As the COVID-19 pandemic disrupts our daily lives, forcing many of us to work from home, it’s important to maintain business as usual as best you can.

With so much uncertainty in the air, business owners have a responsibility to provide calm and responsive leadership. Obviously, in-person contact is discouraged during this period of “social distancing.” Fortunately, there are various ways in the digital age to maintain communication with coworkers and clients.

Over the Phone
You should compile a list of your employees’ phone numbers (work and personal, if necessary) and email it to everyone in the company. Sometimes it’s easier to call or shoot a text, especially in a time crunch. You should also set up a weekly conference call so everyone shares what they’re working on, how they’re handling working from home, company updates and ideas for projects. Free conference call services include FreeConference (up to 400 participants at a time), UberConference (45-minute limit, up to 10 participants at a time) and FreeConferenceCall (1,000 participants at a time).

While having a paper trail is preferred when communicating with clients, it’s important to check in with at least one phone call to see how they’re doing and how you can help. Our inboxes have been inundated with email blasts from brands we haven’t engaged with in forever, claiming to care about us during this trying time. Picking up the phone and speaking with your customers shows you truly care. You can follow up via text in the days and weeks to come.

Email
Email is the dominant form of communication in the promotional products industry; nearly 92% of end-buyers use it to do business with distributors, according to ASI research. Older generations have adopted it, and despite all the chatter over social media and texting, younger generations do rely on email. In fact, nearly 68% of teenagers and 73% of twenty-somethings prefer communications from businesses to come via email, according to email marketing company Adestra.

But with people receiving hundreds of emails per day, it’s imperative to grab your recipient. Compelling subject lines are essential. They must be attention-getting, but not misleading. And because email apps will cut off the subject line, make sure the first 35 characters contain the most important words.

There are many pitfalls to avoid, such as misspellings, incorrect grammar and misrepresentation of tone. If someone doesn’t know your sense of humor, they can misconstrue what you intended as a joke as an insult. Read your email aloud to make sure the message you’re trying to get across is easily understood. Also, always proofread your writing before sending. Use your built-in spellcheck or free software tools like Grammarly to fix any mistakes and make your message crystal clear.

Social Media
The importance of maintaining an active social media presence should be common knowledge by now. After all, more than 30% of distributors say social networking has gained them new business in 2018, up from 19% four years prior, according to 2019 Counselor State of the Industry data.

With so much time at home, people will be scrolling social media more than ever before. You should be posting on your company’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn pages daily. Inform your customers of how you’re handling the pandemic, any service restrictions, product delays, etc. Create and share content that will help their business: tutorials on new technology, software and social media features; productivity tips; advice for dealing with stress; and new products related to their industry. Scan your clients’ pages to see how they’ve been affected by the pandemic, looking for any opportunities that you can capitalize on. Being proactive is crucial at a time when your competition will be looking for the same opportunities.

Take this time to promote your business on social media, too. Humanize your company: Have your employees share photos of their work-from-home stations, how they’re getting things done in a crowded house, what they’re doing to pass the time on weekends and at night. Encourage your team to share their Spotify playlists and Netflix recommendations. Showing your company’s personality can lead to stronger relationships with clients and even pique interest in potential ones.

Video Chat
There are plenty of free video chat apps for you to connect with coworkers and clients. For one-on-one conversations, the best apps to use are FaceTime, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. FaceTime works on an iPhone, iPad or Mac between Apple device users, also offering audio-only calls. Facebook Messenger is recommended for those constantly on the popular platform and WhatsApp can be downloaded from the App Store.

Even though we’re all isolated in our homes, nobody is expected to be working nonstop. If you’re preoccupied with your children or on a different time zone from your client, perhaps you should use Marco Polo. The app allows you to send video messages that recipients can watch and respond to at a later time. Sounds like Snapchat, but Marco Polo saves all your video messages so you can revisit conversations, and it doesn’t limit your video time.

For group meetings over video, the best apps to use are Zoom, Skype and Google Hangouts. Zoom has a free basic tier that allows you to host up to 100 participants. There is a 40-minute limit, but nobody wants to be in a meeting longer than that, anyway. Skype lets you record, save and share your video calls, and even provides live captions and subtitles. Google Hangouts Meet is a videoconferencing tool integrated into the G Suite platform that allows people to hop on meetings via a web link through their laptop or mobile app. If your organization uses G Suite, you can create that link directly through a Google Calendar invite.

Vlogs and Podcasts
Necessity is the mother of invention.

During the pandemic, suppliers and distributors are exploring new ways to engage with customers and drive business. Bjorn Rheborg, regional manager at Top 40 supplier Gemline (asi/56070), has launched a YouTube series to inspire new ideas, showcase hot products and update viewers on what Gemline is doing internally to push through during this difficult time.

Does the world need another podcast? Maybe not, but your clients might. By day four of this lockdown (day two at my house), you’ll be scratching your window, screaming at pigeons and praying for an escape. Pass the time constructively by launching a podcast to keep your clients informed and entertained. If you’re not trying to be the next Joe Rogan, all you need is a recorder, a USB cord and a hosting service. There are sites that offer free plans, but they come with restrictions. For example, Buzzsprout removes your episode after 90 days. Podbean, another popular host, caps your free storage to five hours. Those limitations are fine if you’re only podcasting temporarily. If you want to keep it going, invest in one of the host’s paid packages.

And then there’s TikTok. The mobile app creates short-form, lip-sync videos, often with comic intent. In the U.S., the time users spent on the app in 2019 grew 375% over the prior year, according to App Annie, an app-focused analytics and data firm. Several promo pros are using the platform to build a loyal industry following and grow their personal brand.

How about those of us who are genuinely trying to help the scrambling event marketers? pic.twitter.com/B3L5HxYdge

— Javier (@JavierSolutions) March 7, 2020