For some businesses, say hair salons, the mere suggestion of reopening filled up your books. For others, it’s going to take some work and planning. While people are eager to get out and support businesses like yours, the competition will be high. Business owners like yourself need to focus on the business, but you also need to keep people informed about how they can do business with you. We put together some tips from a marketer’s point of view.
Four Tips to Market Your Reopening
Tip 1: Over-communicate your reopening plan or new hours
- Make sure your website is up-to-date with hours and special instructions on how people will interact with your business.
- Update ALL of your social media platforms with similar information, consider boosting your posts for a small amount to help get more eyes on your content. One of the easiest boosting audiences is people who already like your page.
- Create signage that helps instruct the customer where to go and what to do (is there a separate pick up area if I’ve already ordered?) Use yard signs or A-frames to help alert people that you’re back.
- Take photos or videos of your new space showing how things have been modified for social distancing.
Tip 2: Make payment touchless
- Does your system allow Apple Pay or can you accept Venmo or other forms of payment? If not, how can you add that? There are products out there, like Toast (for restaurants), that can make this process super easy. I, personally, don’t like using the store’s pen to sign a bill.
- Create table tents or other signage that explains payment options.
Tip 3: Engage your loyal customers first
- Right now, selling to someone who already knows and loves you will be much easier than those who don’t.
- Do you have a list of previous customer’s emails to give them an update?
Tip 4: Get creative
- You’re not reopening to the same reality as before Covid, so what changes can you make to adapt?
- On top of regular “to-go” offerings, restaurants could create meal kits where the customer could take the ingredients home and make your dish.
- Have fun with curbside pickup. Hand out sno-balls (snow cones for non-southerners) when people stop to pick up their order.
- Set up a curbside “fiesta” or “reopening” party to celebrate. Perhaps you have a table set up outside of your shop where you give away free lemonade, cool stickers with your logo, and grab-n-go snacks.
- Create a custom t-shirt that people will want to wear, perhaps a saying that is timely with your logo on it. Then, have your friends and your best customers wear them around town.
- Is your business in an area with a lot of foot traffic? Hire a chalk artist to draw signs and arrows pointing the way to your front door.
Whether you’ve already opened or are still figuring out the best way to do so, let us help you stay focused on your business. We can create custom options that are branded and specific to your business. Good luck!
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash