How well is your business and brand coping in these uncertain times?

In a time where your digital presence is much needed and appropriate, we are here to support you and offer our expertise to give you the exposure and engagement your brand deserves.

Empower your digital strategy to weather the storm and offer optimism to your clients. We understand that people and businesses are facing an unprecedented time, as the impacts of Covid-19 unfold, businesses need to effectively sustain responses to deal with the challenges it bring on clients and market confidence.

Digital marketing, unlike physical marketing, doesn’t have to take a step back to wait for the storm to pass. In reality, it is the only form of marketing, especially SEO, that can benefit as an investment. After all, it was designed primarily to withstand social isolation and non-contact behaviour.

we are hoping that our expertise and advise below will help your business regain momentum during this global coronavirus crisis.

It’s not just about today

We believe that an effective and clear strategy with the correct financial planning for small businesses and enterprises will help to withstand adversity. Whether it is a natural disaster, human conflict, or a pandemic, we have survived it all and have emerged stronger. In the current social climate, a digital strategy connects you with your customers through the ups and downs. It helps you to keep engaging with your customer and not simply disappear into the problem. These strategies can keep reinventing themselves to overcome obstacles as the crisis develops.

Now is the time to implement these strategies to grow your business, to become more accessible to your customers, and lead the way, so you will be ahead of the game when normality resumes. When the US and the UK went into recession in 2007, one of the first industries to be hit was service marketing, with over 30% cuts on marketing and administration. However, it was clear that companies that invested in influential communication and long term digital strategy benefitted as the market recovered.

You have to remember that Covid-19 will eventually disappear from our lives with the help of science and our brave medical heroes. Therefore, your digital strategy should always include continuous SEO and at least one other form of marketing channel. You should look to reinforce your overall digital strategy. In short – what you do to strengthen your digital presence now will have a lasting impression and will carry itself well into the future.

Unavoidable digital transformation

If Covid-19 is teaching us anything about the future, it is that your digital presence is a necessity. From purchasing groceries to connecting with our loved ones, the internet is unwavering in a time like this. It is why businesses need to offer their consumers a digital platform to purchase or see their services. Your digital presence needs to be much more robust than ever. With physical movement limited, people in isolation turn to websites and social media to look for products and services. It is important that the digital marketing strategy you adopt now has to be not only a professional one but also an effective one. It will make it easier for your customers to find you and continue to use your services while reassuring them that your company is flexible enough to adapt to changing times. One of the long-term effects of this crisis will be digital reliance. Businesses and consumers will have more faith in digitally available solutions.

SEO can’t be rushed

Empower your business with a strong organic presence, ensuring consumers find you first among the competition. At Serendipity, we use technical and creative expertise in harmony to deliver real business results.

SEO takes time, like all good things. But, you have the time now. While your competitors have suspended or limited operations, you have the opportunity available to enhance your brand’s digital image. Get fully engaged. Find new ways to serve your customer base. The UK’s response to the virus is a practical and well-advised one. China and South Korea did manage to get the virus under control in a matter of two months. We, too, will have things back to normal in a few months. And those few months are crucial.

If you let this time slip away without putting your maximum effort to establish yourself as a leader in your field, you will not be able to bounce back as you imagine. Do not close down your digital marketing due to fear of the future. Instead, reimagine your future with new tactics and better SEO ranking. It should be part of your brand’s long-term strategy that helps not just to recover from Covid-19 related setbacks but to get back on track in the most successful way.

Look for a stable relationship with digital marketing

Consistency and innovation will determine the success of your campaigns. A digital marketing strategy cannot yield its full potential in the short term. It needs to be consistently driven forward for months to reach peak benefits. If you already have SEO campaigns ongoing, do not put a stop to it. It is important that you do not get complacent on your ongoing SEO. If stability is not maintained, especially during unstable times, you will risk losing your ranking to competitors who carried out their regular SEO. It only takes six months for your keywords to disappear off the first batch of search results. However, by continuing to work on your SEO, not only will you retain your ranking, but it will also improve over time, giving your business a significant boost. When disruption subsides, you will find yourself well ahead of your competitors, thanks to an uninterrupted digital marketing campaign.

Your most-valued asset

It is your customers and your market positioning. They need more visibility from you now and services that show you care during tough times. Re-asses your marketing budget and find new services you can offer and ways to reach them. Small and medium businesses need to make their digital strategy a customer-friendly one, to reassure and reaffirm commitment to customer needs. We review our clients’ digital presence to help them make the best choices in all circumstances, regardless of the market condition.

Staying connected with your customers is the key to winning them over. Regular emails and social media communication create trust and credibility. Update your availability, especially now that many businesses remain closed. Make sure they see your opening and closing times, especially if you have changed those from regular hours.

Improve your website with the latest information about your business, services, products, and news that can be useful to your consumers. New content proves you are running your business without intervals of disruption. You can even include teleconferencing as options for those who wish to have a more personal connection. A texting service and a hotline for customers to always reach you on, are extra efforts to engage and create credibility. The bottom line – keep your customers happy and let them know you are there for them, even in the most difficult of times.

What you can do to ease uncertainty

Safeguard your employees

Covid-19 is a health crisis. So, safety first, always. You need to look out for the physical and emotional wellbeing of your employees. Trying times like these, affect all of us in more than one way. They might feel insecure about their jobs, their duties, and their health. Make sure to address all of these issues.

Your Covid-19 response strategy should fully adhere to health guidelines set in place by the UK government, the NHS, and the WHO.

Seek support – it’s there for you

The UK government declared financial support for businesses during Covid-19. The support measures include:

A business interruption loan scheme with 80% government guaranteed financial help is now available. The government will pay the first 12 months of interest payment and lender-levied fees. Smaller businesses will benefit from this scheme, and they will be exempt from an access fee. The government has also waived off personal guarantees for loans under £250,000. All UK businesses are eligible to apply. Financing is offered through commercial lenders and facilitated by the British Business Bank. Please find more information here:

https://www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-interruption-loan-scheme/

https://www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-job-retention-scheme/

Choose your priorities

‘Essential’ is a keyword in the fight against Covid-19. Eliminate all unnecessary costs from your business budget. Paying your employee wages must be top on your list of financial priorities. It is also crucial that you maintain your stocks, pay your bills, and secure material and raw ingredients for production. If you are a supplier of essential items to the market, you might need to increase production. Make sure you have a reserve of capital to boost production as demand rises. Avoid hosting or attending conferences or trade fairs. Reschedule all functions and gatherings. Resort to teleconferencing instead of holding meetings. If you were in the process of moving offices, delay it. Remember, you don’t have to hold back on extra activities forever, this is only a short-term remedy to be prepared, and financially savvy for the time being.

Do not be guided by misinformation

Misinformation about Covid-19 spreads fast. Stay informed through reliable news sources. Do not be alarmed by staggering data in the news. A pandemic has different phases, and it goes through a peak stage that can feel alarming. Be aware that it is the nature of a pandemic and refrain from making panic decisions. Listen to experts in the field and follow their advice. Do not believe everything you see and hear on social media. Subscribe to NHS, BBC, and UK government updates on social media. Share only verified information with your employees and customers.

We are in this together

The fight against Covid-19 is not just the medical community’s job or the government’s responsibility. It is all our duty to the greater society to be responsible citizens. Every business can do their part to help, in the form of free services, social action, and initiatives. The most vulnerable in society need our care and consideration. We can reward our NHS heroes who work day and night, with special treatment and appreciation. Local businesses can work together with industries and charities to provide services to people in isolation. Acknowledge local heroes on your social media and connect your customers with other local businesses who provide services during this time.

What Serendipity is doing to make your life easier during Covid-19

Serendipity is open for business and we are serving our clients to make sure that we all come out of this stronger. Our team members are working from home. We have remote working facilities so the team can communicate with each other and work closely on projects without interruption. There has never been a more critical time for businesses to step up their digital marketing game, and we recognise that urgency. Our writers, business analysts, and SEO specialists have created dedicated Covid-19 response strategies for businesses across most industries. As the situation unfolds, we are making the necessary changes to these, so our clients stay on the right path as we progress to normality.

Our working hours have not changed. Our customer service agents can receive all your calls and respond to all your queries without delay, regardless of your time zone. Our website development specialists and content managers are working round the clock to make your business is time-relevant and to offer advice on any concerns or issues you may have. Our staff are encouraged to follow the recommended guidelines to stay safe and protected during this time.

Over the last 10 years, we have been working with small and medium businesses in the UK and abroad to successfully carve-out their digital space, enhance their online presence, and improve sales. We are happy to make available an exclusive offer for all small businesses, a free digital audit worth £399.

Turn this time of adversity into something positive. Act today to be prepared when the markets regain confidence. Deploy time-sensitive digital marketing techniques that benefit you and your audience. Do not let this time slip by without proactive measures.

If you have any questions regarding your Covid-19 response and how we can help you launch it, get in touch with us today. We wish you all the best. Stay safe and keep smiling.