Janusz Moneta is Google's Senior Director of Strategy & Operations and Ads Marketing in Europe. In this article, he shares resources and tools to help guide businesses through this period of uncertainty.
The spread of coronavirus has meant that many companies are managing their business, their customers, and their employees in different ways in response to the global crisis. Here are some useful tools and resources to help you navigate this period of uncertainty.
1. Learn to work remotely
Working from home means you’ll need access to useful information and contacts even if you are not physically in the office. First, make sure you have all essential documents saved in the cloud or downloaded to your computer to be able to access them offline. Check that you have stored the contacts of employees, suppliers, and customers online so that they are accessible from any device.
Use email, instant messaging, and project management tools to maintain a direct relationship with your team. A shared calendar can also be useful to help you prepare for the day’s activities, mark deadlines, and organise meetings.
Collaborate with your colleagues by using shared documents and through video conferencing, and check out some helpful tips for conducting successful video calls from home. Working remotely can be challenging, so read our tips for staying connected, collaborative, and productive while working from home.
2. Communicate with your customers
If your business is temporarily closed due to COVID-19 or your business hours have changed, edit your Business Profile on Google so that customers are aware. You can use the Posts function to communicate special offers, inventory updates, and delivery services.
You can also set up an automated email response to help your customers quickly get information and answers to frequently asked questions. Consider enhancing your customer support through the use of chats and bots, anticipating these FAQs.
3. Review your online advertising in response to a global crisis
In an environment of crisis or uncertainty, your audience may have different responses towards advertising messages. For this reason, review your media plans with the new context, and reevaluate viewpoints of campaigns that were previously approved. You should ask yourself: does it still make sense to communicate this message in this specific moment and context?
As for Google Ads, you can modify the ads according to your needs to let customers know if your business is open and if you offer useful services. You can also adjust the criteria of the campaigns to show the ads more or less frequently, according to where, how, and when users search.
4. Online tools to help you adjust your marketing strategy
During these uncertain times, using insights and data to adjust your marketing strategy in response to a global crisis can make all the difference to your customers. Here is a collection of resources that you can put into practice today.
- Use Google Trends to understand how users are searching and discover insights into how you can meet their needs.
- Access these free training courses to enhance your digital skills and learn how to take advantage of new promotional channels.
- Download our guide for hosting virtual events on YouTube complete with links to resources and video tutorials.
- If you haven’t already, sign up for the Think with Google newsletter to stay updated on trends, insights, and strategies in this changing market situation.
While we don't have all the answers in such a complicated time, I hope that these tools can provide some help for your business. You can also find these resources on the Google for Small Business page, which will be regularly updated with new tools and guidance.
