Burnley digital marketer shares lockdown tips

Dave Walker, founder and managing director of Burnley-based +24 hosted a free web seminar to help steer local businesses through the coronavirus pandemic, teaching them how to motivate staff, drive sales growth and communicate with customers. 

Dave, who organised the webinar with the East Lancashire Chamber, said: "If your business is to succeed on the other side of this - you need to be ready to embrace the change. If you’re not prepared to change and to adapt and to re-invent the way you do things, it’s unlikely you’ll succeed."

He said that marketing will be key for businesses to survive the next few years of hard times, but campaigns must be carried out with empathy. He said: "The message companies send out now is key – it should be one of positivity and triumph.

"If you’re not able to trade currently then your story is the thing to share. Providing your sales and marketing messages are conveyed with genuine empathy during these times I suspect they will generally be well received." 

“One thing I can be absolutely confident of is that businesses who continue or even up their marketing efforts during the next few months will be the ones who come out stronger on the other side of this."

+24's survival tips

• Focus your mindset - be an optimist.
• Business is going to change - move into reinvention mode, don’t try and be Blockbusters.
• Go to market now. Go on the offensive.
• Make your messaging empathetic.
• Tell your own story over a hard sell
• Use social media to give so much attention to your business.
• Use ads, search and social media, the cost is dropping.
• Keep your sales message simple. 
• Marketing principles don’t change, your message and angle does. 
• Your marketing does not have to cost the earth. 
• If you cannot physically trade due to social distancing it is even more important not to fall silent because you will have a competitor quite happy to engage with your customers. 

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