Ever since the global pandemic COVID-19 started spreading all around the world, entrepreneurs have encountered a lot of struggles. We all know that people are not allowed to freely roam around different places but it does not mean that business will also need to stop. Even though it looks bad as it is, customers and clients will still find their way to purchase products and services that they want or need. This is why you need to know the potential of digital marketing for your business in this pandemic. To give you information about digital marketing, stick with us until the end.

How Can Digital Marketing Help Your Business in This Pandemic

More businesses are turning to digital marketing for help. As businesses go online to cater to client’s and customer’s needs, the online market becomes crowded and creates increased competition. Through digital marketing, businesses have a higher fighting chance against competitors in gaining new clients or customers and retaining old ones. If you are not familiar with this type of marketing, you can let professionals handle your marketing campaign and discover the different benefits it can give your business during the pandemic. Below are just some of the advantages of using digital marketing during this pandemic. 

1. Maintain Communication Without Face-to-Face Interactions

Even though you cannot physically interact with your clients and customers, you still have to make them feel like you are always ready to help them with their problems using the products and services that you offer. Optimizing your digital marketing strategy will help them easily find you especially when they need your product or service as solutions to their problems. Some of the strategies you can use are chatbots and email marketing. You can also try bulk SMS solutions for quick and easy communication.

1. Help Keep Customer Informed and Engaged

During the time of the pandemic, there is a high tendency for people to always browse the internet to look and search for the things that they need or want. You have to take advantage of this concept to make sure that your business will reach the knowledge of your target audience. You can post content such as informational videos regarding your products and services, you can even post customer reviews as proof of legitimacy.

1. Possibility of Gaining New Leads

The power of digital marketing, especially during the pandemic, is very difficult to underestimate. Since more people are using social media and browsing the internet to find what they need instead of physically going to stores or offices, digital marketing can help you reach out to those people and eventually turn them into clients or customers.

1. More Cost-Effective Option to Continue Marketing

Digital marketing is known to be more cost-effective than traditional marketing since everything is done online. You also have a lot of options to choose from such as email marketing, video marketing, affiliate marketing, social media marketing, and so on. Also, there are a lot of professional online marketers that can handle your marketing campaign if you’re a bit overwhelmed with the process since they know how to effectively take advantage of digital marketing for your business. As a result, you can avoid spending more money on such things that will not effectively help you for your marketing campaign.

To further conclude the discussion, you have to remember that it is not just your business that is struggling during the time of the pandemic. Your customers are also dealing with different challenges and they also have other priorities. Optimizing your digital marketing campaign will help your customers easily find you and rely on you when they need products and services that will serve as a solution to their difficulties and problems. You need to focus on optimizing your digital marketing strategies to let your customers and clients feel that you are always ready to help them with the products and services that you offer.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post How Can Digital Marketing Help Your Business During the COVID-19 Pandemic appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

· Businesses in the Arts, Entertainment and recreation sector have seen the second highest increase of 10.84%.

· Accommodation and Food Services have seen the lowest increase, at just 0.75%.

Professional, scientific and technical services – including financial management, scientific research and development and agricultural have received the UK’s highest increase in average wage since the pandemic began, a new study shows.

Comparing ONS average wage figures from January 2020 with those from July of this year, research from leading software developers Bacancy Technology reveals that the average salary for those working in professional, scientific and technical services has gone up by 11.4% – the highest increase across industries in the UK. Overall, this sector’s monthly pay packet of £2,270 per month in Jan 2020 has increased to £2,529 in July of this year.

Roles within the Arts, Entertainment and Recreation sector have seen the second highest average wage increase, going up by 10.8%. The industry’s average has gone from £1,255 in January of 2020 to £1,391 in 2021 – a growth of £136.

Though positions within Finance and insurance saw the third highest percentage increase in wages of 10.6%, the sector saw the highest raw average financial increase from last January to this July, of £308. Average wages in this sector increased from £2,883 to £3,191 per month.

At the other end of the spectrum, employees within Accommodation and Food Services ranked with the lowest wage growth, both in percentage and raw financial increase – seeing an average increase of less than 1% – just £8 per month.

Construction services have also seen slow growth over the lockdown period, placing the second lowest in the table with an average increase of just 1% – an additional £23 per month to their pay checks.

Assessing these findings, a spokesperson for N.Rich commented: “This breakdown shows a number of interesting facts surrounding the UK’s most lucrative industries for personal financial growth over time. The rising demand for financial guidance, agricultural suppliers and medical research and development over lockdown has clearly impacted the wages received by the employees of these businesses.”

The study was conducted by N.Rich, which offers a rich array of intent data and ad inventory that enable marketers to drive awareness and lead generation effectively.

UK industry average wage increases – January 2020 to July 2021

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post Science And Technical Industries See Highest Pay Increases During Pandemic appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

If you had to shut your business during the pandemic in 2020 and you’re fortunate enough to have the opportunity to open it again, you might be wondering how to do so safely. The truth is, there are some extra steps you need to take to reopen your company safely for yourself, your employees, and your customers or clients. Since we are only in the vaccination stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, we all still need to be cautious about spreading the virus while we do our part to stop it for good.

Your patrons will look to you to provide the same service you did before March 2020. Unfortunately, doing so isn’t as simple as opening your doors, and if you want a successful reopening, you need to have everything in place before welcoming your community inside.

Define Your Internal and External Policies

Check with your state and county to see if there are any requirements you need to abide by in order to deal with the public. You may need to incorporate a maximum capacity of people in your store or install plexiglass. Also, it might be a good idea to invest in an air filter if you have a lot of people entering and exiting your business.

If it’s only you and your employees, will you require COVID tests and, more importantly, can you? If employees want to work from home and it’s possible for your business to function like that, it may be worth offering as an option.

Requiring masks is a policy typically up to the business owner, so decide where you stand on that and prepare to defend your position. Remember, it’s your business, and you can enforce any rule you see fit to protect yourself and your employees.

Make the Rules Clear

For customers and employees to follow the rules, they have to be clear. So, in addition to communicating the rules of your business, be sure to post them in plain sight. That way, if someone isn’t following your regulations, you can communicate your policy and point them in the direction of your signs.

As long as your policies are clearly defined and displayed, you should have an easier time enforcing them when the time comes. But remember to be polite because even though there is a guide to handling Google reviews for your business, you want positive reviews and happy customers.

Run the Numbers

Based on the information you discover about your state and county’s policies, calculate your cost of opening versus your projected revenue and decide if you can reopen at all. If it’s not economically possible right now, maybe you could look into conducting your business online until your business can turn a profit again.

Have a Contingency Plan

If you find that you can open and stay afloat, you still need to account for possible employee absences due to sickness. Not only might they get sick and have to quarantine, but they might need to take care of family members. Be sure you have the resources to cover their work and determine how long you can run your business with the least number of people. Decide what you’ll do if you hit that number and reach out to temp agencies in the event you need them.

Prepare for a Surge

The vaccination plan is rolling across the world, but nothing is 100%. Not only that, vaccinations are not mandatory, so there’s no telling how long it will take for herd immunity to kick in and protect those who cannot receive the vaccine. As evidenced by the controversy with Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, setbacks can happen, and if a surge happens, you have to be prepared to shut your doors again.

Opening Your Doors and Keep Your Business Viable

If you plan to open your business, make sure you’re ready for all that entails. While it can be exciting to get back out there, keep in mind that your business might not feel like it used to. But the better you can roll with the punches of today’s world, the higher the chances are you will come out successful on the other side.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post What to Keep in Mind When Opening Your Business Post COVID appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

2020 pulled no punches. As the coronavirus brought the global economy to its knees, many businesses had to lose revenue, lay off workers, or close shop. However, some companies have enjoyed a sudden surge in demand thanks to the pandemic.

With businesses and industries worldwide learning to adjust to the pandemic, some historically underperforming businesses have mustered enough tenacity to exploit this new landscape. Here are five such businesses that are beating the odds despite the pandemic-induced economic turmoil.

Lending Services

The alternative finance industry for personal loans has experienced a phenomenal uptick in the space of one year. Due to record high unemployment rates and business closures, the demand for loan places has skyrocketed in recent months, creating unprecedented pressure for conventional lending institutions like banks.

Traditionally, consumers and SMEs have accessed credit services through banks. However, but with numerous barriers to quick loans, many consumers have turned to alternative lenders. Unlike traditional banks, alternative lenders have less stringent regulations and can even provide loans for personal needs, e.g., paying the bills at reasonable rates.

E-Commerce

Although the general business landscape had been slowly tipping towards e-commerce, the pandemic has accelerated this transition tremendously. Due to quarantines, mandatory lockdowns, and governments shutting down non-essential businesses, many previously brick-and-mortar establishments had to find new ways of reaching their customers.

As consumers reduced in-person trips to essential businesses, e.g., grocery stores, online retailers like Instacart, eBay and Amazon reported massive spikes in sales. Essentially, any business that shifted its service/product delivery online set itself up for success amidst the pandemic.

Online Learning

As schools worldwide shut down to curb the spread of the coronavirus, many students suddenly had to become their own teachers. The sudden demand for remote learning accelerated the slow transition to digital education across K-12 schools and higher educational institutions. This initial step towards e-learning was much appreciated by well-positioned institutions, as the demand for online classes, computers, and digital textbooks rose to an all-time high.

According to Pearson Education, the current alterations to traditional learning may remain permanent long after the pandemic passes. In a series of Times Higher Education interviews, over 60% of top university leaders predicted that most higher learning institutions would offer entire university courses online by 2030.

Video Games

While most of the world complains about strict travel restrictions, gamers enjoy all the extra time they spend indoors honing their skills. As expected, the video game industry grew by leaps and bounds as people naturally looked for new entertainment sources.

While the pandemic has proven to be a much-needed break for existing gamers, non-gamers have gotten a glimpse into the world of gaming. In 2020 alone, video game sales across the US rose by 27% to a staggering $56.9 billion, a clear indication of the bright future ahead for gaming businesses during the pandemic and post-COVID.

Personal Cleanliness Products

Early on in the pandemic, packs of tissue paper and bottles of antibacterial hand gel were hard to come by in stores as it became clear that a highly infectious disease was spreading across the world. However, even as things seem to have settled down, personal hygiene practices like handwashing have become deeply entrenched in society. It is perhaps safe to conclude that personal hygiene companies are unlikely to run out of business soon.

Conclusion

Despite many countries’ impressive efforts to roll out covid-19 vaccines, the virus-induced economic downturn is still far from over, especially considering the massive disparity between vaccine supply and demand. Rather than sit back and hope for the best, many business leaders learn to adapt and overcome as the global economy gradually recovers from the pandemic’s effect.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post 5 Types of Businesses That Are Booming During the Pandemic appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

Disinfectants

Using disinfectants to clean surfaces like doorknobs, tables, devices, and any frequently touched surfaces can help fight COVID-19. Some disinfectants are proven to kill the virus that causes the coronavirus. It is recommended that you use cloth dabbed in disinfectants, such as diluted bleach or chlorine, to wipe indoor surfaces rather than spraying them.  You should add one part of bleach or chlorine to forty-nine parts of water. You can also use 70-90% alcohol to disinfect contaminated surfaces effectively. For a thorough and more effective process, you should wipe the dirt off the surfaces using soap or detergents first, then proceed to disinfect them. When you return home from work or after running a few errands, you should properly wash your hands with soap or water, and use an alcohol-based hand rub before you touch anyone or anything. 

Face Masks, and Shields

COVID-19 mainly spreads through infected droplets. These droplets can be discharged through the mouth or the nose, which means that if an infected person coughs, sneezes, or even spits while talking, they will spread the virus to those near to them. This is why face masks and shields are so important. If you are wondering where to buy PPE, you can check out any medical supply store. If the infected person is wearing a face mask, these droplets will be contained, and the chances of you catching COVID-19 would be even lower if you too are wearing a mask. 

In order to be effective, face masks should properly hug the nose and extend down to the chin, covering your whole face. Face shields work pretty much the same way, except they protect your eyes as well. While taking off a face shield, you must remove it from the strap and pull it away from your head without touching your face. You should do the same with the face mask;  remove it from the straps or bands without touching the mask itself. After you remove any of your PPE, you should wash your hands with soap thoroughly and use an alcohol-based hand rub. 

Gloves

Wearing safety gloves while touching any public surfaces can be more effective in protecting you against the virus than merely disinfecting the surfaces. However, this is only applicable if you can get rid of them correctly. If you touch the used gloves when taking them off, it can end up backfiring. To safely dispose of the gloves, you should grasp them at the wrist without touching your bare skin, peel them away from your hands, turn them inside out, and throw them at the nearest bin. 

COVID-19 is a very quickly transmitted virus. Due to its high fatality rate, people can be led to believe that simple measures, such as using personal protection equipment would not be enough. However, if used correctly, PPE can protect you and your loved ones from the virus.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post Is PPE Sufficient to Battle Against COVID-19? appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.