- Hi, I'm Darlene from GoDaddy's how-to.
- And I'm Emma from The Journey
and we're gonna talk about why it's more important than ever
to stay connected with your customers
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- With certain cities starting to implement
shelter in place orders,
you might be experiencing little to no foot traffic
as customers opt to stay home,
or maybe you're only doing takeout or delivery orders.
- Yeah, during this difficult time
social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram
can help you stay in touch with your customers
about important news and updates about your business.
So here are five ways social media helps businesses
send updates to customers.
- Number one, let your customers know
that you are still here.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions,
there's uncertainty about what's changed for businesses
and customers alike.
- Use your social media platforms
to let your customers know that you're here
and thank them for continuing to support
small businesses like yours.
- And to help customers find you,
make sure all of your social media buttons
are included on your website and vice versa.
Don't make it harder for them to find you
or the information you're sharing.
- Yeah, additionally make sure you've updated
Google My Business page
with the most current information
like your business hours, phone number,
and don't forget those social media handles.
Oh, actually Darlene, I have an example
of a business that I came across on Instagram
that's located in Austin, Texas.
I'd love to take you through their Instagram page
and show you how they're using social media
to still stay connected with their customers.
One thing I wanna point out is on their Instagram,
and I noticed that they have
actually the information about their curbside pickup
and their online ordering.
And it's right here in the bio.
I love that that's front and center.
So any customer, new or loyal customer knows,
like okay great.
Like this is an option
for us to still get what we love from this business.
And in addition to that
they even have some Instagram highlights
about their curbside service and their catering
and their posts are keeping everyone up to date as well
which I really love.
But I wanted to point out
when I was checking out their Instagram stories
that they have a lot of user-generated content
from their customers
who have already started to order from them
and take advantage of the specials.
And one in particular that I really loved
besides all the customer content here
is they also did a little re-share
of a post about their curbside pickup
and a behind-the-scenes of them still putting together
their delicious cakes in their bakery.
- Number two, promote your online store
for customers who need to stay home.
Since we're all practicing social distancing,
we're not able to visit physical businesses right now,
so take this opportunity to reach out to both your current
and potential customers by promoting your online store
on social media.
- Yeah, build on your brand's social media presence
with posts about featured products,
positive customer reviews, and current sales,
to drive visitors over to your online store.
And this can be done via Instagram stories, tweets,
Snapchat, or good old Facebook.
- Also like we mentioned earlier,
make sure you've added links to your online store
as part of your social media account's bios and posts.
No use in posting about it
if you don't tell them where to go.
- Yeah, actually I saw an example of that.
Does a great job of this, Aviator Nation.
A small business that's promoting their online store
through Instagram posts like you see here.
So number three, run special deals
to retain customers during the shutdown.
Spread the word about good deals
to get your customers talking,
similar to what we saw Aviator Nation doing.
And social media promotions can bring in new customers
to your online store.
- For example a fun way is to encourage your customers
to share photos of your products and tag your business.
And you can offer a chance to win a free item,
online-only discounts, or waive shipping fees.
- These are great additional ways to get the word out
on your online store.
That's something you can handle.
As customers like to like and share your posts,
they spread awareness about your business.
- Your customers' posts are visible to their friends,
which can bring in more business to your store.
Even if you don't have a physical or digital product,
you can still post about deals on gift cards
or upcoming virtual classes.
- So number four, find ways to engage with customers
despite social distancing.
If your business relies on foot traffic,
we understand you might be struggling
with ways to communicate with your customers.
And your customers, well, they're missing out
on the face-to-face conversations about daily specials
and products that offer solutions to their problems.
- This is where being active on social media comes in.
Engage with your customers
by frequently posting on your social media accounts
at least a couple times each week
so that your business stays present
in your customers' minds.
- So try to respond to comments and direct messages
so customers feel acknowledged.
And now this is a good practice all the time,
but it's especially important now
that there's limited in-person contact.
- Number five, have customers follow you for updates.
Your social media presence reminds current
and prospective customers that you're still open,
or if you need to temporarily close your storefront,
you'll be open again.
- Unfortunately some businesses might need to close
for a limited time.
I know my hair salon is doing that.
And if you're one of those businesses,
urge customers to follow you on social media
for important updates on your re-opening.
- Post about any changes to your hours
or any other differences in how you conduct your business.
And remind customers if you're available for takeout,
delivery, curbside pickup,
or any other ways that you're still operating.
- Creating content around your adjusted processes
might be very interesting to your customers.
I mean I know that's helped me
with one of my favorite pizza joints that's closed.
So give them a peak behind the scenes
as to how your business is running during this chaos.
It could be the reason
they continue following your journey
long after COVID-19.
- Whether you're sheltering in place,
following social distancing,
or still figuring out your business's restrictions,
it's tough for everyone.
Thankfully, social media offers the ability
to do more than just market your business,
but it's a means to stay connected
when in-person contact just isn't an option.
- Exactly.
Remain active on your business's social media accounts
to promote your online store
and deliver updates to customers.
And if nothing else,
your social media presence can bring people together
in a time when it's really needed.
- Stay safe and stay healthy.