Read Time: 4 minutes

As some states are slowly beginning to re-open with precautionary measures still in place, your multi-location business must start preparing for the comeback. While it might be weeks or months before your business is back to business as usual, it’s essential to begin preparing now, especially now when so many companies are experiencing more downtime than usual. Throughout this blog, we’ll dive into what tactics your multi-location business should be using now to be able to bounce back from COVID-19. 

Slowly integrate business as usual content 

While many of us had to put our previous content plans on hold, there are ways you can slowly start working that content back into your messaging. While COVID-19 is still very prevalent and shouldn’t be ignored, you can ease back into your regularly scheduled programming. When deciding what type of content you are going to start sharing over the next few weeks, there are a few things to consider. For instance, it is crucial to avoid content that may come across as 

  • Tone-deaf
  • Salesy 
  • Political 
  • Punny
  • Snarky

Many of these are self-explanatory. However, while we understand that many businesses are struggling financially, it’s imperative to not come across as overly focused on sales, which will, in turn, make your business sound tone-deaf. Unemployment is at an all-time high, so now is not the time to be pushing your product. There are other, more effective ways to go about this. For instance, your multi-location business should be sharing content expressing gratitude for frontline workers or providing updates on your business operations, along with what you’re doing to support the local community. If consumers are noticing that your business is being supportive and empathetic during this challenging time, they will, in turn, remember your business when they are looking to make a purchase. 

As you continue to focus on the community in your content, other types of posts are becoming more acceptable. For example, if there is a promotion your multi-location business needs to release, you don’t necessarily need to keep waiting. Your business can go ahead and share the content but should find a way to tie in the current state of the nation. As long as your multi-location business acknowledges what everyone is currently going through, it won’t come across as tone-deaf. 

Highlight what your business has to offer post COVID-19

Now that your business has a better idea of what type of content it should be sharing in preparation for a comeback, it’s also important to highlight what your business has to offer post-COVID-19. For instance, if you are a franchised salon, there will be a lot to offer once things slowly start opening back up! You can begin to share how your business will carefully re-open once the time comes, while also helping people get rid of their quarantine hair. 

On the other hand, if your business is a gym, you may want to focus on getting people back in shape after having a lot of time at home to bake and sit on the couch. Regardless, your multi-location business must lay out a tentative plan highlighting the precautionary measure your business will take to keep consumers safe. As things begin to open up, the fear of COVID-19 won’t be gone, so you should make consumers feel secure if they do choose to visit your multi-location business. 

Determine a cost-effective communication strategy 

If your business is hurting financially as a result of COVID-19, it is more important than ever to implement a cost-effective communication strategy to communicate with your consumers. Now that you know what type of content your business should be sharing and how to highlight what your business can offer post-COVID-19, it’s time to start spreading the message. Social media is a great way to do this. 

Now more than ever, consumers are spending their downtime on social media, so it’s a great tool to use for communication. Data from our latest Annual State of the Market Report highlighted which social platforms multi-location businesses are using the most. Facebook came in first, with Google My Business (GMB) and Yelp coming in second a third, respectively. If your business isn’t sure where to start when it comes to communicating through social media, these platforms are a must. For more information on creating a strong social media strategy for your multi-location business, check out our blog on the topic. 

While social media is an efficient and cost-effective way to communicate with your consumers, email and direct messages can be useful as well. If you’re wondering how often you should be sending emails and other forms of communication to your consumers, we have another blog that has you covered! 

Keep all local business information up to date

One of the final steps your multi-location business must take while preparing for your comeback is to ensure that all of your local business information is accurate – updated local listings are a must. Your consumers should be able to search for your business and get the most updated information. From adding in accurate business hours to in-store versus takeout and delivery options, there’s a lot to consider. 

As a multi-location business, we know that it can be challenging to manage all of your local listings for 100s or 1,000s of business locations, which is where SOCi can help! SOCi Listings allows you to take control of all your business listings across channels all in a single platform. Inaccurate and duplicate listings across your locations can quickly damage your local presence, brand awareness, and online reputation. Finally, there’s a solution with SOCi Listings

From content strategy and social media to your local listings, SOCi is here to make sure your business is ready for its comeback. For more information on how SOCi can help your multi-location business’s localized marketing strategy, email us at [email protected].

Learn how SOCi can help take your
localized marketing to the next level.