What should you be communicating?  What needs to be be communicated?  In this unusual time - our communications to our customers is essential. 

Your customers are your best resource for what you should be communicating.  If you are receiving the same question repeatedly, then you are not communicating what people need to hear.

Where do you start?

1. Consistency. It is important to have regular communication but don't overwhelm.  Whether it is emails or social media post, not enough you will loose interested - too many will lose your audience.
2. Make a plan.  At the beginning of each week make a plan of what you want to communicate during the week and then plan your posts accordingly.  
3. Create aesthetically pleasing posts.  Use Canva to create posts, brochures, posters, business cards.  Be consistent with your brand and represent your business professionally.
4. Automate.  After you have planned your week, get it done.  If you use Planoly then you can schedule all your Instagram and Facebook posts at the same time.  It is a good idea to share some of the same content, but not all.  Change it up a bit for those that follow you on both platforms.
5. Promote.  Start with promoting your most important information, such as how your customers can contact you, how the public can shop at your business at this time (you should be doing this communication weekly).  After this information then you can share sales, specials, new products or events.
6. Educate.  Why does your business exist?  How does your business/organization serve the community?
7. Be responsive.  If someone makes a comment or asks a question on social media - respond.  Even if it is only a thumbs up or a heart.
8. Evaluate.  Check your stats.  What platform works best for you.  What time of the day do your posts have better reception?  After your research you will know better what posts/emails receive more interaction and response.  Build on that. 

Email lists are a great way to connect directly with your customers.  Your customers are 5 times more likely to see an email than a social media post from your business.  With Canadian CASL requirements, you are required by law to ask permission to send out emails to your customers.  Which means that the email addresses you have are those that are interested in what you are doing.  Therefore you have a captive audience of those that want to be reached by you.

By relying on social media you are essentially renting space.  You are either paying to be seen or battling algorithms.   Emails land right in your customers inbox.

What should your emails include?

1. You need to write emails that will be read - so you need content that solves problems and/or serves your audience.
2. Send content that includes promotions, announcements or launches.
3. Educate your audience on your business, products or services.
4. Consistency- be consistent in your emails, are they monthly, bi-weekly?  
5. Communication- keep the email conversational.  Use the space to answer customer questions, you are the expert of your business.
6. Create action - Give the reader something to do: do they need to visit your store for a promotion?  Do they need to visit your blog for more information?  Should they tell a friends about an event?  Do they need to register for something?
7. Structure: using an email program like MailChimp can be an easy way to collect and send emails.  You can also personalize it as well and the automation feature is helpful as well.

As you are writing your emails, keep in mind why you sign up for email lists.  What content are you hoping to receive, what information are you hoping to receive, what are you trying to learn.  

This is the best form of communication for your business.  Use this time to set up the list and creating content and then when you are open for business you already have a list of people that are waiting to hear all about it.

Watch this news segment from CTV Saskatoon.

The way business is structured is going to change.  This CTV segment centres around restaurants.  From what I have been learning is that it will be same for all industries.  The shift began before the pandemic and now it has accelerated the curve of a new way of doing business.

As one restaurant owners states in the segment that "no one is going to want to be in a crowded space for a very long time."  What would this mean for your business?

As we look at our business structure we need to take a realistic view of how things may look in 3, 6, or 9 months or even a year from now.  How are you going to adapt for the changes in the future?

Start to experiment with new ideas for your business: new products, new services or maybe put a new spin on something that you are currently doing.  Brainstorm with others for ideas - take some time to do some research on how you can make these ideas possible.

Clean up what you can control: What areas of your business have been neglected?  Now is the time to re-do, renovate and repair areas of your business that have been demanding your attention.

It's is encouraging to see the social media posts about supporting local business - I hope this translates to dollars spent locally.

I just finished listening to Laura Vanderakm's book What the Most Successful people do before breakfast.  This book only took an hour to listen to and was an interesting study
from interviews of successful people in the corporate setting do to start their days.

I have made a few changed in my morning routine since I listened to this book and it seems to be going pretty well so far.  Check it out and I hope it inspires you!

How can you build into your business when the doors are closed?  Here are a few things that you can do right now: