If you want to lose weight, you eat less. If you want to progress in your career, you educate yourself. The first half of 2021 has been a fascinating rebirth of the earth, and in some cases, the creation of a new and very different world, and therefore, more opportunities for growth and success. Maximize the second half of 2021 by following a few simple steps.
Revamp Your Business Model
The food service industry was hit hard in 2020, with forced closures and even those who were open, forced to adhere to strict cleanliness standards. Many restaurants shut their doors forever, unable to adapt to the times. In the USA, Grubhub holds 34% of the food delivery market, a development that’s indicative of what restaurants need to do to survive. Simply put, restaurants who revamped their business model to include some sort of delivery during 2020, are reaping the rewards in 2021.
Enhance Social Media Strategy
A second by-product of the 2020 pandemic, was increased reliance on social media for marketing and customer outreach. Optimize your social media strategy with unique and interesting content, and utilize search engine optimization (SEO) strategies to boost your social media exposure. Also, consider a mention-for-mention strategy with complementary businesses, influencers and sites, for exposure to an untapped market and social media communities.
Offer Contactless Alternatives
A “contactless” service alternative became the latest, lasting trend from 2020, with more businesses offering safer alternatives to traditional delivery and service. Customers have always quickly identified with the words “free” or “sale,” but in 2021, security buzzwords like “clean” and “contactless” will rule supreme. Coast on this trend, and promote a safety culture within your workplace, service or product, as a great way to maximize the second half of 2021.
Use Strategic Partnerships To Become Stronger
As business after business failed in 2020, reliability and consistency became difficult to find. We’ve hit on this concept with social media strategy, but it’s important to build partnerships with reputable businesses in 2021. Customers will be looking for ease-of-use and for businesses they trust. Offering reputable services like USPS Flat Rate Shipping Boxes, is a great way to both ensure reliable delivery, customer satisfaction, and help your business exposure piggyback on a globally recognized and trusted enterprise.
Rank your customers
It’s critical to identify and promote to regular and loyal customers. Identify repeat or “big spending” customers, and promote directly to them, or create a rewards program to encourage future loyalty and mutual benefit and respect. Take some time to determine which products are the most popular with these customers, and develop adjacent products, to compliment your already successful line.
Create a culture of agility
2020 hopefully taught us the importance of agility in business. A great example of the value in a culture of agility, is the businesses who were able to successfully shift to a productive remote working environment during the pandemic. More rigid companies either closed their doors during the pandemic, or are losing their employees in 2021, when 1 in 2 employees won’t consider returning to their jobs if remote work isn’t an option. Be agile with your employees, products, services and business structure. The effects of the pandemic on business promises to continue for years – so create a culture of agility today to ensure both survival and success of your business.
Automate time-consuming business processes
A huge benefit of the pandemic was the forced innovation in the field of technology, which was already booming. Many enterprises are deploying software to automate their business processes, including shipping, stocking, logistics, customer engagement, and even social media management. This issue draws on the promotion of a culture of agility, where businesses who adapt, thrive, and those who are unwilling to venture outside their comfort zone, fail.
Offer more, don’t charge less
Lowering your prices is not the answer unless you are promoting an inferior product. Companies offering a quality product that they stand behind, can adopt new customer service strategies, benefits, free gifts and loyalty programs, in lieu of lowering their prices. Lowering your prices devalues you as a competitor in your space, but offering more benefits to customers puts you in your own category – where you set the standard of excellence for yourself and other businesses in your industry.
2020 forced us all outside our comfort zone, and turned many enterprises on their heads. The beginning of 2021 has been a study in recovery, and the second half of the year has so much promise. Take some time today to consider how you can learn from 2020 to maximize the second half of 2021.