-Written by Ella Pitt
The pace of life we are currently struggling to get accustomed to is completely unchartered territory. It is natural then, to fear the ramifications of the disappearance of ‘business as usual’. That being said, a change in focus isn’t the same as the total loss of focus. These unrecognisable times have created a chance to consider what tasks we may have been neglecting but now have an unusual opportunity to prioritise.
It’s a message that often gets drowned out by the pursuit of instant results but business health is multi-faceted. Reflection is often overshadowed by the need to instantly move onto the next project but now is a good time to look back over the past year or two and evaluate what worked well and what didn’t. It may be some time before you are able to implement a new business strategy but this gives you more of a chance to prepare, research, analyse and discuss. Maybe key decisions are usually implemented by one person but now changing work responsibilities could open up communication and collaboration, consider scheduling in team-wide meetings on future planning.
Social media and content production is often thought of as a supplement and, in smaller teams without a designated social media officer, this can fall short to the bottom of the priority pile. It’s not necessary to produce and disseminate all your best content in one go. You might consider seeking help to create a social media and content plan for the next three, six, nine or twelve months. When business gets busy again, this forward planning will provide the security of knowing that basic preparation has been taken care of and that your schedule can be enhanced with topical content as you go along.
Arguably, the most important element for any business is the customer and client base. You can use this time to show gratitude by consolidating your knowledge of your customers and clients. A lot may have changed since you last had the chance to do this, get back in the loop by researching what your customers and clients want and need, what their concerns are, what your business can do for them. Chances are, the companies that speak like this in the current climate will be the same companies that are remembered when life returns to normal. This can be a fun exercise too; you don’t necessarily have to stick to what you’ve always done. Putting out blog posts and articles that aren’t strictly product focused but take more of a conversational tone, might be exactly what your customers enjoy most at the moment.
Ella
Photo by Emma Matthews