How to Digitize Your Business During COVID-19 and Beyond?
SInce the lockdown began, more and more local grocery stores have started offering home delivery (sometimes faster than Uber). Freshly brewed coffee can now be ordered online and delivered directly to your doorstep by your favorite nearby cafe. If you questioned why digital marketing was the talk of the town before the pandemic, this crisis has answered that question better than anyone ever could.
With behavior amongst consumers expected to change after lockdowns have ended, companies will need a strong digital presence to be better prepared to stay afloat. This means entrepreneurs must leverage digital resources and marketing to secure the future of their business and reach their customers.
To start beefing up your digital presence, start with the social media platforms that you often use: Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and Pinterest. These platforms have introduced new features and tools specifically designed to help small businesses survive the pandemic. Even if your customers know that your company has a social media presence, they may not be aware of the different ways they can support it online during this time.
One of the main benefits of social media platforms building new features to support businesses online is improved visibility for your business. These new tools and features allow small businesses to amplify their digital footprint, thereby enhancing their potential to persevere through this crisis. For young entrepreneurs who are at an early stage in digitization, we have selected some simple and practical guidance, tools and resources to help kick start your social media presence or, boost it into high gear.
The current pandemic will 'force' entrepreneurs running SMEs in particular, not only to adapt their business’ marketing strategy, but also to put in place a plan for when things go back to normal (so to speak). Take a moment to learn some top tips for SME businesses during the pandemic, and see the steps you can take to fortify your business now and structure it for the 'new normal' after the pandemic. This article focuses on online products & services, to planning for life after the crisis.
Beyond simply coping with COVID-19, a solid social media strategy can help you improve your customer service, cultivate your brand identity online, reach new audiences, drive growth and traffic to your website. Needless to say, it is of critical importance! However, before the crisis hit, you may not have had the chance to dedicate the time or effort necessary to work on your social media presence and identify which networks to target to get the best results. 10 tips for small businesses might be exactly what you are looking for to help you get your social media strategy in top shape!
Apart from having a smart and savvy social media strategy, it is a must for most companies to have their own website in the today’s digital world. There are hundreds of different services in today’s market that can help you build a good website. If you are an entrepreneur with entry level computer programming skills and moderate budget to spend, you can create a website for your business… perhaps within 30 minutes! Looking for some guidance on where to start? Check out this easy and fast guide: How to Create a Website.
As COVID-19 rages on, almost all aspects of business have been seriously affected, including both the customers and the suppliers, especially in the context of regional and global trade. If you want to learn more about the current changes happening in global trade as well as the opportunities and solutions that going digital can provide, join us for Ep4 of Coping with COVID-19 webinar series, featuring Bhavna Saraf, Managing Director Head of Trade Product at Lloyds Banking Group, on 4 June, 16:30-17:30 (CET). Register here.
Are you looking for easy and practical solutions to develop digital trade for your business? Check out the selected tools and Market Intelligence Portal !