 “Why are your emails so plain?” It seemed like a simple question but from someone whose emails are pretty snazzy. Well, sort of. Their emails are a series of graphics and pictures. The question came in a few weeks ago in response to their having received my Monday Morning Marketing email.
Today you have to assume that a lot of people are using their phone to read emails. If they’re reading them at all. So what? Those fancy graphics and snazzy style that might look great on a computer monitor suddenly becomes unreadable on a smart phone screen and even some tablets. Where would you rather go - a party or a funeral? The answer is probably pretty obvious so why would you host a funeral when nobody died? Confused?
I actually attended a brunch this past week where we all kept our distance, wore masks and even had our temperature taken as a component of being allowed in. We are certainly living in interesting times though it was really nice to see a small number of my friends and the food was fantastic. Plus I got to bake a cheese cake which is a point of pride for me. What if your team does not want to come back? What if you threw a party and nobody showed-up? You worked hard, planned well and just sat there. Waiting. And waiting.
This could be what some employers do after people starting opening up again following the shelter in place orders in many areas. There could be a party of none, although it’s doubtful. But certainly something to consider.  I have written about backing up your computer and smart phones in the past. In fact, this is one of the more popular articles on this site and is also something all businesses need to think about.
But there is another form of back-up that might be even more important. Recently I created a new web presence for a client and they had a very, very legitimate question: what happens to our URL (the name in the address line of the browser such as www.nerdsfornormals.com) if something happens to me.  I have been working from home for a very long time with a few brief breaks. As such I feel qualified to offer some tips to all of you who are new to this experience.
Of course many of us are now finding ourselves working, sleeping and cooking under the same roof with our cars sitting in the garage getting several months to a gallon. Suddenly a trip to the grocery store is exciting rather than a drudgery until we get there and see the empty shelves.  While I’m sensing an underlying drum beat of people starting to get restless with staying at home and sheltering in place, especially from a lot of my friends who own businesses, pandemics don’t care that you’re restless. No matter how bored we all get with the current situation, fast-spreading viruses could thrive as a restless world decides that enough is enough and then we’re really in deep water.
So, instead of grumbling about the situation that we are not in control of, here’s an idea to take advantage of it in an unprecedented opportunity to make things better. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has found challenges with this shelter in place (SiP) order and seem to be more easily distracted when the deadlines are fewer and far between. In fact a lot of people are just furloughed altogether so what do you do in these unprecedented times?
Perhaps now is the time to look at ways to sharpen the tools you have. There is an ancient saying that sounds like a blessing but is really a curse that reads, “May you live in interesting times.” While that sounds good, who wants to be bored, it’s really meant more of a curse. And if there were ever a time of being cursed, now might just be it.
This blog is typically about marketing and making the most of your tourism and travel business and that’s the case here, too. However the tourism and travel and special events world have been absolutely turned on their heads with some lodging properties reporting single digit occupancy rates and others just shuttering their operations altogether.  Is email dying? Are you killing email? Why are people avoiding email nowadays? Perhaps it’s because of how people are using email. Hopefully this guide to using email will help keep that method of communication open and not be as horrible as it is now.
There are a lot of people who simply do not use email any longer. In fact a whole generation of people coming up are now either completely without email or just have an account because they have to to register a smart phone or register for school. But, other than that, they just don’t use it. As I build more and more websites for campgrounds and RV parks, and others, I keep hearing and reading the same counter to creating a new digital presence. And the resistance befuddles me. A lot.
One of the most common arguments I hear from campgrounds is that “well we’re pretty full as it is. We don’t need any more business.” I’ve also heard a lot of “we’re happy how we are” and “I don’t want to lose control over my reservation system.” Wow. |
Tony BarthelTony Barthel is passionate about great marketing for small businesses Get Free Weekly Marketing TipsCategories
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