Finding ways to keep your company moving

Working together

At Leaf, we believe finding ways to keep your company moving (without compromising safety) and letting your customers know you are open for business, will be key to getting through the COVID-19 crisis. That’s why we are working with our clients to develop targeted marketing and communications strategies that will help them steer a safe path to the other side of this challenging time.

Online activity

The UK lockdown has meant that many more people are now working from home and accessing essential commercial information and news updates online. This is reflected in a significant increase in data sent and received by visitors to websites and social media platforms across a range of industries. The trade media for the heating, plumbing and building sectors, for example, has  seen a significant increase in online activity in recent weeks, with Installer magazine reporting a three-fold increase in its normal web traffic.

Optimisation

Some of our clients are also experiencing a surge in visitors to their websites since restrictions due to coronavirus were imposed. Many are also seeing a rise in the number of clicks on their web news pages and case studies, particularly those relating to the current crisis. Given this trend, our team has been working with clients to review and optimise their websites and social media presence to make sure visitors find the information and reassurance they need at this critical time.

Reassurance

Like all companies operating amid the coronavirus outbreak, our clients want to let people know that the well-being of their customers and colleagues is their number one priority, and to explain the measures they have put in place to ensure this, from adhering to strict Government guidelines on hygiene and social distancing to ceasing non-essential travel and events. To address this for two of our clients, Maxwood Washrooms and VFE, we have created individual COVID-19 news tickers for their websites, together with links to COVID-19 statements tailored to their business, which will be updated as required.

Awareness

We have also been advising clients on how to raise awareness of the products and services they can offer which are likely to be of particular interest at this time. In the case of Maxwood Washrooms, this has involved adding a web ticker on the company’s home page to highlight their newly-developed healthcare solutions, specifically the ‘plug and play’ Medimax™ hand wash station, which is ideal for fast turnaround requirements in hospitals.

As Europe’s leading vacuum furnace and service support provider, our client VFE sought our advice on using its online resources to reassure customers that it was open for business and would continue fully supporting them. Also, with many of its customers’ sites having to close during lockdown, making it safer and easier for VFE engineers to access, our team has helped VFE to launch service and maintenance work for quarantined sites.

Communication

Clearly, there are no quick fixes or simple solutions to beat the inevitable economic impact of COVID-19. However, businesses will be better placed to come through this crisis if they stay focused on their marketing goals and keep the channels of communication with customers open. Following the latest announcement that the UK lockdown has been extended, maintaining a strong online presence has never been more important, as we believe the examples we’ve highlighted in this article show.

Please contact our team at hello@leafcommunications.com to find out how we can help your business keep moving through this crisis and be ready to face the future.