Nowadays, everyone is talking about digital marketing. After Covid-19 struck the world with uncertainty and anxiety, many people seek for changing, including their business how to survive in this crisis. Indeed, we read and hear that some or many businesses collapsed during the pandemic, especially small businesses. The only way to get through the coronavirus year is to digitalize your business. And in this article, I am talking about small businesses.
Whether you like it or not, your business strategies must change and adapt. In order to adapt, you are dealing with "maybe" a new knowledge at least for some of you, it is called digital marketing. I know there are many questions, "what is digital marketing?", " what the strategies?", "How it works?", "Are you sure it will working?" and other questions. There are 4 steps to digitalize your business.
1. Identify market
Whatever your business before when Covid-19 become crisis suddenly the market slowdown. Am I, right? Why? First, now gathering is prohibited; second, customers can not go shopping freely; third, businesses must close due to the situation for example lockdown or semi-lockdown.
Identifying the market is the first thing we have to do before making a decision for the next marketing strategies: what people seek, what people want, what people need, what is changing in the market. By analyzing all of these things will give you some sort of view of what you move next. Do not lay back and wait for luck that the Covid-19 will be gone by the time and you can open your business again. Instead of complaining and sit back, you can make a move and change the business strategies.
A simply put I give an example, before this unprecedented crisis you sell books, then business run slow and nearly goes bankrupt. If you could identify what is going on in the market, the first thing you know is that people are looking for a face mask. It is your chance to grab the opportunity by selling masks.
2. Learning
What does it mean? It means we have to learn whether to learn new things or expanding skills. You have to remember that learning is something we must-do if you want to survive. Otherwise, the world will leave you behind. I am seriously talking about this. I can see people who I know that many of them stubborn, they do not have the spirit to challenge their limit or even just look for a few seconds to learn.
For example, now you want to sell masks but you can not sew. What would you do? Yes, learning how to sew is the correct answer. Or might be you see the door to sell foods or snacks, you are not able to learn before the Covid-19 crisis because busy with works or something else but now have time to upskilling that talent. What I am trying to say is that choosing the right courses or self-thought you are interested in will give you a chance to survive. At least, you still get some money to provide food at home. Do not feel hopeless until trying hard and learn.
3. Finding Tools
"Tools" means anything that you can use to sell your products. You can use social media, or applications such as Whatsapp. How it works? Look at people around you, it could be your family, friends, family friends, colleague, your community; what kind of tool they use in everyday life, is that Instagram, Facebook, or WhatsApp? By analyzing this short view we can see the quick result. Put your works on it, I can say free advertising. Let them see what you are capable of by showing the products. That's how you engage with potential customers. You can give them sample products and see how they react.
Let's say you are making snacks. By using the tool, WhatsApp for example, we do not need to meet customers. They can leave messages by WhatsApp to order. And take a picture of your works then post them on Instagram. It sounds simple, right? It is an easy way how to transform the business to digital. You need to find the right tools and applying them. Because what I have believed is that technology is a survival skill.
4. Services
At this point, services are one thing that we have to do. There is communication between us and customers and also deliver the products.
Even if we are a small business, do not forget that our customers are important. Gaining their trust will lead you to get loyal customers. If you can build this connection, they will become your brand ambassador. Have you have ever heard about a mouth to mouth marketing, right? This is what happens when customers are satisfied and happy with your brand. They will talk to their friends, family about how good the products. Build two ways of communication between you and consumers; asking them, "are they satisfied with the product?" With this communication, you will know what consumers expect about the brand. Do not be agitated when they criticize your products. Put your effort to make better products and surpass them. Or when consumers ask something we have to respond as quickly as possible. Do not let them wait for too long. How does it work? You can create a business e-mail, quick chat by WhatsApp.
The second service is how to deliver products including packaging. For example, I am selling fried noodles now. Due to the Coronavirus situation, it is impossible to open a stall maybe because of the rent that we could not pay. So, I cook my fried noodles at home, customers order by WhatsApp before the shop opens online. After opening, we are ready to cook then direct delivery to the customer's home or they could take their own order. If there is a possibility to join Grab Food then you can try it. The question is that our product packaging good enough; "is it proper material to wrap fried-noodle?", "is it easy for customers to carry?" Besides thinking about communication and delivery you need concern about packaging too.
There are 4 steps to digitalize your business in an easy way. Why I am writing this topic? Because there are or some small businesses owner who does not know how to transform their businesses amid pandemic. Are you kidding me? No, I am not. It is a reality that we have to face that not everyone has a source to learn, some people live in the city or big modern country, some others stay on the island or remote village, or some other being stubborn and doesn't want to change at all because of afraid with uncertain life ahead. So, this is why I write an easy way to apply digital marketing strategies.
To sum up, in order to transform a business into digital there are 4 steps; identify the market, learning something new or advanced skills, finding the right tools, and good services in communication, and deliver a product to gain customer trust and loyalty.
Note:
- Written by Acik Mardhiyanti
- Do not copy this article without permission
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