Between the new work-from-home lifestyle and continuation of stay-at-home directives, businesses and brands are being challenged to execute a major pivot to stay in business. The pressure’s on. Those of us who are going to succeed are developing new ways to deliver products or services to clients and customers.
More than ever, how we tell our story and represent our brand is crucial to our success: It’s important to identify ways we can shift our approach – sooner rather than later.
That’s why, on May 13, ultraviolet’s founder and Creative Director Jennifer Smiga partnered with Mary Leigh Howell, PR consultant, to present the webinar, “Renovating The Design Industry: Media Relations + Digital Strategies In The New Normal,” Together, with an audience of designers, brands and manufacturers, we dug into 4 key topics:
- Understanding the mind shift of the media to help you communicate with them
- Creating relevant, helpful, and story-driven content that engages audiences
- Building strategic partnerships between your brand, influencers, and the media
- Leveraging smart social and digital strategies to make your business thrive
One point we made early on? Reaching people where they are right now and expanding your virtual community – this isn’t a dilemma, it’s an opportunity. The customer is online, and the way you behave now will have an enormous impact on your business’ future. It’s essential to consider how you can pivot and adjust now to provide solutions that meet your clients’ and customers’ changing needs.
Get the entire (free!) webinar
These are just a few of the topics and insights we covered in the session. Whether you were there and just want a quick review or you missed it (we missed you!) and need to see it all, view it here and start leveraging all the best-practices we shared to make sure you don’t lose your audience.
None of us wants to get left behind during this tumultuous time.
No time to watch the entire video right now? No problem. Here’s a recap of the key takeaways.
Understand the media’s mind shift
Even before the pandemic, media in the home space was in the grip of drastic change. Magazines folded, mastheads shrank and newspapers completely dropped Home sections. The bright spot, here, is that while there are fewer print publications and fewer editors, there are more digital outlets looking for more content than ever before.
- Widen your “most wanted” list
- Know their audience
- Be proactive and patient
Create relevant content that engages audiences
By creating stories that work in our lives right now and into the future, whether they are pandemic-friendly or a welcome distraction, make it easy for editors to place you. If you have images or story ideas, now is the time to reach out to your favorite editors and media outlets to collaborate.
Build strategic partnerships
The right partnerships can turn your work-from-home life into an opportunity for your business to evolve and grow. If you have any of these three, you have a compelling reason to kick start a partnership now:
- Stunning professional photography
- A large network
- New products to launch
The numbers tell the story: 71% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase based on social media referrals while 92% of consumers trust referrals from people they know.
Leverage smart social and digital strategies
By working with the right partner—someone authentic and with a relevant audience—interior designers, influencers and manufacturers have been able to shift their focuses, offers, content, and promotions to accommodate the current state of the world.
During the webinar, we presented case studies on how globally-inspired home décor brand SmithHönig, international tile leader Island Stone, and quarrier Polycor have all leveraged partnerships during this time to continue meaningful, online conversations with their customers and fans. With very different business models and partnerships, each of these brands leveraged fresh, authentic content to gain new sales opportunities and brand awareness within their ideal audiences.
It’s clear that in this new climate we need to adapt and evolve our digital strategies to stay visible and engaged. We also need to adapt and evolve our messaging to connect with the new perspectives and needs of our audience. That’s where we can help.
Schedule a 45-minute session with either Jennifer or Mary Leigh. We’ll discuss your goals, how to adjust your current strategy, and where we may be able to help with execution.
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