FIVE THINGS EVERY SMALL BUSINESS SHOULD BE DOING RIGHT NOW
Will and Lib Carter, co-founders of Monte slippers.
This week we’re bringing you something a little bit different, an interview with Lib Hutton, the brains and beauty behind two excellent small businesses, Monte Slippers and Project Hutton.
Lib is a PR powerhouse, and a few years ago she also launched her own retail slipper brand (which incidentally is the perfect item for any of you out there looking to add a little bit of comfort to your iso-lives!).
Lib is in the unique position of juggling both her own business, which she runs with husband Will, as well as managing the communications strategies for a range of businesses across Australia.
Navigating “business-not-as-usual” throughout covid-19 has been uncertain and tough at the best of times, so we asked Lib to share some tips on what has been working for both her own business and the advice she’s been sharing with clients.
TIP #1: DON’T GO QUIET ON YOUR AUDIENCE
It’s so important right now to keep communicating regularly, openly and positively with your customers. Due to the pandemic, we’ve had interruptions with both our manufacturing and shipping, causing delays to a huge number of our orders. Every couple of weeks we write a note to each customer updating them on the progress of their order. We’re honest about the facts and timings, while keeping the communication upbeat and positive. The worst thing you can do is a leave your customers in the dark. If you’re completely closed, try to think of ways to keep supporting your customers in other ways, through fun/helpful/informative social media posts or blog content.
TIP #2: REVIEW YOUR BUSINESS MODEL
Now is a great time to pause and review. What was working well? And what maybe wasn’t so good? Start fresh with a marketing plan and use this time to review, test and actually stick to it. Get to your know audience again – dive into your Google Analytics and have a snoop around your demographics. You might be surprised to learn that they are not who you thought they were.
TIP #3: SPEND TIME GETTING AHEAD
For some of us, it’s business as usual. For many others, business has considerably slowed or stopped altogether which can be hard and frustrating. My suggestion is to think positively, be proactive and spend this time getting organised for when you do reopen. Now is the perfect time to improve parts of your business that you may not have had time to focus on in the past. Start with fresh eyes and look at your website as if you’re a first-time customer. Imagine it’s your actual home they are walking into – what will they notice first? Is it neat and tidy? What’s the general vibe? What do the images evoke? What do the headlines tell them?
This is also an ideal time to focus on creating extra content to use later on. This can be as simple as setting up a journal and tapping into existing brand fans and profiling them. Or profiling your own staff so customers can get an insight into the team behind the brand. Remember, people are likely to invest in your product or service when they trust your brand. Through your communication (from website copy through to email marketing and social) the customer needs to understand the value of your product, be informed and feel cared for.
TIP #4: NO BUDGET DOESN’T MEAN YOU CAN’T DO ANYTHING
Necessity breeds creativity, as they say! Sometimes the best ideas strike when you are forced to think outside the square. You might also need to let go of making everything absolutely perfect (this is a challenge for me all the time!)
Have a look back over the most engaged social media posts from your business over the past six months – I can guarantee that the majority of them are likely ones you shot on your iPhone. Raw or “authentic” content is often the most engaging. A reduced budget can also force us to learn some new skills. For example, watching some Canva tutorials so that graphic design can be done in-house until you’re up and running again.
TIP #5: BECOME YOUR OWN PUBLICIST
At the moment, many media outlets are crying out for content. Many of their teams have been stripped back and are operating with skeleton staff. They’ll likely be open to all sorts of story ideas as they scramble each day to find news that ties in with our current situation. Get creative by crafting an angle or story for your product or brand – don’t be afraid to pitch something a little left field! And make it easy for the journalist by providing all of the information they might need. Finding a contact can be as easy as direct messaging a journalist on Instagram or Twitter, many outlets also have a list of contacts on their website.
It’s also important to start thinking about the rebound, the shift away from co-vid 19. Everyone will be fighting for space when we return so I suggest getting in early and having any pitches crafted and ready to go.
A huge thank you to Lib for taking the time to put this article together for us. Make sure to nab yourself a pair of Monte Slippers right here (we can personally vouch for how comfortable they are!) and if you have any further questions about PR strategy for your business, check out Project Hutton over here.
