The importance of communicating online in these corona times

People are less accessible than before. Offices are closed, not to mention many stores as well. The corona crisis is already having a great impact on business. Now we say as online marketers: communicate online, right now!

Making the most of your social media and website is more important than ever. The online reach of many is on the rise as everyone works from home. So what you post and write on your website or social media is being seen right now. TMC helps you and/or your team with these tips, so you can pick up the 'new normal'.

Let the customer know you can be reached

The corona crisis and all the accompanying measures did not escape anyone's attention. You also heard more and more that stores were closing as a precaution. Fortunately, now more and more stores are reopening.

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Being available or open to customers from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in this day and age is not a given. When things really get tough, you also don't have the resources or staff to answer all questions as quickly as usual. Don't leave it at that! Make sure customers know that you are reachable and also how you can be reached. For example, is the company physically closed? Then communicate to customers that you can be reached online and/or by phone. For example, place a post on social media and a news release on the website so that customers are aware.

Measures? Tell me more!

Is your business still running? (Potential) customers only like this! But that does not mean that they are not concerned about themselves and also about society. This is precisely why now is a good time to communicate. If necessary, include the customers in how you are taking this crisis as seriously as possible. Communicate to them what measures you are taking. For example, let them know that your staff is working from home. And if there are people in the office, indicate that it is a maximum of 2 or 3 people. You can also indicate that cleaning takes place every day and that disinfectant hand gel is available upon entry to disinfect your hands. This reassures your customers, but it also shows that you are a safe and reliable company.

Adjusting expectations

Unfortunately for every company, there are consequences due to the corona crisis. For some a little bigger than others. We still cannot look into the future, but we can see the effects for the coming weeks. All the measures and less accessibility inevitably have a consequence that the service you offer or can offer is unfortunately going to change. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean that the service will be reduced, but it will be different. Customers want to know how the service is changing and what that will be like in the future. So communicate this through your social media and your website as well. This transparency creates trust with (potential) customers. Of course, it can also have a huge positive effect on your service. Perhaps your products or services are in high demand. For example, do you have a webshop in mouth caps? If so, chances are very good that you are now seeing a huge spike in sales. In short, it's important to communicate with your customers. For example, let them know that the delivery time will take a little longer than what they are used to from you.

Keep your followers informed via social media

In times of crisis, it is very important to keep your followers informed on your social media. Keep it personal, show them how you or another employee is working from home, show a video of how you are consulting as a team right now or hold a fun giveaway. This puts a personal spin on your business and most customers will really like this. This also allows you to inspire other teams and companies with how you as a team handle this. And if you dare... Try something new! For example, go live on LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook to share your knowledge or just have a nice chat with your followers.

Keep an eye on your campaigns

Even though communicating is very important in this day and age. There are also some things you might be better off not posting yet. If you still have a campaign ready to go where people are partying at a festival, it might be better to save it for next year or keep it in your own collection, since all summer events are cancelled this year... Therefore, take a look at what kind of posts you may already have scheduled for social media and what campaigns you have running through Google Ads and social media advertising. Of course, you can also choose to stop advertising, but then chances are you won't be able to reach the customer anymore.

TMC Media thinks communication is very important. We understand that it is more important than ever for clients to respond flexibly and creatively to the rapidly changing reality and the corresponding ways to reach its target group. In any case, don't put your online communication on hold, stay active online and communicate. This is more important now than ever!

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