No one could have predicted the way the year would unfold. COVD-19 has disrupted almost every industry and brought a temporary end to a way of life we’re accustomed to. What’s more, protests have sparked across the world in reaction to the death of George Floyd. Uncertainty abounds, and yet in business, staying agile has always been the surest way to thrive.
With that in mind, we have four takeaways to help you navigate 2020.
Acknowledge the cultural climate
It doesn’t do any good to bury your head in the sand. Instead, savvy brands are adapting their message to meet the times.
Start cultivating your social presence more with the intent to show people you’re in solidarity with them. Search for hashtags that are trending and position your content around these marquee events. Lift the lid on the way you’re working, or getting involved in your community.
Ignoring big cultural events will appear tone-deaf.
Are you tailoring the message to your audience?
While the world is smaller than ever, no one market is the same. For this reason, it’s crucial you understand where your audience is primarily based.
Install a tool like Google Analytics on your website to get started. Google’s comprehensive toolset will tell you the demographics and locations you’re popular in.
From here, you can double down on what you’re doing well, or go after new customers.
A great tool for the latter? Facebook.
The social media giant has reams of data on its users and offers a powerful advertising suite that will get impressions – and potentially clicks – from desirable people, provided you segment your audience in detailed fashion, and have a message that people want to hear.
Only wish to appeal to 50-somethings living in a specific part of Manhattan? Facebook will let you do that.
Consider SEO
COVID-19 has sharply emphasized the importance of having a digital strategy.
While we might not be meeting up face to face as much, billions of Google searches are still being made every day.
So that begs the question: is your brand keeping Search Engine Optimization (SEO) top of mind?
SEO broadly falls into two buckets.
One is on-site optimization. Here, consider whether:
Your site is built for mobile.
Images and text on your site load quickly (this is especially true of anything above-the-fold; i.e., the first things you see before scrolling).
The other pillar of SEO is content. Are you:
Making use of a blog, and seeding out your content to third-party sites?
Creating podcasts, or videos, to attract readers to your site?
Creating partnerships with content partners to spread the word about your business?
These are all viable ways of getting more traction on search engines.
Get agile
If there was ever a time to embrace smarter ways of working, it’s now.
Have you considered using portals like Upwork to find freelancers? Freelancers once had a bad reputation, but many best-in-class specialists now work solo. And since these people invoice on a project by project basis, you’re able to balance the books more effectively, free from the stress of a monthly payroll (which won’t go away, whether you’re bringing in clients or not).
There are other things to consider too. Do you need the shiny office that’s a burden on your bottom line every month? Remote working cuts the fat from the day, and if you want to impress a client face-to-face, you can always hire a remote working space for the day. These “floating” offices are often beautifully appointed, and better-equipped than any ordinary office.
2020 has been an unprecedented year, but the moves you make now will stand you in good stead going forward. See the tumult as an opportunity: an opportunity to revitalize your digital strategy, cut the fat from your business, and make a name for yourself on social.