COVID19 Archives - GUJRAT INDIA

Digital Marketing Means Business Survival During COVID-19

Even during the thick of the pandemic, we saw businesses struggling to change operations enough to stay afloat. Now, the name of the game is “adapt,” and we are all players trying to find out where we fit into the larger picture. Even if it means stepping out of our comfort zone, we are forced to move past the traditions we built and forward into the digital age.

Contact-Less Service
Before COVID-19, some businesses didn’t even have a social media page. These businesses relied on loyal customers, word of mouth, and in-store marketing endeavors. You know the shops I’m talking about, mom and pop shops who use printed flyers, bulletin boards and give the 100th customer of the day a prize.

For some, this type of business model set them apart from the mainstream shops and made them popular. For others, it was a general lack of enthusiasm for technology (or the inability to pay for pricey digital marketing campaigns). Then, with a snap of the fingers – it was gone. Nobody could come through the doors, and like that, the entire structure of the business folded.

You couldn’t rely on word of mouth, flyers, or bulletin boards. A rise in online shopping for a contactless experience became the thing to do. What did this mean for those who didn’t even have social media?

Dive Head-First Into Digital
Pride has to be replaced by necessity in terms of entering the digital world with your business. You have to be mindful of social media, you have to have a website, and you can’t rely on physical customers to do your bidding. Forget about getting used to the water. Jump in and hope you to swim and stay afloat.

If you want your business to survive now and in the future with the pandemic at large, you can’t wait for things to go back to normal. You have to move forward and adapt to the changes, and they need to be made now.

Transitioning to Digital Marketing
Everything seems to be done on a smartphone or computer device, including making purchases for everyday needs. To expand your clientele and remain in full operational order, the use of digital marketing is more than a requirement. It is the only lifeline that most businesses have. Business owners cannot expect to survive during COVID-19 if they don’t transition to a digital marketing strategy. Make sure your business has an adequate, modern website that is mobile-friendly and user-friendly. Customers should be able to easily contact you or buy through your website on all devices so that you do not miss out on any potential sales.

Business practices and catering to the customer have not changed in your marketing structure, only the method in which it is delivered. Customers need to feel safe during their purchases, and they feel better doing things online. Businesses will not survive this new age if they do not turn to the digital marketing platforms required to reach these customers.

Leadership & Management in a Volatile, Covid-19 World

Workers exist in a volatile world. Management is also perplexed. The coronavirus has damaged the economy across the globe – the United States is no exception. Since more than 22 million U.S. workers are filing for unemployment, government officials and business executives attempt to balance public health against economic survival. More layoffs are surely going to occur as the pandemic keep people at home.

Yet, the economic pains can be felt across the country. Food lines are growing. A sagging economy persists. In fact, the U.S. has not seen these job losses during the Great Depression. The world is interconnected, thanks to globalization. The U.S. middle class hold their breath as the threat of more job cuts become a reality, thereby further eroding their quality of life. With the coronavirus before us, this article examines leading a volatile world.

The coronavirus has made its presence known, resulting in disruptive change throughout the globe. According to the World Health Organization, the coronavirus has infected more than 2,000,000 people in at least 177 countries.

To date, millions of Americans have been diagnosed with Covid-19, resulting in over 300,000 deaths. Although New York has been the center of the discussion, every state has been impacted. Unintended consequences continue to happen.

While the federal government rolls out a $2 Trillion stimulus package, President Trump and the state governors argue about who’s in control. Big Brother has arrived. The government dictates how private businesses must operate while restricting how citizens gather in the name of public safety. The results of the private infringements have sparked anti-government protests.

There needs to be a different type of leadership in a volatile world. Today’s pandemic, hypercompetitive environment needs high-performance organizations to sustain market success. Yet, many organizations operate from the same business structure from the Industrial Revolution.

In this setting, managers oversee workers to control their performance due to the fact that managers believe workers are inferior and have no passion to work. Most workers are willing to work if they are placed in a position to be successful, and there are shared rewards. Sadly, I have heard too many complaints about bad bosses and uncaring organizations.

There are too many managers and organizations that do not value the importance of their employees. These same managers are great at distributing tasks, but are unsuccessful in motivating their own workers.

According to a RAND Corporation survey, the nation is not producing enough future leaders with substantive depth in international experience and outlook. In fact, the survey outlines the following top attributes for having a successful career in an international organization in the public environments: (a) general cognitive skills (problem-solving, analytical ability, etc.), (b) interpersonal and relational skills, (c) adaptivity, (d) cross-cultural competency, and (e) the ability to work in teams.

However, in many businesses, the chore of developing leadership competencies is left to human resource managers. In fact, working in a global environment requires a different skill mix. J. Stewart Black, Allen Morrison, and Hal Gregersen, authors of Global Explorers, argue that every global leader has a set of global characteristics regardless of his or her country or industry.

The four key areas include inquisitiveness, perspective, character, and savvy. Business savvy becomes the word of the day because one must be able to think globally and adjust activities on the local level, as well as satisfying customers at all levels.

Leaders must be visionary so that they provide the organization a vision of what the organization wants to transform itself into in spite of the current situation. Leaders must push the decision making down to the lowest levels and empower employees to perform. Leaders must have integrity and lead by example. Leaders must have a global perspective in understanding that the world is interconnected.

Furthermore, leaders must be strategic so that they will look beyond today’s struggles to anticipate threats and seize opportunities. Leaders must know how to inspire and motivate workers to perform. Leaders must value diversity and maximize the most out of their talents.

In fact, these competencies promote the necessity for leaders to learn how to work effectively with people who have different languages, customs, and social values. Leaders must make people accountable but share the rewards of the organization’s success. Leaders must learn how to listen and respect their employees so that they can maintain trust throughout the organization.

In summary, the coronavirus is not leaving our planet any time soon. Societies across the globe will need to make adjustments to the new normal. Therefore, organizations cannot continue to stumble through this global environment.

In fact, desperate times should demand immediate actions. With millions of unemployed and outsourcing of high paying jobs abroad, these market trends should get more of anybody’s attention. Organizations that want to sustain success in the future can no longer continue in the same mode of operations.

This article demonstrated the critical need to select the right kind of leadership in a volatile world. Success will largely depend on their ability to manage their resources, seize strategic opportunities, and inspire their workforce toward greater performance. Let us pray that it is not too lat

Should You Stop Marketing During COVID-19?

The Impact of Coronavirus on Small Business

As a human, I’m sure you’ve been affected by COVID-19 (also known as novel coronavirus) in some way.

Whether that means worrying about elderly parents, changing travel plans or stocking up on essentials to work from home for the foreseeable future, it’s hard to not feel the stress.

As a small business owner, you may be seeing fewer customers as people limit social interaction, change travel and leisure plans and focus on staying healthy rather than on shopping for products and services.

Unless you sell toilet paper or hand sanitizer, you may be concerned about the impact of the coronavirus on your small business; your revenue, employees, and empty marketing funnel.

So does that mean you should hunker down and stop your marketing efforts for the time being? No!

The World Health Organization has declared coronavirus a global pandemic, and it’s a very uncertain time. However, I’m a firm believer in focusing on what we can do and change while finding the opportunities amidst adversity.

Every challenge can be met with common sense, rational thought and even kindness. This is not the time for irrationality. I was watching a webinar the other day and someone said, “Worrying is like a rocking chair-it gives you something to do but it won’t get you anywhere!”

I know we are living in troubling times. The virus and how the global economy is responding to the preventative measures being placed is something that will go down in the history books.

But as business owners, there is one thing we do still have control over, and that’s the ability to be resilient and make choices that will get us through these times as best possible.

In this article, I’m sharing some ways you can address the challenge of marketing during a crisis and keep your business going.

Let’s start by looking at two of the wrong ways to approach marketing during a crisis right now:

1. Making a joke about coronavirus. A few weeks ago, it was common to see online memes and humorous marketing campaigns being shared. A Las Vegas jeweller even created a campaign to sell rings!

As more and more people around the world were affected by coronavirus, these slowed down a lot. Making light of the situation is not only in poor taste, but you’ll likely drive away a good chunk of your target audience.

2. Playing on people’s fears. It’s one thing to use a sense of urgency to sell your product or service, but it’s another thing entirely to use scare tactics.

For example, don’t scare people into buying a first aid kit with a message like “Only two left! Don’t risk your family’s health!” Rather, focus on the benefit of being proactive and prepared by stocking up on medical supplies.

Make sure the angle and tone of your marketing reflects your customer’s current concerns and pain points without capitalizing on their anxiety.

How to Effectively Market Your Small Business During the Coronavirus Outbreak

No matter what type of small business you have, your priority should be clearly communicating with your customers to put them at ease.

Think about what your clients need to hear from you, and how you want to position your business during this crisis.

Here are 3 ways to market your business during the coronavirus crisis:

1. Reassure everyone that you’re protecting their health. This is especially true if you have a brick-and-mortar location. This may mean sharing your extra sanitation practices, putting a hand sanitizer station at the front of your location or implementing a policy where all staff wear masks and gloves.

For example, WestJet shares their additional precautionary cleaning measures due to coronavirus on their website.

2. Be prepared to pivot. You need to be flexible to best serve your customers. That might mean instead of cancelling a customer conference, you change it to a virtual event.

If you are planning an upcoming workshop or event, pivot with your audience in mind. It’s possible you have already been forced to cancel or postponne, but don’t assume everyone wants the solution you’re providing.

Consider options such as making it a virtual version of the event or postponning your conference to a later date. Or some people may want ticket refunds.

Polls and questionnaires can be a great way to get honest feedback from your ticket holders before changing an event.

And of course, take a look at all of your contracts to ensure you’re covered before making any changes.

If you’re a service provider, create other ways to help your clients like this fitness trainer did. He offered them a way to stay fit that doesn’t involve being around a group of people in a gym.

3. Make your employees a priority too. Don’t focus all your efforts on marketing during this time. Your employees are what keep your business going, so how can you care for them?

Maybe you can give your staff the option of working 100% remotely while COVID-19 is a concern. Or, remind them you fully encourage them to stay home if they’re feeling sick.

The more you can put your employees at ease, the better they’ll be able to support your business and your customers.

What Small Business Owners Can Learn from Coronavirus

I know this is hard, and I hope you can hang in there and focus on the present, and on being of service to your clients and staff.

They’re afraid, and what you do or share can help alleviate those fears. Remember to be careful and intentional about what you’re saying.

If your small business is being adversely affected by coronavirus, it’s also a good time to reassess your business fundamentals, including how CONVID-19 is affecting your digital marketing. How will you deal with a crisis the next time it happens? Are there things you’d do differently to be more prepared or prevent losses?

Like everything else in life, this is a learning experience. Stay healthy, safe and positive.