At the time of this article, more than one in three Oklahomans have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination. More than 200 million shots in the United States have been administered and the restrictions for a majority of the population have been almost fully lifted. Are you ready for the economic flood gates to open once again?

 

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the unemployment claims have decreased week-over-week for the past two months. As a USDOL official stated on Good Morning America, “The U.S. economy is firing on all cylinders.” What does that mean for main street USA? Many of us have seen this before. The recession of 2010 showed an upswing in economic growth, but not to this level. Businesses that have been barely making it might be on the path to either ever-increasing growth or operational disasters. Much of this can be determined by how you market your company and the way your engagement positions you for the next 12 months.

 

Over the past year-and-a-half, so many businesses have been barely making it or have gone under. Let’s face it, there is a possibility your competition is either gone, or on their last leg. You might be too, but this is the time to really focus on your marketing messages to capture those consumers coming back to the table with expendable income. Whether business-to-consumer or business-to-business, everyone is ready to do business and return to some form of normalcy. Here are some key marketing moves to help you strengthen your position in the market:

 

1. Stay consistent with updates to your social media. The first thing many consumers will do is check to see if updates have been made recently to see activity.

2. Keep your Google Business listing fresh. Show consumers you are open for business, vibrant and ready to ride the wave to economic success.

3. Showcase recent wins. We just lived through a Global Pandemic. If your business survived, share your story. There is no shame in telling the good, bad and ugly about the last 18 months. We all lived through this, we all want to know who was able to stick it out, one way or another.

4. Think about partnering with previous competitors. Your business model may have changed. It might be time to look a merging with another company, telling that story and showcasing that one strong company is much better than two fledgling companies.

 

Make no mistake, the business climate is heating. You have made it this long, don’t give up. Muster all of your strength and spend marketing dollars on savvy, unique messages to showcase your products and services.