How to prepare your business marketing and sales campaigns for a successful re-opening launch post the COVID-19 lockdown.

Are you starting to prepare your business for its re-opening after the COVID-19 lockdown?

Here is some helpful information and tips on how to plan a ‘successful re-opening’ that not only capitalises on the high volumes of customers you’ll have but also shows you how to use this opportunity to leverage future sales campaigns.  

Business Re-opening Up Checklist

Wake up your online business profiles

Log into your Google My Business, Facebook, Instagram, Websites etc and update their information with your current trading hours, contact details, and COVID-19 business rules.

Create an opening offer

There will be LOTS shoppers wanting to visit your business, so the goal here is to create an offer that is short and simple to deliver your sales offer quickly and easily. Package up as much as you can to make the processing of sales more efficient.

Change things up!

Open at midnight. Offer 24×7 opening hours. Trade out on the street. Try a mobile ‘come to you’ service. Use pop up stores. Offer click and collect services.

Streamline your offer

Start this now!

While shoppers are still locked down at home, design your offer so it can be purchased NOW. Get shoppers to book/commit (and pay) in advance e.g if you’re a service business, have an online booking and payment systems in place. If you sell products, use the same system, but have their purchase packaged ready to go via a click and collect option.

NOTE: We will have less than eight weeks to Christmas, so think about the type of shopper you will expect and what you can offer as a Christmas gift sales offer….

Pump up your marketing

Set up your pre-launch marketing campaigns to get people interested and inspired early. Try using marketing messages such as “watch this space”, “register your interest”, or “txt us your details”. Take advantage of online marketplace marketing such as Click Frenzy Campaigns, eBay, and Amazon.

Go live campaigns

Once you have the official opening dates and COVID trading guidelines from the Government, this is the time to smash out your marketing (so be ready).

Leverage low or no-cost digital platforms like social media, email or txt marketing, paid advertising, website action statements, partner campaigns, and some PR. 

Have an efficient business operating plan in place!

There is NOTHING worse than walking into a disorganised and poorly run business.

Prepare early. Have a well-designed operating plan for your business that meets Government mandates, is COVID safe for your customers AND has been communicated to your staff.

Rather than just complaining about the Government mandates, get on with it, and turn these into a positive (Your customers DO NOT want to hear your constant complaints)

• Get in and change the layout of your business to make compliance easier.
• Communicate changes with your staff and train them (not just send a txt msg).
• Organise any signage that might help your customers.
• Have hand sanitiser ready.
• Offer free masks to encourage people to come in.
• Set up and test the new check-in and vaccination compliance process. 

Build confidence with your customers

Stop talking about the past, move forward and think positive!

Communicate with your customers about the changes that maintain their safety and meet ALL the COVID compliance mandates.

Don’t just think it; communicate it via email, txt, in-store signage, website news statements.

Post re-opening campaigns

While you have heaps of customers knocking at the door of your business, capitalise on this opportunity and leverage this audience to build upon your NEXT set of campaigns (leading into Christmas).

• Build your mailing list.
• Let them know about your next campaign offer.
• Start your Christmas marketing.

Get customer feedback

Use this opportunity to speak with your shoppers and get a feel about their needs and purchase intentions over the next 6-months. 

This will put you in a great position to better plan for the next 6-months for what the market wants (rather than using gut-driven decisions).

Think about some customers surveys using free email survey tools like SurveyMonkey.

That should get you started!

Use this information to help design and market your own type of product and service offers.

If you need some help or advice, just ask us… It cost nothing to help someone else…

Go well…

Robert Durrant
rev™ Branding CEO

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