Council Post: Put The Right Foot Forward Now More Than Ever

President at Media Design Group & TRADR.TV

Like many, I’ve spent the last couple of weeks working from home, wondering what to make of things: the current state of business, the economy and my great home of Los Angeles. These are truly unprecedented times. And for marketers and advertisers, this uncertainty is only compounded by the nature of our industry.

As torchbearers of public perception, we influence how brands are interpreted by consumers. Through carefully crafted campaigns, we help decide how people interact with products and services. We are intrinsically linked to the greater public, which makes our role in the context of a pandemic that much more ambiguous.

Now, more than ever, your brand must be cognizant of how it chooses to do business. You must be conscious of every step. You must be careful about how you proceed. Any publicly facing message you produce must be intentional and empathetic. But on the other hand, you need to stay visible. No matter what products or services you offer, there’s an end user out there who cares about your brand. Perhaps they even rely on it. 

So, how do you strike a balance? Here are a few tactics you can remember to put the right foot forward.

Stick To Your Values

We’re a family at my company. We put people before profit, and we’re grateful to have a group of smart, diligent, ethical individuals who make the right business decisions for our clients. My company’s success is defined by our client’s success. When we help our family of clients exceed their goals, we’ve done a good job. When they win, we win.

We’ve worked hard to establish our brand voice in a crowded industry. But we didn’t get here by stepping on others. We made an effort to always do the right thing. You’ve also worked hard to build your business. Your team members rely on you for stability; you owe it to them to stay afloat. So do your clients. It’s these symbiotic relationships that drive the economy, even in uncertain times.

Now is a time to stick to your roots. Start by looking at those values you created when you first set up shop, and use them as your North Star for this time. It’s up to everyone to be mindful of the decisions we make and the things we say.

Take Care Of Your Current Customers

Now’s not the right time to launch new products or lead-gen campaigns. It’s not the time to innovate. This may be counterintuitive to your business operations. But now is the time to look inward, reassess your own motives and morals, and tell your existing story.

B2B buyers will most likely proceed with caution during these times. Your clients do not want to see something new; they’re probably craving familiarity. You may consider amending sales quotas or even pausing certain campaigns to adjust to the times. 

But what you don’t want to do is fall off the radar. This is a perfect time to focus on taking care of your current customers. This doesn’t mean it’s time to cross-sell or upsell. Instead, it’s time to show the human side of your business. A little bit goes a long way. Send them an email to check in and ask how they’re doing and if they need anything from your business. The goal here is to show support.

It’s also time to explain everything in painstaking detail to your clients. Be as transparent and straightforward as you can be. Ask yourself, “What generated customer loyalty in the first place?” And continue to delight your customers. It’s all about building brand equity, even if it comes at the expense of your lower-funnel efforts.

Leverage Your Unique Talents

What unique talents do you bring to the table? Perhaps you have a product, service, or proprietary technology you can leverage for the common good. Do you have an established voice and large social following? Maybe it’s the time to spread some positive, reassuring news to your network. Or, perhaps you’ve noticed someone in your community who’s fighting the good fight. Join forces with them! Together, we’re stronger.

But it’s essential to be intentional about your efforts. Now is not the time to create content or campaigns for the sake of it. Above all, it’s important to stay engaged with your community and clients. Value quality over quantity. Instead of sending an automated email series, consider drafting up a single, heartfelt message or shooting a video to get your point across.

Your customers make an emotional connection with your company every time they engage with you, and you must cater to the reality of the present situation without pandering or exploiting the sentiments of the time. Remember, we’re all in this together when we put the greater interest of our community first.

Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?