A little over a week ago, the phrase “social distancing” related only to hermits and agoraphobes. Businesses were carrying on as usual. Today, we are faced with a whole new set of business challenges, but with any challenge come new opportunities. Whether you’re riding solo or working with a team, there are various ways you can stay focused, stay connected and scale your business, even when times seem rather tough. Below are things you can do to keep the ball rolling:
1. Engage in authentic virtual communication.
Just because you can’t physically meet doesn’t mean you can’t connect. Video conferencing is currently our best source of communication to help us stay connected and not feel the isolation that may accompany social distancing.=
Whether you’re having a formal meeting or want to connect socially, make it a point to schedule some “face to face” video time to stay connected with your team as well as your customers. For formal meetings, be intentional about the purpose, set an agenda and be respectful of each other’s time. You should also partake in more casual activities through video to help build and foster new relationships and strengthen existing ones. Get creative and have fun with it! A few examples include:
- Morning coffee
- Lunch meetings
- Happy Hours
- Workshops
- Team huddles
- Customer deep dives
2. Create Valuable Content.
Content is king and now is the best time to share it with your audience. Whether you’ve already put a lot of effort into your content or barely scratched the surface, take the opportunity to create meaningful and engaging content that will showcase your credibility, outline the value of your business and help your customers. Ask your customers what kind of content they would be interested in. Even better, ask them to contribute to your content if applicable.
Nothing speaks to greater volumes than those who can vouch for the product or service you’re providing. As we all sit behind our screens and scroll through the web, the majority of people are dedicating more time to consuming content and seeing what others are up to. After all, you can only watch Netflix for so long before going crazy!
Create a strategy that aligns with your current goals and what you would like to achieve through your content. With the onslaught of new content that will is popping up every day, make sure you take the time and effort to differentiate yourself andand add real value. See what topics are trending and what others are commenting on. Give your target audience a reason to reach out to you.
3. Host virtual events.
There are so many types of events you can run virtually that give you the opportunity to reach a larger audience and make an impact with both your team and your customers. Here are few to consider:
- Group Fitness Classes: Bring in a group physical instructor to teach an online class where no equipment is needed! Bonding with your team through physical activity will help everyone both physically and mentally. There are a variety of online instructors offering classes for free or at a discounted rate.
- Lunch and Learn: At some point in the day everyone needs to take a break and eat lunch. Why not learn/teach something during that downtime? Choose an engaging topic for your customers, employees, and peers to learn about and discuss. Facilitate a group discussion and use the key talking points to create more content. Encourage all attendees to ask questions and get involved in the conversation
- Webinars: Host webinars on various topics based on the feedback you receive from your target audience. Bring in a surprise guest or subject matter expert to up the ante. Create a solid plan beforehand to ensure quality content that will keep your audience coming back. You can use this to not only keep your current customers happy but generate leads and establish new relationships.
A few final tips and tricks to leave you with:
- How to onboard remote team members.
- How to change your background on Zoom.
- Establishing remote meeting guidelines.
- How to get people to actually participate in virtual meetings.
- Adjusting Zoom settings to touch up your appearance.
- Minding your “work from home” manners.
- Learn how your personality is affected by the coronavirus.
