Industry Update - Housekeeping during COVID-19
It's now been three weeks since we took shelter in our bubbles, in a national effort to eliminate COVID-19. We've spent the time ensuring the wellbeing and health of staff and managing our businesses in the environment of Level 4 restrictions.
Now it's a good time to perform essential housekeeping and start to plan for a changed visitor industry both regionally and nationally. What this will look
like and when is still uncertain, which we understand makes planning difficult. However, having a plan with several scenarios will enable you to restart when the time is right.
The team at Destination Coromandel would like to share some tips and thoughts that might help you work on your business while you are not working in your business. We have also added a few links to useful sites that might be of help.
We are also working on marketing planning for different scenarios so that we are ready to jump in with messaging and platforms to support your work as soon as we get a crack of light through the door.
Check List for COVID-19 LOCKDOWN
FINANCIAL
As you are faced with little or no revenue in the short term, no doubt you are revising your 2020/2021 financial budgets. Marketing to your current and new customers in the changed travel landscape and competitive national environment will be crucial to your restart and ongoing growth. We urge you to plan for some marketing activity as well, so that you can stand out.
☑️ Draft Budgets.
KPMG - Cashflow webinar notes
MARKETING STRATEGY
Work out where your business needs to be to succeed in the competitive new travel/economic environment
☑️ Products - what will you be able to offer, and when?
☑️ Customers - do you need to change your focus given that some people will not be able to travel for a while?
☑️ What is the best way to reach your customers now? You may need new ways of promoting your business.
☑️ What will success look like for your business?
DGiT - Activating Domestic Tourism (Market Insights)
Influencer Marketing Hub - 15 steps to build a Social Media Strategy
Hubspot - 5 Steps to Create an Outstanding Marketing Plan
Digital Maverick - Digital Strategy and the domestic tourist
NOTE: A good strategy is a simple one, don't make it too complicated.
COMMUNICATION
Keep talking to your audience. While you may not be able to welcome your customers right now, you still have a group of people who are keen to maintain a relationship with you. Keep them informed, tell them what you're doing, what you plan to do as the travel restrictions are eased. Share new ideas ... keep talking!
☑️ Keep active on your social channels (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn)
☑️ Google.
- Update your GMB (Google My Business) listing
- Put up a COVID-19 message for the appropriate timeframe
- Google Posts are also worth keeping alive (still getting views)
☑️ Send updates to your database. Make sure these are timely and relevant. Don't communicate for the sake of it - be responsible with your messages, be positive, motivational and provide value, ie real news about your business
☑️ Make sure any listings you have on 3rd-party sites are up to date i.e newzealand.com, thecoromandel.com
☑️ Update your details on TripAdvisor - including marking as temporarily closed
☑️ Check your booking channels and reservation systems are up to date
Miles Media - Google My Business Tools and GMB Temporary Closed Notes
Google My Business -Temporary Closed Message and General Updates
TripAdvisor - How to mark as temporarily closed
DATABASES
☑️ Tidy up your databases, including Online (EDMs), Accounts and Point of Sales
Systems, Trade Contacts
WEBSITE
☑️ Ensure you have a COVID-19 message on your website - this will need to be
changed as we progress through the alert levels and restrictions
☑️ Understand your google analytics and use this data to provide a better digital
experience for your site visitors
☑️ Improve your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) - Content is king, so keep your
site fresh with new information, stories, images, videos, maps, widgets. Remember to apply strong keywords and metadata
Tomahawk - Website fitness webinar
TimeZone One - Marketing in the time of COVID-19
Miles Media - 12 Essential google analytics reports
PDF Version
Please contact Destination Coromandel with any queries, concerns or suggestions. We are in this together and we always like to hear how you are going and what you are working on.