Crises can happen at any time. 2020 is living proof of it. The pandemic has caused a great deal of uncertainty for the economy and small businesses.
One in four small businesses has shut down temporarily. Jobless claims have now reached over 30 million and that figure is expected to keep climbing.
Despite what’s going on, companies still have deadlines to meet, people to support, and relationships to maintain.
Here are five strategies you can use to generate business during a crisis.
1. Get on the phone and build your network
One of the most simple and straightforward (yet overlooked) ways to generate more business during a crisis is to simply get on the phone with people.
If you aren’t sure how, begin by interacting on platforms like LinkedIn. Build connections and create small networks in your niche.
Using outreach tools or LinkedIn tools, perform manual, personalized outreach. One of my favorite methods is building a small recipricol network.
For example, every Friday I meet with 10-15 marketers to discuss our businesses, growth, and most importantly: how we can help each other!
All I did to connect with them was:
- Reach out via LinkedIn to gauge interest
- Connect in Slack marketing groups
- Invite any existing partners or friends in my niche
When you hop on the phone or a Zoom call, ask them how are they holding up in the time of crisis. How is their business? What are their pain points right now?
Most importantly: how can you help them?
Getting on the phone with potential customers or symbiotic business relationships is not only the right thing to do, it’s a big potential to grow your business by better understanding your target market’s struggles.
2. Focus on search engine optimization
Your website is an invaluable marketing tool. It can help you generate new leads for your freelance business.
If your site isn’t optimized for search, you’ll miss out on potential conversion opportunities.
Use SEO software tools to identify keywords you can optimize your site for and get your services in front of more prospects:
But just optimizing your site isn’t enough to rank though. Building link mentions from other sites are perhaps one of the important ranking factors.
Don’t forget about local SEO either. Building local citations on business directories can help your site rank for more keywords.
SEO is a long process that can take weeks or even months to rank. You can either do everything yourself or outsource SEO to another company.
The latter allows you to focus on bringing in clients.
3. Invest in your branding
Branding is a critical factor in how consumers make decisions. Whether you are a direct to consumer brand or are in the B2B space, branding is crucial.
In a times of crisis, your actual clientele might slow down dramatically. People divest from typical spending, and focus more on tightening their scope and improving profit margins.
While this can obviously have negative impacts on your revenue, it also provides ample opportunity to focus your efforts on business development.
More specifically, branding!
There are countless ways to improve your brand image and goals during a period of less business.
One fantastic way to accomplish this is via corporate video production:
According to Biteable, 59% of executives say they would rather watch a video than read text. Want to reach decision makers to increase sales? Utilize video in your branding and marketing strategy.
In addition, consider:
- Overhauling your website or current logos and brand profile
- Sponsor online events and conventions if local events are closed
- Connect with potential charitable organizations
- Invest in the growth of your team
Your Turn
During a time of crisis, business can slow down dramatically.
Instead of hoping and waiting for it to rebound, start becoming more proactive!
Get on the phone with people in your niche and build more connections. Invest in organic traffic and SEO. Focus this extra time on building a powerful, trustworthy brand that can last in the worst of times.