In today’s digital age the workplace is constantly evolving to meet the demands of employees, consumers, and most importantly to beat out the competition. These changes can take many forms, yet few have been as noteworthy and alluring as the concept of remote work. As more companies adopt remote work strategies more studies are performed on the numerous benefits of remote work offers both employees and companies themselves. Remote working is not a cure for a business’s internal issues, although it can potentially help to fix some issues like employee satisfaction and productivity. To help your marketing team make the most of remote work policies, we’re sharing three key tips on how to be successful while working remotely.

Treat Yourself To Breaks Throughout Your Day

Breaks are something that should be supported and not shunned or viewed with a negative connotation. It’s true that too many breaks in frequency or length are going to negatively impact work performance. Although, with proper scheduling and accountability, breaks can be a key factor in a productive day. In fact, studies have shown that scheduling breaks throughout the workday can help refresh and refocus your attention.

The term ‘remote work’ is synonymous with the phrase ‘working from home.’ When working from home you may find it to be nearly impossible to maintain complete focus on your work. The difficulty of maintaining attention to your work duties while working from home may encourage you to force yourself to focus and to avoid taking breaks. The reality is that such a practice is very unhealthy since it can increase mental stress and fatigue which can lead to burnout. In the age of remote working, it is time to throw away the stigmas around taking breaks, embrace the truth that breaks are beneficial and go get some fresh air.

Stop Working When Your Day Is Over

In many instances, remote work is accompanied with a flexible work schedule, which can be problematic if not properly managed. In the case of flexible schedules, you need to ensure that the hours you establish to be working hours are strictly adhered to. About 26% of workers, not just remote workers, struggle to ‘turn off the office’ when the day is over and carry their work home with them. Remote workers have an especially difficult time defining the boundaries of their working time and their home time since both locations are one and the same. A contributing factor to the blurred lines of work and home could be the desire to be seen as hard-working, which often means sending out just a few extra emails at the end of the day. A few emails become a few responses and before you know it you’ve spent a significant portion of, what should be your off-time, working. Usually, hard work is measured through results such as how many prospective customers you have contacted. Try to optimize your online content to attract prospects rather than trying to chase them after your work day has already ended. The same way it is unhealthy to force yourself to focus without a break, it’s unhealthy to have a poorly defined boundary between when you should be at work and when you should be relaxing at home.

Use Tools To Automate Mundane Tasks

In the workplace, regardless of whether it’s an office or your home, mundane and repetitive tasks are rarely considered a fulfilling aspect of any job. Research has shown that when a repeat task requires a lot of focus, each successive task is completed with less efficiency than the last. This compounding decline in efficiency is a major factor in becoming easily distracted and impacting your overall productivity. The answer isn’t as simple as to avoid those repetitive tasks because many of those tasks are a necessity of your job. The answer is to avoid wasting your focus on those tasks by implementing automation.

Automation implementation used to require some experience in coding and IT infrastructure that was geared specifically towards automation. In recent years, however, the technology has made significant improvements to become more accessible than ever before. Perhaps the most common and simple form of codeless automation for businesses today is known as RPA (Robotic Process Automation). Some tasks that would benefit from this form of automation include lead generation, customer lifetime value calculations, and generating reports. Just about any task that is repetitive and time-consuming can benefit from automation. This technology can save you the mental fatigue of actually performing the tasks yourself and thereby enabling you to simply monitor your digital workers to make sure everything is being done correctly while shifting most of your focus on more creative-minded tasks.

Implementing any or all of these tips should help you become a better remote worker. If you feel like you are still struggling with marketing, whether you are remote or not, contacting Millennium Agency can help you jumpstart or enhance your strategies and techniques.

About Millennium Agency

Millennium Agency is a nationally recognized, leading woman led B2B brand, message positioning and digital marketing agency who knows how to create value that emotionally influences your customers’ buying decisions, without being the lowest-price solution – giving you the competitive advantage. As your trusted partner in B2B software technology and manufacturing, we provide the brand and positioning framework that make an impact – so you can focus on what you do best – run your business successfully. Our process is proven, and we have the stats to share. To learn more about Millennium Agency, call 877.873.7445 or visit www.mill.agency.

Face it. The COVID-19 pandemic is more serious than any of us originally thought. It’s costing lives, jobs, and will severely cripple the economy for years to come. And, as far as we can tell it’s not going away anytime soon. For most individuals, this virus has quickly reshaped the way we work, the way we shop, and the way our kids learn. For business owners, it will mean months of lost revenue and some seriously tough decisions.

While many companies view marketing as a luxury line item in their budget, the truth is that even in the worst of times it’s anything but optional. When things get dire it can be natural to hoard every scrap of cash like the last bag of toilet paper in Costco. However, it’s essential to remember that no matter how bleak the market gets, companies need to advertise to be found by customers.

But that doesn’t mean it has to be expensive. In this blog we offer insights on how to market intelligently and efficiently over the next several months and most importantly–how to engage with your customers empathetically during such an unprecedented crisis.

Step 1: Whatever you do, don’t go dark.

Keep your customers informed.

The COVID-19 pandemic is no reason to stop keeping your customers informed about any changes to your business. Utilize your social media channels and your email lists. We understand that resources are scarce, and you have a lot of problems vying for your attention but consider this–your customers are just as desperate for answers and just as short on time as you are.

If you inadvertently waste their time by failing to keep them informed of your changing business practices, it will leave a much stronger negative impression in their mind than the average sub-par customer experience. If you need a better reason than that, consider the fact that this step doesn’t have to cost you a penny–just some attention and time.

Tips for staying current.

Here are some tips for keeping customers in the loop during the COVID-19 pandemic:

  • If you have a physical location, then update your Google listing to reflect any changes in your hours of operation. If you have multiple locations, make sure this is catered to each specific address.
  • Don’t just update your company’s homepage, but every page of your website to ensure you aren’t sending mixed signals. Don’t let the COVID-19 pandemic stop you from updating your website. Have you changed your events page to reflect cancellations? Are customers still able to schedule appointments that your staff can’t fulfill? In the 21st century, your website is the lifeblood of your marketing operation. Always, always, always keep it up to date!
  • Post on social media. Whether, it’s one sentence, or one paragraph, on TikTok or LinkedIn–if your customers are there, then you should be too! But it’s not enough to post once and forget about it–your customers might have questions, and studies repeatedly show that building a relationship with your customers on social media is one of the best ways to earn their loyalty. If you have any staff members with especially short to-do lists, now is the time to get them up to speed on social media management.
  • Don’t forget about email. It’s still the most direct way to communicate with your customers, and it crushes social media in conversion rates. Take all of the most valuable information from your Google Business listing, your website, and your social media channels, put it in an email, and send it to your customers so they know what’s going on.

Step 2: Figure out what your customers need.

Take the time to put yourself in your customers’ shoes. If you were them, what would you want to hear from your company right now? Even if it’s just as simple as affirming that you understand what they’re going through, it can make a huge difference. This will vary wildly depending on what your product or service is, but no matter what you sell, there’s something that your customer needs right now that you can provide, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Read comments on social media or business review sites. Is the customer satisfied? Are they disappointed or angry? Are they neutral? Are they not saying anything?
  • Look at feedback and survey responses and speak with your customer service staff. Focus on the trends. Is there something that keeps coming up? Are your customers angry about shipping delays, product shortages, event cancellations?

Even if you have to step outside your specialty, it’s essential that you take the time to figure out what your customers or prospective customers need right now.

If all else fails, it never hurts to ask them. Whether that’s in the form of an email or a personal call–reach out. Social distancing doesn’t mean anti-social.

Step 3: Offer to help.

Customers remember generosity.

Once you’ve identified your customers’ most urgent needs, offer to help in whatever way you can. Provide discounts on critical products, extend your customer service hours, issue full refunds or business credits for canceled events. Offer services to those in need pro bono. We know the COVID-19 pandemic has left many people strapped for cash, but companies who make a good faith effort to help out during this crisis will be rewarded for it in the long run.

There are ways to do this without breaking the bank. You can create webinars for your loyal customers with platforms like Webinars OnAir , or MeetCheap–both cost less than $20 a month. For a more intimate setting, you can also coordinate a lesson completely for free on Google Hangouts, Uber Conference, Skype, or Zoom.

Companies helping during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Below are some of our favorite examples of companies that have gone above and beyond in the interest of helping those in need.

Remember that the person you help today could become a lifelong customer tomorrow. Isn’t that worth the cost of a little generosity?

Step 4: Get personal.

Find ways to connect.

With businesses trying their hardest to put on a professional front at all times, it can be easy to forget that behind every single company is a team of people doing their best. Finding ways to connect with your customers will help you both in the long run.

  • If your staff has switched to remote work, cultivate photos of their home offices to share on social media.
  • Use your email list and social channels to share personal anecdotes of the challenges you’re going through, and what you’re doing to tackle them.
    • If you have the resources, film a CEO message video to address the challenges head-on. The CEO of Marriott hotels delivered a truly heartfelt message to his staff and the public about the severity of the challenges they’re facing and vowed to not take a salary the rest of the year to help preserve as many staff positions as possible.
Engage with video content.

Video messaging is so powerful at capturing emotions because we are hardwired to mirror the emotions we see on the faces of people around us, but we have to see your face for that to work. Fortunately, in this day and age you can film HD footage straight from your cell phone.

We’ve outlined a few quick pointers to get the most out of the camera in your pocket. Or, if you’re local to New England, we’d be happy to film your CEO message video pro bono at our Manchester offices.

  • Film in a quiet room.
  • Shoot next to a window with ample natural light, but don’t film towards the window. Keep the window parallel to the camera, so that the sun lights your subject from the side.
  • Speak from the heart and ditch the corporate speak.
  • When in doubt, keep it short.

Producing personal content and helping your customers is one of the best ways to get “Earned Media”. Hearing good things about your company from someone other than you is worth a lot more than any paid promotion.

Step 5: Follow up.

If there’s one thing that’s clear, it’s that the COVID-19 pandemic is going to get worse before it gets better. Like all marketing efforts, it’s not enough to do something once and be done. You need to follow up with your customers. Keep a conversation going, continue to ask what they need, and keep trying to deliver in whatever way you can. Now is the time to support each other.

  • If you don’t have the financial capacity to give away free products, give away your expertise. Produce a series of simple video tutorials, or a podcast with relevant insights, on a weekly basis.
  • Utilize free design services like infogram to produce thoughtful infographics for social media. Use one of the free stock image sites like Unsplash and photo editing services like PicMonkey to create unique imagery relevant to your customers.
  • Write an eBook to distribute to potential leads through email.
  • If you do create some killer content that’s worth promoting you can always apply for discounts and grants for ad credits like the ones we talked about on Facebook or other platforms.

This doesn’t have to be expensive, all it takes is time. Mobilize your homebound team members and empower them to make content that is both personal and unique to their area of expertise. Your staff is one of your most valuable resources and the chances are pretty good that they want to stay busy.

Conclusion

If you build a relationship now, your customers will remember it. Once you cultivate a relationship there are many ways to maintain it. Whether it’s with one customer or 1,000. Insightful social media content, automated email messages, and even direct mail all have their place in the customer relationship cycle. For a free consultation about your COVID-19 pandemic crisis response, or to schedule your own CEO company message video, contact Linda Fanaras, President & CEO of Millennium Agency at [email protected].

Be a Marketing Hero. If your company is already taking steps to help out during this tough time and you’d like to be featured as one of our Marketing Heroes, then send an email to Robb Atkinson at [email protected].

About Millennium Agency

Millennium Agency is a national, award-winning, digital, creative, content/PR, and video marketing firm. With offices in Boston and New Hampshire, our team unites creative branding and data analytics to accelerate our clients’ growth, while combining our clients’ vision with our marketing expertise to increase sales opportunities and drive brand success. From video advertising and web design to social media and PR, Millennium can guide your marketing efforts every step of the way. Contact the professionals at Millennium Agency to learn more!

With the outbreak of the Coronavirus, businesses large and small have been feeling the impact. With over half the country ordered to stay home and businesses forced to shut down, it’s crucial – now more than ever – that your COVID-19 communication plan is clear and effective.

Internal vs. External Communication

There are various aspects to an effective COVID-19 communication plan. You’ll want to have both an internal and external communication strategy. Your internal plan should be your process of reaching employees through emails, flyers/posters, talking points, FAQs, etc. This should be a reliable area where you and your employees can directly speak to one another and ensure that feedback from both parties is heard and acted upon. 

For your external plan, this should focus on you as a business, creating specific ways to reach clients, stakeholders, media, suppliers, etc. Anyone who is involved with your business aside from your internal employees.  

The most important part of your communication plan should focus on your internal team. Employees are relying on their managers and CEOs to be honest, state the facts and be clear with expectations and future decisions – good or bad. Aside from being direct with your workers, there are many things you can do to ensure your employees feel safe and secure working for you and your business in a time such as the COVID-19 crisis. These additional areas include promoting safety steps at work, safe travel procedures, and work from home policies. 

Communication is Key

These are difficult times for businesses and their employees. Having a clear, concise and honest COVID-19 communication plan within your business is what will guarantee you the most positive outcome during and after this crisis. Ensuring the safety and satisfaction of both your internal and external teams is your top priority and will help lead you to success even in the worst of circumstances.  

Millennium Agency is taking the COVID-19 outbreak seriously. We believe in clear and concise messaging when it comes to PR and crisis communications. We’ve helped hundreds of corporations both large and small craft effective marketing and communications plans that can help build confidence, eliminate fear, and navigate turbulent times.  

If you believe a comprehensive COVID-19 communication plan can positively impact your business and would like to engage in marketing and consulting services, contact us directly or call 877-873-7445.  

About Millennium Agency

Millennium Agency is a nationally recognized, top woman led B2B branding, positioning, and digital marketing firm who knows how to create value that emotionally influences your customer’s buying decision, giving you the competitive advantage. As your trusted partner in B2B software technology and manufacturing, we provide the branding and positioning framework that make an impact – so you can focus on what you do best – run your business successfully. With offices in Boston and New Hampshire, and a worldwide presence, the professionals at Millennium Agency would like to learn more about your business.  Visit www.mill.agency or book time here.