Month: August 2020

The current COVID-19 pandemic has created an atmosphere of uncertainty and apprehension. We have all felt the effects. Using creativity in times like these is crucial.

Businesses have had to adjust to consumer demand. The result often leads to unemployment or uncertain employment futures. Unfortunately, this is likely to get even more prevalent as we head into the autumn: the beginning of flu season. It is not out of the realm of possibility to see a resurgence of businesses shutting down or cutting back.   

Life is not as it was pre-COVID, and it is not likely to return any time soon. So, what do we do during this time? We have discussed some of the first steps in previous blogs. Those are logistical steps to turn our businesses in the right direction. So, what are some things that we can do to engage our customers, grow our businesses, improve our mental health, and have some fun too?  

Creativity is paramount to engaging your audience, whomever they may be. In today’s changed world, we are turning to creative outlets more and more to spread word about our business. We use these outlets to reach those who would gain the most by it.   

COVID-19 has given us all a major hit. We must turn to online ventures more to reach our customers, our clients…our audience. We need to reach them in a clear and engaging way, but what exactly does that entail?  

One of the best ways to engage with people online is by using creativity and injecting that creativity into what you are doing. It isn’t enough anymore to only post random updates on social media. People want engaging content. They want something that will entertain them while also informing them.   

Art for Healing and Business Growth

The healing powers of art are well documented. According to Harvard Health Publishing, “creating visual art can reduce stress and promote relaxation in people who are … home bound due to illness.” The article goes on to say that creative activities can improve communication and relieve stress. Moreover, the benefits come from the creative process.  

This is important because many of us do not consider ourselves artists. The process of creating the art is one of the most beneficial aspects. Creative ways we use to remain clear headed will only help our mental capacities and business productivity.  

Now is the time to think outside the box. Now is the time to start incorporating new modes of communication into your marketing strategy. So, let’s take a look at three ways to incorporate creative media into your marketing plan during COVID-19.  

Using Video to Connect with Your Customers

Video is a very important tool to any business. A whole article (several even!) could be written on this subject. We will only scratch the surface here. Video is the perfect way to entertain while also informing. Keep the tone light, the camera moving, and have a story to tell.   

For example, you may want to show what you’ve been up to during these uncertain times. This is a great medium for you to do that. And you can have fun with it! You want your audience to trust you. Talk to them as if they are your friend but be genuine! People will notice right away when you aren’t being genuine. This can only have negative consequences.  

There are several types of video you can choose from. It doesn’t only have to be 30-second advertisements. Consider a “behind-the-scenes” video tour, or “live streamed events.” This last option is a great option during these times because it can also be a product.  

Video is versatile. It’s posted on social media platforms (most platforms have video functionality). It’s used to “liven up” a website page. It’s implemented into blogs. The list goes on. Be sure to keep your videos on the shorter side. Less than two minutes, one minute would be best. This will help you to get the most engagement from your audience. 

Using Your Creativity in Photography

In the same way video works, photography also helps brighten your business to customers.  

If video is used in many places, photography is used in even more places. Think of all the places you use photography. Your website, your graphic designs, advertisements, signs, blogs, social media platforms, business cards, and so on.   

The more visual content you can produce the better. Text is good, too, but you don’t want too much. You want to strike a good balance between the two.   

And why not get even more creative? Consider merging your video and your photography into one? Slideshows are a great way to do this.  

Graphic Art to Wow Your Customers

We live in a digital age. Art can come in many forms. The process of creating art is beneficial to our mental and emotional well-being. By using our creativity, we focus our imagination into the graphic art world we can play two important roles: it keep us engaged, and it keeps our customers engaged.  

How do we increase traffic to our goods/services that result in sales? Let’s take the idea of running a promotion. Let’s say you have some aging inventory in your shop, and you want to move it before your seasonal goods come in. Promotions are great ways to drive traffic, volume, and clear inventory. Sure, we take a hit on margins, but if that is offset with enough volume, then it can be a good measure to take.   

But only putting a sale on Facebook or Instagram will yield less-than-stellar results. Adding a new graphic design that is relevant to your sale and business can add a new level of uniqueness to the promotion. This new design can give a visual identity for a one-time promotion. It can also help a recurring promotion. You can also put a seasonal twist on your current logo (which already has an identity that is yours). There are limitless possibilities to get creative. You can make your promotion stand out from the crowd.   

Always Be Looking Toward the Future

No matter what type of creativity you use, always be looking toward the future. That is key to success. It is easy to get bogged down in the failures of yesterday, but they don’t have to dictate the successes of tomorrow.   

By creating content that is creative, you will engage your customers. During difficult times such as these, this is crucial. Remember: your customers are also at home right now. Reach them in their homes and keep them wanting to click on your name before someone else’s.   

The current COVID-19 pandemic has created a lot of stress for business of any size. It has always forced us to make difficult decisions that we weren’t prepared for. In times of uncertainty it is more crucial than ever before. Yet, making tough decisions are a part of the “process” of running a business. They are another cog in the machinery of business. We may not like these decisions, but they are necessary.    

They don’t have to weigh you down. These decisions can be an empowering part of the reconstruction of your business. They are the spark that sets everything else in motion. They will send you toward your reopening and your “new beginning.” 

Taking the First Steps to Move Forward

Grab a cup of coffee and sit in your favorite, comfortable chair. Create an environment where you feel at ease. The workspace in which you do your tasks is important, even if it is at your home. A comfortable atmosphere will yield positive results because you’ll be in a positive frame of mind. A chaotic atmosphere will yield chaotic results.    

Start by doing an audit of your company. Go through all your assets. These assets should include, but is not limited to, the following: revenue, costs, products, online content, and so on. Get a list of everything you have about your company. It is impossible to know what you need if you don’t know what you already have.   

Once you know what you have to work with you’ll be able to create a plan to move forward. You’ll be able to see the whole picture of your business. This is important in your reconstruction phase.  

Creating Goals: What Do You Want to Achieve?

Next, determine what you’d like to achieve. You may have determined (and everyone’s situation is undoubtedly unique) that the business environment right now is not going to generate the revenue levels that it did before. It can be helpful to make some decisions regarding goals or objectives that are realistic, but still ambitious.   

Maybe this means generating enough revenue to cover operating expenses, to ensure all employees remain on payroll, and to provide the necessary needs for you and your family. This may mean that you want to do is adjust your earnings projections by 10%. You get the point.   

Each situation will be unique. Once you have audited your situation and determined what you have and where you want to go, you will be in a clearer position to move forward. You will notice the uncertainty beginning to clear up.   

Identify Obstacles so You May Overcome Them

Identify the obstacles that stand in the way of you and your objectives. What things will present a challenge to achieving your predetermined objectives? Is it the lower consumer confidence as a result of COVID-19?  

If you are in the restaurant business, with the current capacity requirements for social distancing, the revenue would be too restrictive to reach your objectives. The obstacles could be few or they could be many. But knowing what they are with a good degree of certainty will help you tackle each with a strategy.   

Build and implement your strategy to overcome the obstacles. As the heading suggests, now is the time to build a plan to reach your objectives. By breaking down the problems into smaller pieces, it makes the challenge easier to reach. It makes it more specific to each situation.  

Even the Big Companies Have to Make Adjustments

As an example, in early June, Starbucks announced the closing of nearly 400 of its company-owned stores in 2020 due to the COVID-19 situation.

Starbucks is making adjustments based on their projected loss of revenue. They realize that with the uncertainty of the future they needed to make changes. It will be a while before people can feel safe to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee in one of their restaurants.  

One way to adjust to this reality is to convert or open more drive-through and curb-side pickup locations. This allows the company to serve consumers, likely cut overhead with stores with smaller footprints, and use fewer employees. We realize that we all don’t have the flexibility and leverage that Starbucks has. Yet they can serve as a reminder that we all have our unique challenges. We can be creative on how we can overcome them.  

How to Tell if Your Strategy is Working

Measure the efficacy of your results and adjust your strategy if needed. After all this work toward identifying all our challenges, developing a strategy, and implementing that strategy, how do we tell if the strategy is working? Sure, we can see how much money is coming in and how much we are spending on our expense lines, but how do we see if we are making the right moves?   

Monitoring sales coming in is a strong indicator, but there are so many metrics to look at. These metrics will be specific to our situations. The important point is to track these metrics because it is important for us to know if changes to our strategy need to happen.  

This is essential even in “normal” times. It is even more important when navigating through times of uncertainty like we are seeing with COVID-19. We are likely going to need to be creative on how we manage our businesses. We will need to know the health of our businesses in real time, which will allow us to be proactive when possible and reactive when necessary.