Small Business: Prospering During a Pandemic
Cianne McKinnon • March 18, 2020
Don't Survive, Thrive!
If you want to know how it feels to be a small business owner during the coronavirus pandemic? Remember when the Titanic was sinking, and the band continued to play? Well, we’re the band.
Nothing lasts forever. Neither will the need for the social distancing measures we are taking currently to protect ourselves and those we love from the spread of Covid-19.
But what happens when life as we know it returns to normal? It won’t be for a few months into the future before we know the true economic cost of Covid-19. There is no doubt that small businesses will be affected the most, such as your local bar, coffee shop, bakery, dry-cleaners, barbershops etc. All the “non-essentials” have been shut down, some by their own choosing and the rest at the direction of the government yesterday. Grocery stores remain open, and the constant social media posts of long line ups and barren shelves at Costco and Walmart, confirm that these big businesses will be OK. It’s the little guys and gals who will ultimately be most affected and will need the most support.
What can you as a consumer do to help small business owners in your community?
Implementing a #Five4Fifty
campaign. Make a pledge to spend at least $5 at a small business every day for the next 50 days (about 7 weeks, the critical window of time in Canada) It’s a loaf of bread, or a bouquet of flowers. Don’t have $5 a day? Do $3 or $1—every little bit will help. Don’t have the spare money at all? Telling a friend or family member about #Five4Fifty is free!
You can participate in #Five4Fifty from the comfort of your own home as social distancing has become the recommended course of action. Shop online from independent stores or buy gifts cards you can use at a later date. Local restaurants are getting creative by offering amazing deals for take-out or curb side delivery.
What can you as a small business owner do to maintain momentum during this time?
Three words: Social Media, Social Media, Social Media.
The general public is a captive audience who is stuck at home right now and spending an infinite amount of time on social media. Whether it’s looking for the latest update on the pandemic or researching their favorite products or services.
This is your opportunity to stay top of mind. If you’ve always thought about posting videos featuring yourself talking about your products or services, now is the time. If you don’t currently offer e-commerce on your website, implement it now. If you don’t currently have a social media strategy in place for your small business on Facebook, Instagram or any of the other local platforms, take the opportunity to set those up. By taking the steps to ‘sow the seeds’ now to ensure the longevity of your small business, you will reap the bounty after the pandemic passes.
If all of these sound-like great ideas but leaves you feeling lost or overwhelmed on how to get started, Kre8tive Agency is here to help. Contact us today to discuss what strategies and/or opportunities exist to capitalize on your small business.
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Is your goal to reach large numbers of people and get them interested in your product or service? If yes, social media marketing is an efficient way to achieve this. When it comes to marketing your business, there is no doubt social media is one of the best methods! It’s one of the most powerful tools out there for business owners and digital marketers alike. Let’s take a look at six advantages that come with utilizing social media as part of your overall marketing strategy. Increase Your Companies Brand Awareness & Recognition More than HALF of the world’s population is on social media, so needless to say, you want to be where your customers are. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter make it easier than ever to build a brand! They offer you the ability to directly engage with customers as well as social sharing. Both are amazing for raising awareness. You can chat with customers right in your DM’s plus they can comment on and share your posts with their friends! Take a look at the engagement from this one post and see the power of social sharing!
With over 2 billion monthly users, YouTube has become one of the most popular video-based platforms. More than any of its competitors, such as Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok, YouTube has become the go-to platform for sharing information via video. The general public utilizes YouTube as a place to learn about how to do new things. For example, if you needed to change out a doorknob. You can bet that YouTube probably has a video created by a locksmith or a handyman that will teach you how to perform the task. The question now becomes, how does one wield YouTube as a powerful tool for business? On YouTube, by creating a video channel, you can connect with your users in a totally different way than other social media platforms. YouTube is an excellent platform to: create visual and auditory content to back up your written content create visual demonstrations of your products use as a method to share personal press releases to your followers YouTube is also a valuable tool to gather followers' contact information to grow your email list. Pros Videos drive more conversions It is a great way to show off your brand's personality Videos nicely complement other marketing strategies Cons Videos can take longer to produce Users have high expectations for visual/audio quality Ranking your video can be difficult Taking all of the above into account, YouTube is a great social media platform to grow your business exposure. While the knowledge required to learn how to shoot and edit videos might take some time to master, it can be relatively inexpensive. The majority of smartphones are capable of recording high-quality videos, which the user can then publish with ease. If your business could benefit from implementing YouTube as a marketing strategy, Kre8tive Agency can help! Reach out to us today for a free consultation.
.As we near the finish line of our six-part blog series, in the edition we will be exploring the merits of Pinterest. Since its debut in 2010, Pinterest is one of the top social media platforms for small businesses, with 291 million active users today. The vast majority of users are millennials. Over half are women between the age of 25 and 54 and most recent an upward trend is showing users being 40% men. Pinterest gives a $4.3 return for every $1 spent on ads on average. Pinterest is a considerably less expensive and more profitable advertising platform when compared to Facebook or Twitter. The key elements for utilizing Pinterest as a profitable marketing option for your small business is: a consistent schedule, creative pictures, a strategy for gaining followers Pinterest acts as a great traffic driver to your website. But not all businesses can thrive on this particular social media platform. Businesses specializing in home decor, cooking recipes, photography sites, travel, health and beauty are examples of the most successful companies utilizing Pinterest as a marketing platform. Why, might you ask? Just like its competitor Instagram, Pinterest has content that is visually appealing and can be easily shared. Creativity is the key with Pinterest. Nearly all businesses that have used Pinterest as part of their marketing strategy have shown a significant boost in website traffic. Surveys have revealed that 40% of Pinterest users have a household income of around $100k. Users pursuing Pinterest are there to spend their hard-earned dollars. With that in mind, it's not surprising that this platform is also great for driving conversions! If your business falls within the businesses seeing success from Pinterest, we would love to talk to you! Call the marketing professionals at Kre8tive Agency for a free consultation today!
Not surprisingly, LinkedIn has demonstrated staying power amongst the plethora of social media sites available. Perhaps because LinkedIn is geared more towards professionals using it as a networking tool or to seek new employment opportunities. Just like other social media platforms, LinkedIn is also an excellent resource for content sharing. Rather than finding new customers, you're more likely to find business partners on this platform. Unless, of course, your market focuses on the business-to-business client, then you've come to the right place! Pros 65+ million active users Great for promoting business-related content Perfect for networking Makes it easier to recruit talent Cons Not designed for eCommerce Better for home businesses or freelancers Has a fraction of the users compared to other platforms In summary, LinkedIn may not be the place to keep up to date on social adventures with your family or friends. However, it is still an imperative tool to be used in your professional life. By establishing a LinkedIn business page, you can show off your brand while expanding your professional network. If you are a professional looking to expand your network by using LinkedIn but aren't sure where to start, Kre8tive Agency has the answers! Reach out to us today for a free consultation.
