Need to get your business post-lockdown ready, this is how you can start

What do the following businesses have in common – Uber, Airbnb, Pinterest and Whatsapp?

They were all started during the previous worldwide recession (2008-2010).

Research has shown that brands that act effectively in a crisis become disproportionately stronger afterwards.

Now is not a time for procrastination or slowing down – it’s time to look critically at every aspect of your business and see how it can be improved.

We spoke to Ken Torr of Wordsmiths Marketing, based in Ballito, for advice on how to best navigate the current crisis for the benefit of your business.

Torr believes the Covid-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown have been a wake-up call for business in SA.

“In many instances we have been slow to adapt, innovate and change to a digital world that poses many threats but also many opportunities. Like the famous story of the frog slowly getting boiled because the water around it heated up so slowly, we as business are also often reluctant to change when it’s ‘business-as-usual’ – we do not feel our environment changing although it does as surely as the frog’s water was slowly killing it.

“In a way the Covid-19 pandemic has been a shock to this system – like suddenly pouring some boiling water over the frog! Covid-19 is certainly unpleasant, but if long-term sustainability of your business is a priority, this crisis could be the wake-up-call so many of us needed.”

Torr gave us some advice for businesses navigating the phasing out of lockdown:

1. If you are not communicating digitally are you communicating at all?

“For those companies who thought digital communication was not for them, this lockdown has proved otherwise. Having digital communication channels ready at your disposal is essential for businesses and even more so post lockdown. Yes Zoom, Skype, Teams and others are a part of this, but a company’s social media and website are critical.”

Being able to communicate with your audience is essential during a crisis but it is equally important outside of a crisis to build and sell your brand.

“Lockdown or not, consumers are savvy and look to the internet and social platforms to reinforce their purchasing decisions.”

2. Ignorance is not bliss:

Just having a website and a Facebook page will not work well for you if they are not built and used correctly to market your business.

“Simply posting randomly on social media is not an effective use of these platforms and can in fact do more harm to your brand than good.”

To be effective on social media requires 1) time, 2) a plan, and and 3) to some extent, monetary investment.

“Many businesses like the idea of social media because they see it as a free way to advertise their business. The simple truth is that all social media companies (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Tik Tok etc) are also businesses and have shareholders wanting a return.

“They severely limit the success you as a business can have advertising organically (without paying) on their platforms. This is not to say you cannot run fairly successful campaigns organically, but from our experience you will never be able to get as much from the platforms as when you invest monetarily into them. Like you would pay for a TV, newspaper or radio advert, view it as part of your marketing budget. There are also various ways to track the return on this investment (ROI) – as after all it is exactly that, an investment.”

3. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket:

“The lockdown has served as a magnifying glass, magnifying bottlenecks or inefficiencies that were not clear before. For many companies it would have become immediately clear that they were casting their net too narrowly in their approach to selling and marketing channels.”

Lockdown has closed many traditional sales channels at a moment’s notice, leaving companies completely stranded.

“Having a multifaceted approach to selling gives companies options. This can save a business, and keep essential revenue coming in.”

4. Be prepared:

“The lock-down will not last forever, and before long it will be business as ‘usual’. But what we can be sure of, is that the expectation of consumers will have changed.”

Lockdown has provided a rare opportunity to take stock but, to move forward, businesses need to have systems in place to deal with the changing demand.

“Take the time to make sure these channels are working for you, ready for the post-lockdown rush.”

5. The good news:

“The good news is that the tools are right at our fingertips. Social media, digital marketing and online selling are established fields now and the tools needed to get there are becoming cheaper and easier to use. With the right guidance you can take advantage of the same systems and techniques that large businesses use successfully.”

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