Well, here we are in 2020 and most people’s jobs have changed this year. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how many businesses operate. Some employers are shifting workers' job duties to adjust to a new normal. Most workers have little recourse if their job duties or hours have changed because of the pandemic, even if they're unhappy with their new job assignments.
Changing job roles Employers can fire an employee at any time for any reason. They can reduce hours and change pay. On the flip side, workers can leave a job at any time, usually without having to give notice. What employers must remember is that any change to a worker's job duties must be "reasonable." You cannot expect an employee to take on responsibilities for which they have no training or understanding of that job. Especially if the job is in a position higher than what they have now, and the employer is not offering a higher wage. But even if the employer is challenged legally, given COCID-19, it's likely that employers changing employee job descriptions to fit the new normal would prevail (unless there's discrimination based on race, gender, age, or another protected group.) The Americans with Disabilities Act also requires companies to make reasonable accommodations for workers if they have a medical condition or disability that affects their ability to perform certain job functions. Changing Descriptions Common sense assigns the writing of job descriptions to human resources but be realistic in realizing that HR should not be the only piece of this duty. It takes a team including owners and managers to understand the essential functions of each position. In reality, it depends on your company’s resources and subject matter experts. Sometimes it is prudent to bring in an outside party to assist as many times the owner is the sole responsible person and is too close to the business to truly see each jobs’ exact requirements. Many times, the owner feels if they are a “jack of all trades” than their employees are too. Keep in mind that employees fulfilling each position should compare the job description with their daily activities when preparing for their periodic review and to ensure that both they and the employer and correct in what the job requires. And managers should evaluate the description accuracy as part of the performance management process.
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Businesses of all sizes have been drastically affected by the coronavirus outbreak. As things have unfolded over the last few months, it is an interesting time to be in marketing and communications.
One thing that is abundantly clear is that many businesses have experienced a situation unlike any before. The pandemic is a perfect example of a case for a communications plan. Having an emergency communication plan is essential for your business. You need to know what to say and when to say it. When you are faced with a crisis, you don’t want to be in a state of confusion scrambling around for the right things to say, regardless if it is an outbreak like coronavirus, a social issue, or an emergency within your staff or family. Your messages should be kept simple and updated regularly. The Communications Team It doesn’t matter the size of your company or whether you have a marketing team - you need to know who is responsible for communications. Ideally, this would include the CEO/owner, leadership team and a communications person. It is important to have all these members on the same page, but you’ll need only one person to craft the message and one person to proof and approve the message. This will help to ensure that one person is saying what they want to say and not representing the whole company. You may think a small business with one owner only requires that one person to be the point, however, if the emergency is impacting the owner, someone needs to communicate that. Also, allocate a responsible person to maintain phone numbers and emails for staff that is regularly updated. If your plan needs to be activated, you must be able to reach your employees in the easiest way possible. You will also need a media plan if the need arises to contact the press. Issues of Response It is important to know what issues will need a reaction from you, and whether these situations need responses internally, with customers, with the public, or all. Truthfully, there are small and large crises all the time, and you can’t really respond to every single one. Do you respond to national situations or a local tragedy? Do you respond to political situations? Something to think about is how responding (or not responding) to a situation aligns with your core values and how it looks socially. It’s also important to consider your customers and their concerns about the situation. Does the situation impact your customers’ ability to do business with you? Does responding to the situation reassure your customers or only cause them more worry? The messages and the delivery Regardless if it is just the owner or a team, it is good to always have an extra set of eyes on the message. So, if you are the business owner, you might be the one to draft your company memo but have your office administrator proof the message. If you are a marketing manager, you might write the message and have the business owner approve it. Some details to think about:
Determine What to Include in the Message When writing a message to staff, it is important to be positive in stressful times. Everyone reacts differently to situations. In the situation of coronavirus, some people may just want to keep working while others may be experiencing great anxiety. It is important leaders remain calm and be encouraging. For addressing staff in any situation, some things to highlight are: It’s too soon to see what the full economic impact of COVID-19 will be, which effects will be temporary, and which will be permanent. Businesses could bounce back almost immediately or struggle for years to come.
One thing is certain: Life will not be going back to normal, so it’s up to all of us to create a new normal. Businesses that embrace new ways of working, invest in the right tools, and find untapped markets are more likely to be part of that future. Starting today, businesses need to temporarily or permanently alter their offerings and the way they do business in response to changing consumer habits. Some business models may no longer be viable. Others could also launch new products or services in response to the pandemic. There is no one-size-fits-all guide for navigating the unknowns. Instead of waiting for others to draw the map, it’s time for leaders to chart their own course. Five companies most likely to thrive Based on what we’ve seen so far, here are the types of companies that are most likely to survive and even thrive in a post-coronavirus business climate. 1. Companies that offer flexible schedules Google and Facebook have canceled most company events and said most employees will work remotely for the rest of 2020. Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter and Square, announced that most employees would permanently have the option to work from home. If your employees need to be present on-site, review your physical space to adhere to safety measures. Rearrange your office layout as needed to maintain physical distancing. If that’s not possible, consider a new working arrangement. Offer flexible work hours and staggered or rotational shifts so fewer people are in the office at one time. Given the uncertainty surrounding the reopening of schools and universities, businesses that show flexibility are eliminating, or at least reducing, a major stressor for working parents. That’s good for business, too. Multiple studies have found that employers that offer scheduling flexibility have lower employee turnover and less absenteeism. It’s a win-win: Employees can work around their family needs, while employers get a dedicated workforce. 2. Companies that expand their online presence At the turn of the century, few businesses had websites. Now, many consumers don’t consider businesses legitimate unless they have an active online presence. Now is also the time to focus on your digital marketing strategy Post frequent communications on your company website and social media channels. Share relevant information and respond to customers’ posts or messages. If you’re not an expert, that’s OK, just be open and honest. 3. Companies that have access to cash Review spending habits to make sure you can continue to pay today’s expenses, but don’t stop investing in tomorrow. It’s important to keep cash on hand in times of great uncertainty. Businesses in a good financial position can continue to pay bills, suppliers, and, most importantly, their employees. Those saddled with debt or without cash reserve or line of credit could have trouble recovering. It’s important to remember that businesses have been hit hard by COVID-19. The struggle affects businesses of all sizes in all industries. As businesses adjust their budgets and projections for the remainder of the year, it’s worth asking yourself some questions: What spending can your business reduce or eliminate without disruption? What changes can you make to improve your business’ finances? What short-term changes can help the business’ long-term success? 4. Companies that seize new opportunities It can feel like your business is in free fall, but you can still maintain control. The most important thing you can do is revisit your business model and reassess your offerings to retain customers. Your customers might continue to need the core products you’ve always offered. They might also need slightly different services. Or there might be new needs that have arisen out of COVID-19. This is your opportunity to serve them. Look back at previous plans and brainstorming exercises. Is there a project that was put on hold? Did you previously create something that is now timely? Better yet, ask your customers. Consider conducting a survey, an interactive webinar, or a series of short interviews. 5. Companies that embrace digital transformation No one would have been able to continue working without embracing the technology that makes remote access possible. Businesses and schools transitioned to working from home almost overnight. For some, the transition went smoothly, while others really struggled. Regardless of what you have done during the past few months, look for ways to improve and invest in technology that enables you to serve customers more efficiently. Assume that remote work will be part of the future and that your business depends on it. Looking ahead to a post-coronavirus climate: These are difficult times, but they are also full of opportunities. Take time to learn from other businesses, review your plans, and seek advice from the experts. Rise to the occasion and you will inspire those around you to do the same.
I have always been a fan of email marketing, and newsletters are still at the top of my offerings to almost all my clients.
E-mail is an action-oriented medium in general. There is the idea that our e-mails are supposed to be, something you have been expecting from someone, something amusing and entertaining, or coupons and specials encouraging you to buy something. But we also expect to do something following consumption of the content, a call to action. What we are forgetting is the newsworthiness of email. I have been teaching my clients for years to educate their consumers and prospects. Give them the information they want to read. Do not bore people with more information on your company or just a plain old ad or coupon. Of course, there’s a limit to how much media people will allow being pushed in their face via email. The wrong content can make an email newsletter into a product that is incredibly annoying. But the right content can make the newsletter into a habit. And nothing excites a business like the chance to create a profitable compulsion. One reason email marketing has value for business owners is that it's an easy way to start reaching consumers without investing a lot in technology or software. Email marketing isn't something marketers do just because they can and it's easy. The tactic is highly effective at helping business owners and consumers stay connected and informed. In fact, consumers often seek out email marketing campaigns from their favorite businesses and local stores. This goes beyond coupons. There is a real value to staying connected to customers and email marketing makes that easy to do. It's also easy to customize and integrate into other marketing tactics. The versatility of email marketing is another reason that marketers keep this tactic in their marketing toolbox. Depending on the depth of the email database and the skill of the crafter, email marketing messages can range from simple to complex. Email marketing can also be utilized with just about any other marketing tactic, which makes email an important part of any integrated marketing campaign. And email marketing is still effective and inexpensive. To sum up, the best reason to use email marketing: It's easy, effective, and inexpensive. Email marketing allows business owners to reach a large number of consumers at a rate of pennies per message. For small-business owners on a budget, this makes it a great choice. You don't have to take my word for it. A joint study from Shop.org and Forrester Research found that 85 percent of U.S. retailers consider email marketing one of the most effective customer acquisition tactics. The point of all this is that email may be an old tactic, but it remains a vital one. It's relatively easy to do a newsletter, so there's no excuse for business owners to not be taking advantage of it. Understandably, business owners may be too busy to handle the email marketing on their own, but this is something with which any marketing professional (wink, wink) can help. No one knows what lasting effect the coronavirus will have on our economy. We have no idea the timeframes or the long-term repercussions on our businesses.
This disruption is testing everyone’s emotional and social operating system and functioning, which is better known as emotional intelligence. As Darwin deduced, those who survive “are not the strongest or the most intelligent, but the most adaptable to change.” It’s the responsibility of leaders to show empathy, optimism, and flexibility that will lead businesses out of this crisis. It may all come down to our ability to be problem-solvers. This crisis will probably not end in the next few weeks, and with so many people experiencing high anxiety, this could be a good time to refresh our emotional Intelligence Skills. Be Empathetic Keep in mind that this event is impacting everyone, not just you and your business. Remind yourself that you have no idea what someone else may be going through. Sensing that everyone is in a similar situation is a remedy for elevated levels of stress and pessimism that may only compound your frustration and ability to Solve Problems.  These are tough times and most, if not all, industries are being impacted in some way. The world is frightened and wary. There are many things that businesses must consider when it comes to the Coronavirus COVID-19 and somewhere near the top should be your marketing and sales efforts. While it’s understandable that this is not your top priority, if you choose this time to lose sight of marketing when the virus is over, it will be that much more difficult to recover. It is important to remember in your marketing and sales process that everyone's first thought right now is about their health and their family. After that comes business. Always be sensitive and empathize with your prospects.
Let’s look at how your business can move forward and possibly grow during the virus. Move everything online The most obvious issue with COVID-19 is that we’re not out shaking hands and meeting people, and this may go on for a substantial amount of time. Because of that, local events are all canceled and conferences all around the world are being canceled. People are beginning to worry about business events all the way into the Fall. Companies that rely on in-person interactions to grow need to focus much more heavily on digital marketing and inbound marketing tactics. That means developing a strategy and executing immediately. There is no time to delay here. Inbound marketing can take some time to start showing big results so the sooner you can start, the better. Consider quick-win opportunities As I mentioned, inbound marketing takes time, but there are some quick wins. Start looking into utilizing pay-per-click advertising through Google as well as social media networks like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Paid advertising can produce some quick results while the other inbound marketing tactics are ramping up. You may also want to consider targeted outreach on LinkedIn, especially if you're in the B2B sector. Do some research on your prospect businesses and then connect with the decision-makers or target persons at those companies. TIP: Don't approach your outreach strictly from a sales standpoint. Be helpful and share content that is important to them. If you educate, you can win. Stay consistent online Consistency is one of the hardest things to keep in times like this, but it's extremely important. Google has made it clear that consistency is a big factor in how they rank. That means that if you've been blogging every Tuesday, it's important to keep blogging every Tuesday. When tough times hit, usually marketing is one of the first things to be evaluated and sales often immediately cut. By cutting your marketing budget, you may save some dollars today, but you'll be sacrificing more dollars later. Consistency is key for ranking and if you give up consistency with inbound marketing, you're going to start losing all you’ve worked for. That can mean your website traffic, your authority, your search engine rankings, even your engagement within social media. This may be your chance to find new and creative ways to reach your target audience. Think outside the box. Take advantage of new opportunities While most people are looking at the Coronavirus as a hardship, for some businesses it can be an opportunity. And regardless of how the opportunity arises, it's your responsibility as a business to capitalize. If your business benefits from everyone being home, or keeps people healthy, or keeps kids entertained while they're out of school, or delivers products to people at home — USE THIS TIME! There is a huge opportunity here and people genuinely need your business. Now is the time to double your marketing and sales initiatives and reach more people. I know this may sound thoughtless or maybe even irrelevant to your business, but I beg you to not make any drastic decisions that will still be affecting you after this virus is over. Keep moving forward and set yourself up now for a great finish to 2020. Managers are often reluctant to delegate as many believe in the adage that “if you want something done right, you must do it yourself.” Although this may be true in some cases, a core component of leadership is getting work done through others.
Why do managers under-delegate? Although the number one reason why most managers under-delegate tasks is the fear of failure due to putting important tasks in someone else’s hands, there are other reasons too. Some feel that proper delegation takes longer than simply doing the task themselves, and others even question their own ability to choose the right person for the task. However, by realizing the benefits of delegation, it is possible to overcome these objections. Four benefits of delegation: 1. It keeps You from multi-tasking/taking on too many projects at once. Today’s managers are driven to succeed, and often take on more projects than they can handle alone. The fear of failure drives them to avoid delegation for fear that someone else will not get the job done correctly. When managers are juggling priorities at the same time, they are more likely to make mistakes. 2. It builds trust, open communication, and engagement among team members Another benefit of delegation has to do with building trust, a feeling of openness, and engagement among team members. Leaders who fail to delegate adequately often have employees who are afraid to take initiative or who feel apprehensive about bringing new ideas to the table. Managers who delegate tasks adequately help to build trust and that trust is driven even further when those managers remain open for communication and listening. 3. It stimulates creativity and develops skills in your team Those who give their team members the freedom to tackle delegated tasks in their own way are empowering their team and giving them a creative license. These employees become driven to succeed, not only for themselves and their own futures but also for the future of their employer. What’s more, this personal initiative can lead to creative breakthroughs, which can benefit everyone involved, and it helps team members build some very specific skills along the way. 4. It creates a positive business culture Perhaps the best reason to delegate tasks to others has to do with the type of business culture a leader hopes to create. Delegation helps to boost team morale, improve efficiency and productivity, and promotes enthusiasm, innovation, and cooperation. Although delegation is vital to the success of any company, it is important for managers to remember that it is not a way to push off unsavory tasks to others. What’s more, leaders should never micro-manage delegated tasks. They should delegate effectively and offer communication and support but allow for autonomy and creativity at the same time. Contests and sweepstakes are great ways of generating interest and expanding your reach to a target audience. If you want to increase site traffic, reward customers, and/or gain some new leads to add to your marketing efforts, then you might want to consider having a contest or sweepstakes giveaway.
Many people use the terms “contests” and “sweepstakes” as if they were the same. Technically, however, sweepstakes are prize giveaways where the winners are chosen by luck. Contests, on the other hand, draw a winner based on some merit. The person must enter something such as the funniest picture with logo, most moving essay, tastiest recipe, or whatever will be chosen as the winner. Sweepstakes or contests can promote your product and company, expand your current customer base, and gather contact information of potential customers for future marketing. The premise is simple - offer a prize that will entice your preferred target audience to give you their contact information and allow you to communicate with them. I say preferred target audience because sweepstakes and contests also attract people that may not be your target. I recently entered a sweepstakes for a $100 gas card. I was willing to give my name and email address for the chance to win. The rules stated, “The sweepstakes is open to residents of the United States and Canada, age 18 and over” and “Only entries received via the official web entry form will be included in the drawings.” This sweepstakes followed good form with the rules easy to find and read. The sweepstakes were clearly aimed to increase new visits to an attraction by people some distance away and encourage them to stay overnight. However, I am not a target customer. I already visit the attraction regularly, and I will not be purchasing overnight accommodations. It was by accident that I found the sweepstakes when searching for something else. But this is still a success because it engaged me and delivered the message about the weekend and overnight accommodations available. Designing your own contest or sweepstake When you choose to conduct a sweepstakes or contest you will have many choices to make and will need to follow some basic rules.
Rules In the United States, every state establishes its own set of rules for contests and sweepstakes. The main law you need to be aware of when you run a contest or sweepstakes in any U.S. state is the “no purchase necessary law.” This law states that you cannot require users to make a purchase or provide other forms of consideration to enter a sweepstakes where winners are randomly drawn. States have their own rules about what sort of contests or sweeps are legal. This is where the “void where prohibited” clause comes in. The statement gives the company blanket protection against running an illegal contest, without having to research the law in each state. Since social media makes it easier to run contests nationwide, and even internationally, make sure that you are stating exactly where the person must live to enter. Additionally, there are Federal Trade Commission rules about collecting information from children. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) limits and restricts information that may be gathered and how it may be used. “If you operate a commercial Web site or an online service directed to children under 13 that collects personal information from children or if you operate a general audience Web site and have actual knowledge that you are collecting personal information from children, you must comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.” So, plan your contests carefully. Check out other contests and their rules, check your state’s rules, and get some professional advice if you have any questions or concerns. |
Boost Your BusinessMaria NovakI have over 35 years' experience in Marketing Small Businesses. Categories
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