In today’s Tech News Tuesday episode, we’re going to share some tips from Search Engine Land on how local businesses should be communicating with customers during this COVID-19 crisis.
Links in this episode: How local businesses should be communicating with customers during COVID-19
Transcript
Welcome to the Get Digital Marketing Results podcast where we give you information and actionable tips to grow your organization.
Bob: Hi, I’m Bob Clark.
Donna: And I’m Donna Botti. We’re with Delos Inc and we make the web work for you. In today’s Tech News Tuesday episode, we’re going to share some tips from Search Engine Land on how local businesses should be communicating with customers during this COVID-19 crisis.
Bob: Yes Donna, who would have known we’d be talking about social distancing and toilet paper shortages a couple of months ago. And as local businesses, we’ve all had to change our communication strategy during this pandemic. There are a couple of things you should know about and take advantage of.
Donna: That’s right, and the first one is about Google My Business. This has always been one of the best resources for local business, and Google has created a special post category for your profile called a coronavirus update. You should use this status to indicate your special hours of operation, that you’re working remotely, or whatever other temporary information you should be conveying to people about your operating status.
Bob: With Google My Business, you should also be aware that Google has temporarily turned off the ability to review local businesses and respond to reviews. So if getting reviews is part of your strategy, you’re going to have to adjust that during this time.
Donna: They also recommend updating your website to inform your customers of your status and other information. And this should be front-and-center on your Homepage. Inform visitors of your business status, if there are delays, what are your pick-up or delivery options, so that your customers can proceed with appropriate expectations.
Bob: It’s so important to keep communicating. People are spending record amounts of time online and are looking for things to do. Make sure that you’re talking in a human fashion, and try to communicate about interesting, valuable, and sometimes humorous tips to help your audience get through this time.
Donna: So true, and you should think of social media as a conversation. You don’t have to be on all the social media channels, though. It’s best to focus on those your ideal client uses most.
And don’t forget about your email list. Email is your owned traffic on the web, and still is the preferred way people like to hear from businesses.
Bob: That’s it for today’s episode. You can find the link to the Search Engine Land article and a transcript of today’s podcast at DelosInc.com/129. Don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss out on our actionable digital marketing tips to grow your organization.
