newsletter sent: on the 1st, 8th, or 14th of every month.
    If you already have your contacts uploaded to ActiveCampaign, that is all we need to get you going.
  2. If you have NOT uploaded your contacts, we can do this for you. Please submit a spreadsheet of contacts (minimum needed is an email address per contact) with your support ticket or email.

3) GET SOCIAL ONLINE (PERSONAL PAGE, BUSINESS PAGE, GROUPS)

Maybe this has been on your to-do list or you’ve been hesitant to jump in, but now is a great time to go for it. Social media is the perfect platform to use to help increase your touch points now that in-person communication is off the table and might be for a while. You can use Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and more. You can start a community group and invite your community members to be part of it and that is where you can regularly share your updates and resources – this one requires commitment so only start one if you can follow through with adding resources and updates.

Build up your personal page and connections too, not just your business pages. This will help you stay more closely connected to people you have done business with in the past. Treat it like networking….it’s just online instead.

4) TAKE ADVANTAGE OF VIDEO & LIVE VIDEO STREAMING

Video has become a very effective way to communicate with Facebook, Instagram and YouTube LIVES. And, don’t forget the newest addition: TikTok. You could go LIVE once or twice a month and then share the recording to your contacts by email.

Video will continue to gain popularity as a tool to get yourself seen without having to leave your home. Give tips, share advice, and send uplifting messages to your community once a month or more frequently if you can manage that. Here is a blog post about using video we did for you to get some ideas from: 7 Ways to Grow Your Business With Video.

5) SEND MAIL (LETTERS, CARDS, POSTCARDS, NEWSLETTERS, GIFTS, ETC)

With the increase of online and digital advertising and media, many companies have turned to snail and direct mail as a way to stand out from the crowds. You can send check-in greeting cards, happy anniversary cards for the time you’ve been servicing your clients and include a message acknowledging the impact of COVID-19. A personal note makes a huge difference.

Now more than ever your community needs to be uplifted and reminded of things to look forward to or to cherish. Think of ways you can nurture and increase that sentiment with your print efforts. Sending a postcard with a funny or uplifting message is an easy way to be remembered. Or, if you can pick a few clients each month to send a small gift to, that will also make impressions without breaking the bank by sending everyone on your list a gift.

If you need help getting postcards, greeting cards, or print newsletters out, our print partners are still printing and processing orders so let us know if we can help – schedule a time to brainstorm here or call us at 1.877.976.6368 and select option 4 for printing information.

Since it’s definitely not business as usual in many places across the globe right now, get creative with your approach and keep making sure you are getting your face, your name, and your messages out there for your contacts to see. 

And remember, this is part of the long game. These times are uncertain and fluid and can feel very uneasy. Try to keep at least some of your momentum through it all. Cutting back on the marketing efforts and tools you’ve built momentum with only makes it harder for a come back.

If there’s anything we can help you brainstorm or figure out how to do with your account, please schedule some free time with us here so we can support you. 

Best wishes through it all!