How to market when the market isn’t buying
It’s a challenging time to be doing business. Right now, the world is still reeling from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and small business owners are at a loss as to what to do.
We want to share some ideas that you can use during this time, and any other time when things aren’t going well.
We’ll share the mindset you should adopt and some strategies you can try.
Naturally, this isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, and we understand that some businesses are truly struggling right now. As always, judge for yourself what information you find useful, and discard the rest.
This doesn’t have to be the end.
First of all, let’s talk about your mindset. A large part of how you’re dealing with the lockdown is how well you’ve prepared for rainy days.
Certainly, if you built up a financial buffer then you’ll weather the storm easier than those who don’t have that safety net.
Whatever your situation, you need to examine your mindset right now. Are you feeling defeated and hopeless? Or are you rising to the challenge of adapting your business so that you can move forward?
The thing is, your thinking plays a major role in how well you and your business will get through this. While you can’t “positive think” your way to getting new clients, you can use your mind to tap into creativity, flexibility and new ideas to pivot your offerings.
So before taking action on any of these ideas, get your mindset straight.
You wouldn’t have started a business if you wanted things to be “easy” and you wouldn’t be reading this if you weren’t determined to succeed.
Think like a child
Now that you’ve decided that you’re determined to get through this tough time, the next thing you need to do is to start thinking like a child.
Children have limitless imaginations and now’s the time for you to think completely out of the box.
By this, we mean that you need to meet with your team (remotely of course!) and brainstorm as many ideas as possible to create products, offers or lead-magnets so that you can take some positive action in your business.
Chances are that you can come up with a few ideas to create exceptional value for your current clients – you might even be able to sell a higher-ticket offer to your existing clients instead of trying to get new clients in this market.
You might be able to move some of your services online, even if it’s just training or consulting, which can earn you some decent money.
Use this time wisely
Many people are working from home (if their job can be done remotely) and find that they have more time on their hands.
This can work for you in two important ways:
- People are spending a lot of time on social media – now’s a good time to create valuable free content to grow your audience
- You can use this time to upskill your marketing
It’s possible that you’ve briefly considered moving aspects of your business online in the past but you never got around to it. Now is the time to dive deep into this idea.
Nurture your audience
While we are all in a mild state of anxiety, it’s a good idea to reassure your clients. This means letting them know how you’re handling the situation and what you’re doing to make life easier for them.
Be active on your social media platforms and create content that uplifts them.
Do Facebook Lives or IGTV and share with them some useful information. For example, if you’re a beauty therapist, show people how they can make their own all-natural facemasks at home using ingredients they already have (for example).
What is the easiest thing you can do to bring money in?
Think differently from everyone else. Let’s say you’re a hairdresser. You can offer vouchers that people can buy for haircuts at 2/3 of the normal price. Get them to share the offer with their friends.
That way you can get cash into your business and you simply fulfil the haircuts after lockdown ends.
For gym owners and personal trainers: can you do online training sessions with minimal equipment so people can follow along at home?
We understand that not everyone can just “go online” as if it’s so simple, but if you can’t sell your product or service online, maybe you can teach something about it?
The takeaway
While times are tough right now, this will end. The key is to learn from this experience and see how you can grow (or just sustain) your business during hard times.
The business owners who think innovatively and creatively stand the best chance of getting through this with an intact customer base and possibly an even bigger following.
Get loads more ideas and free training in the “Social Media Marketing for Entrepreneurs” FB group.
