Do business terms like ‘digital engagement strategy’ strike terror into your heart?
I speak to quite a few micro and side-hustle business owners who are nervous about words like these because they’re not 100% sure what they mean.
What Is a Digital Engagement Strategy?
Do you find that, sometimes, people try and make things more complicated than they need to be? And, sometimes, they do that with their use of language?
Let’s break it down.
Digital – doing things online
Engagement – interacting with people throughout their journey with you
Strategy – a plan that has measurable targets and objectives
So, your digital engagement strategy is the plan (with specific, measurable outcomes) that you create to interact with customers (and potential customers) using online tools such as websites, social media, email marketing etc etc.
It’s about making your business successful online.
(Doesn’t sound so bad now, does it!)
Why You Could ‘Out-Engage’ John Lewis This Christmas!
All you’ve got to do is:
- Think about online opportunities for your business, and
- How you’re going to tell people about them
It’s also worth remembering that, for this Christmas at least, you’ve got a genuine advantage over the ‘big boys.’
Why?
Big brands have to commit themselves to huge seasonal advertising campaigns months (years?) in advance.
For exampIe, last year I dedicated an entire blog post to the months of planning involved in John Lewis’s Christmas ad campaign!
But in the face of rapidly shifting global events (such as a dastardly pandemic) these carefully planned campaigns could look inappropriate or irrelevant by the time they start running.
By contrast, agile businesses – such as micro and side-hustle businesses – can be more personally responsive to emerging events, and to the immediate needs of their customers.
A Digital Engagement Strategy Won’t Work for Every Business, Or Will It?
It’s true that some businesses will have to think more creatively about ways to move their business online, especially if they provide a face-to-face service.
But in the vast majority of cases, it can be done.
And I’m not necessarily talking about the WHOLE business, it may be just a part of it.
For example, a personal trainer could sell basic exercise equipment, or stream live workouts on social media. If you run a beauty salon, you could make up some at-home treatment packs with the products you would normally use, and sell them online (they’d make great Christmas presents!)
You could also sell vouchers for in-person services that can be provided when the world opens up again, giving customers a much needed something to look forward to.
All you’ve got to do is make it easy for customers to pay you online. Sites like GoCardless, Square and PayPal are relatively simple to set up – and while you may have to pay a small fee per transaction, it’s far better to pay that, than lose out on sales!
Whatever you do, try not to shut down ideas just because you’re scared to try them, or you’re not sure how they’ll work. You could be creating an unnecessary barrier between your business and vital profit.
“Going Online Won’t Work for My Business!”
I recently had a conversation with a business owner who has a small, high street wool and haberdashery shop.
Closing her shop for the first lockdown hit her business hard, so she wanted to talk about ways to boost her income. But when I suggested she start looking at introducing some digital and virtual basics:
- building a website
- including an online shop on the website
- creating a Google My Business page
- setting up an Instagram account
She folded her arms and firmly shook her head and said “None of that will work for my business” (!)
And that was that!
Don’t Forget to Tell People About Your Online Business
Once you’ve decided on what aspects of your business you’re going to move online, it’s time to let people know.
A simple way to start is by updating your email list (or building one.)
If you haven’t used your list for a while, you could send a quick message to ask people if they’re still happy to receive your messages, then whet their appetites with a hint of things to come!
Other ways to engage potential customers online include recording a short video, or designing a lead magnet that gives people a few useful hints and tips about an issue related to your business.
(An example might be a yoga instructor explaining ‘Five Simple Stretches to Do at Your Desk’.)
If you’d like to discuss ideas for moving your business online, and how to increase online engagement in time for Christmas, why not schedule a complimentary chat?