Ancient Mayans predicted the end of the world in 2012, but we came out unfazed. It was only in 2020 that the world was almost brought to its knees from a global pandemic. Within eight months, COVID-19 spread worldwide and claimed more than one million lives. As the world prepares for a second wave of the pandemic, many states implement lockdowns and curfews to curtail the spread. This only allows individual businesses, classified as essential services, to operate as long as they follow all the safety norms and implement social distancing.
One of the unprecedented challenges that most businesses face is communicating or being in contact with their customers and prospects. In this time of uncertainty, people are left in the dark and looking for answers. Timely communication can work wonders in clearing the confusion as well as keeping them informed.
In this article, we look into different ways to keep your customers informed during COVID-19.
What to communicate?
Before learning the different ways to communicate information to your customers, it is crucial to understand the various information that can significantly help customers.
As the winter season approaches, people are looking to repair the roofs’ defects or replace them entirely. With the on-going pandemic, they may be worried about not getting the appointment or operating times. Similarly, they may be concerned about maintaining social distancing and avoiding the risk of contagion.
While communicating with customers, practice empathy and assure them that you are there for them and value their safety. Provide the information in a detailed and easy-to-process format. The information you provide needs to be actionable or straightforward usable (such as phone numbers, operation hours, etc.)
Some of the common information to pass out to your customers are:
- Contact Information (phone number, email address)
- Operation hours
- Serviceable areas
- Updated company policies
- New ways to get appointments
- Steps you are taking
- Innovation implemented for social distancing
Take care to avoid the following communication faux-pas as it can sound demeaning or rub the customer the wrong way.
- No promotional messages
- Use humor very carefully
- Using statistics or generalizing information
- Sounding extra hopeful
- Not sounding local
- Assuring that everything is normal
- Uncompassionate messages
Recommended: What is Local SEO for Roofing Companies and Why Do I Need a Pro?
Different Ways to communicate with your customers
Company Website
When searching for information, a website is the first place someone visits. Place prominent banners or pop-up slides that provide all the required details on the changes implemented by your business during COVID-19. Instead of having the banner only on the homepage or the service page, it is advisable to have them displayed on every page on your website.
Email is the most customer-friendly communication tool that ensures the message reaches the customer’s inbox. With a friendly subject line paired with relevant information in the email body, you can rest assured that your customer shall surely open and read the email. The only concern would be that unless your subject line stands out, your email may drown in the excessive emails your customer receives daily.
Search Engine Post
To excel in the local SEO, every business should create a Google my Business profile or Bing places for a Business profile. Additionally, these profiles can also be used to provide valuable information such as phone numbers, operational hours, and post updates. Moreover, since your profile is only visible on a location-specific search, you will be targeting a better audience that is more relevant.
Social Media post
Social media marketing is another prime choice for communicating critical updates regarding your business. With being quarantined, people are spending more time online and hence, more prone to seeing your social media updates. Social media is where people’s emotions are easily manipulated, so the trick is communicating the information correctly and being authentic. Moreover, with social media, you can also post videos and animations that can explain the situation better.
Blog Entries
Content is the most shared form of marketing, and creating blogs highlighting the steps you are taking to be prepared for working during the pandemic is a great way to build trust.
Wrapping Up
People continue to find ways to adjust to our new reality. We hope the above article helps keep your customers informed during COVID-19. When things return back to normalcy, your customers will remember your roofing business for the timely message and start building trust.