{"id":105501,"date":"2020-04-06T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-06T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dacgroup.com\/5-ways-food-businesses-can-communicate-better-during-covid-19\/"},"modified":"2024-12-19T16:44:32","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T21:44:32","slug":"5-ways-food-businesses-can-communicate-better-during-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dacgroup.com\/en-gb\/insights\/blog\/local-search\/5-ways-food-businesses-can-communicate-better-during-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"5 ways food businesses can communicate better during COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"

Coronavirus has turned the UK\u2019s upside-down. With no exaggeration, there has never been a peacetime situation like it. Restaurants and catering businesses are having to transform their business models at breakneck speed to remain viable. Many have switched to takeaway or delivery exclusively, while others have even become temporary grocers.<\/p>\n

Good communication is essential to inform already-stressed customers about these new models, services, and particulars. With everyone spending more time at home, this may also be an opportune time to nurture awareness and loyalty through useful content\u2014especially through digital channels that have been underutilised previously. To that end, here’s how food businesses\u2014from restaurants to caterers\u2014can communicate better to help negotiate a way through this crisis.<\/p>\n

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    Be omnichannel<\/h2>\n

    If your restaurant has had to adopt a new business model, it’s to get that message out there. Fortunately, it’s easy to reach the most relevant people quickly via social media promotion on Facebook and Instagram\u2014ideally within a radius of each location.<\/p>\n

    Watch times on IGTV and YouTube are shooting up, so this may also prove to be an opportune time to dive into video marketing. Video, after all, can be a relatively quick and inexpensive way to produce a “broadcast ad” highlighting your new approach.<\/p>\n

    Above all, address the public’s most pressing concerns at this time. Hygiene is more important than ever, so shine a light on any additional health, safety, and social distances measures you are taking.<\/li>\n

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    Maintain your listings<\/h2>\n

    Google My Business (GMB) listings are proving to be essential at this time of rapid change. If you’ve pivoted to takeaway, it’s absolutely critical to have correct opening times so that customers don’t make wasted journeys. Google already shows provisos that opening times may fluctuate, but try to be one step ahead if you can. If you need to update information, do it quickly, and ensure consistency across all local platforms.<\/p>\n

    If possible, make the switch to card payments only\u2014and let your customers know about it. If nothing else, this pandemic will expedite our collective journey towards a cashless society.<\/p>\n

    Even during normal circumstances, accurate store and payment information are an important courtesy for customers. If you inadvertently cause your customers to make fruitless journeys during trying times, they will not soon forget it.<\/li>\n

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    Share your challenges<\/h2>\n

    Many restaurants have had to embrace home delivery almost overnight. Just Eat, Deliveroo, and other platforms offer a quick route to market, and there’s plenty of public goodwill for under-pressure food businesses at this time. All the same, you have to be completely honest\u2014with yourself and with your audiences\u2014about the challenges building a distribution network out of nothing.<\/p>\n

    Start by committing to full transparency. Create prominent messaging on your website to flag potential delays. Or, put another way, manage your customers’ expectations before<\/em> they part with their hard-earned cash.<\/li>\n

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