The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every industry and market across the globe, but the approach that your digital marketing franchise takes can minimise the impact and set you up for success when the crisis subsides.

How digital marketing franchises can stay on top during the COVID-19 crisis 

Be flexible and agile

There’s no denying that we’re currently facing unique challenges, operating on a new frontier of business and digital marketing agencies need to embrace change to stay on top. To address the rapid changes, teams will need to be flexible and agile in their operations and approaches to successfully adapt to the revolution in commerce that COVID-19 has brought about.

Business leaders need to be strategic in allowing their employees to address challenges in new ways to ensure that the organisation stays on the forefront of new developments in the marketing industry or they will get left behind by competitors who can adapt to the uncertainty of the situation. 

Build your brand together with your employees 

In times of uncertainty, consumers need trust and reassurance from the brands they support. An excellent way to build trust is to invite your customers to peek behind the curtain of your brand. Involve your employees in this campaign by asking them to share their experiences at the company and providing them with the platform to tell customers how the brand has been addressing the COVID-19 crisis. 

The measure of transparency that comes with allowing your employees to speak to customers so openly will help your brand to establish credibility and will show that the brand values its vision and mission, and its employees. 

Invest and develop strategically

While businesses are being bombarded with the temptation to invest in all kinds of new developments, service offerings and technology now is not the time to make hasty decisions that could have a long term effect on the wellbeing of the organisation. Instead, business owners need to invest strategically in new technology such as AI and other tools in the marketing toolkit. 

The same principle counts for developing new service offerings. Because the digital marketing industry is so diverse, digital marketing franchises can easily be tempted to offer social media marketing, content marketing, SEO, and digital marketing strategies which they haven’t provided before. New service offerings can be a fantastic way to boost your business reach, but should be well-researched and properly developed to provide clients with the same standard of quality in service that your agency is known for.  

Prioritise development 

When business operations are in full swing, training employees may be very low on the priority list, which means that teams often end up with undertrained employees or outdated skills. Take this time to prioritise the development and training of your employees to ensure that your team comes back to the office with sharper skills. 

By investing in the development of your employees, you’re not only putting them in a position to perform better, but you’re also reassuring them that they are valued and that their positions are secure within your organisation. 

Spring clean your setup 

This is another aspect that gets placed on the backburner during busier times. Use the downtime productively by consulting with your teams on issues that they never have time to address, and find creative ways to spring clean the setup. Your focus should be on tackling problems that can be solved quickly, or that will have the most significant impact on your workflow and operations. 

Develop your “work from home” policies 

The COVID-19 crisis has proved that many employees can work remotely with a considerable measure of success. Remote working won’t necessarily be practical for every employee in every digital marketing franchise, but it should open business owners to the possibilities of flexibility in the workday and location. 

Now is the time to explore ways to allow employees to work from home certain days of the week or to have more flexibility in their hours of work. 

Take care of employees 

Uncertainty is the new normal for most businesses and employees are feeling the strain as much as their employers. It is imperative to keep your employees motivated and the team morale high to give your digital marketing franchise the best chance at making it through this crisis successfully. 

Find ways to connect with your employees, provide them with the assurance of their value and develop stronger ties with them and among team members. If you make your employees a priority during these times, the most valuable team members will reward you with loyalty and hard work even after the crisis subsides. 

If the COVID-19 crisis has you exploring possibilities for becoming a business owner, contact Unibit Solutions for franchise opportunities to become the owner of a digital marketing franchise.