The coronavirus has gone viral – literally. Billions of people across the globe are struggling to keep safe and protect their families while ensuring they can still provide for loved ones. Small businesses in countries all over the world are hurting during this outbreak, and, in turn, America’s economy is starting to plummet.
Fortunately, Compulse Integrated Marketing has been deemed an “essential” operation due to our direct work with television news stations and mediums. While our team is not stationed in-office during the outbreak, we have successfully implemented a few work-from-home protocols that have allowed us to maintain stability throughout this crisis.
No one knows when mandatory shutdowns will be lifted, or if the president will order a federal shutdown of certain “essential” professions in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19. What we do know, however, is that companies can find success in having employees work from home, and our company is living proof.
Whether you’re a small business struggling to stay afloat during these trying times or a large corporation juggling a group of employees working from remote locations, Compulse Integrated Marketing suggests you consider these three important tips for maintaining a productive work presence at home:
Small Businesses – Keep Pushing Your Brand
Just because your main office has been forced to close its doors indefinitely does not mean you have to stop working!
Gym owners and fitness instructors have set the small-business/entrepreneur bar during this crisis by offering online and in-person fitness instruction sessions to clients in the comforts of their own homes. Many Americans have looked at self-quarantine as an opportunity to get healthy, sparking various social media-inspired challenges (such as the “see 10, do 10” initiative). But health isn’t the only thing people have to focus on during this time, and that’s where your marketing and branding strategies come into play.
If you own a cake shop, consider using your website to post blogs offering simple at-home recipes for a fun night in with the wife or husband and kids. Are you a hairstylist? Use social media to promote some of the best at-home hair dyes people can purchase (with steps on how to properly apply the dye). The point is that if you have a website or social media account, you have the ability to seize this opportunity to improve your online presence from the comforts of your living room. If you “didn’t have time” to focus on marketing or branding before, take the free time you’ve been gifted to work on it now!
Large Businesses – Stay Connected with Your Employees
Many companies like to promote a “team-friendly” atmosphere. Some go so far as to push social bonding events, such as happy hours and team getaways, to provide employees with the chance to get to know and socialize with one another. Even when the world is on lockdown, your face-to-face interactions don’t have to stop!
Zoom.us is a fantastic video/web conference tool that allows large groups of people to connect via a face-timing platform. Instead of holding routine internal phone calls, consider using Zoom to add a personal touch.
In addition, don’t let your personalities drift away during these unprecedented times. While work is still work, it doesn’t have to be boring, even if employees are forced to do their jobs in solitude. Create a company Slack account and add multiple channels that give employees outlets for having a bit of fun from remote locations. Compulse, for example, uses a “random” channel where individuals post all kinds of wacky, silly content throughout the day.
Everyone – Learn a New Trade
Again, the word to consider here is opportunity. It doesn’t matter if your flourishing or suffering as a result of the coronavirus, these few weeks will undoubtedly be the days that shape you and your company for months – maybe even years – to come. Do you want to regret the time you spent working from home a few months later, reeling from what could have been, or do you want to look back on these times with gratitude? Even if you’re as busy as you typically are in the office, remember that you aren’t driving into work, which essentially buys you free time every day. If you find yourself with downtime, even better – use it to your advantage. Learn something new. If you have wi-fi, you have the ability to better yourself during this pandemic.
Most Importantly, Please Remain Extra Careful During the Era of COVID-19
Make no mistake, this is a deadly virus, and if you are not careful, you are putting both yourself and others at serious risk of injury and death. Stay in quarantine when you can, and be sure to take proper coronavirus precautions when you have to go out. Follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) COVID-19 guidelines. Together, we can beat this.
Compulse Integrated Marketing is a full-service digital marketing agency. For all questions and inquiries, please contact us at 844.821.2154, or visit us online.