Unless you’re an essential worker (and if you are, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks), the COVID-19 pandemic probably has you stuck at home as you continue to shelter in place. 

As the days have become weeks and the weeks have become months, your inability to work while you simultaneously sit back and watch your income streams slowly dry up, probably has you feeling more than just a little bit helpless. 

While we don’t proclaim to have any magical techniques that will somehow instantly pad your bank account, we do have a few ideas as to how you can use your time as productively as possible so that when you do get back to business, you’ll be positioned to succeed.

1. Take time to reflect and evaluate
   During normal times, it’s easy to become so focused on the task at hand that you lose sight of the forest for the trees. One positive that can come from this pandemic is that now you have some time to take a look at your operation from 30,000 feet. 
   
   What are your long-term goals and objectives?
   
   Who is your target audience?
   
   What is it that makes you or your product or service unique?
   
   One great way to answer all of these questions is to conduct your own SWOT analysis. To do so, take a good, long look at yourself in comparison to your competition to determine your own strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
   
   Already done this at some point in the past?
   
   Do it again, but this time, do it while looking through the lens of the world we currently find ourselves living in—chances are the results will look much different than they did just six months ago.
   
   
2. Plan
   Once you have reclassified your overall brand position, go ahead and use that information to create a revised marketing plan.
   
   Normally, when creating a marketing plan, we recommend thinking in terms of six or 12 months, but at the speed in which things are changing, you may need to divide it up into increments as small as one month.
   
   To do so, just use the goals and objectives you developed in step one to create specific strategies and tactics—but don’t get too attached to them, everything is a moving target these days.
   
   
3. Refine
   Before you start creating any new communication materials, be sure to go back and look through what you already have. Chances are there are copy points, photographs or even entire calls to action that are either inappropriate or no longer applicable. Begin with your website and social media as they are more than likely the only way your audience is going to have any contact with you.
   
   
4. Listen
   Speaking of social media, now more than ever is a great time to use it as a way to tap into the needs of your audience. Listen to the problems they are encountering and think about how you might be able to help. And just to clarify, by “help” we don’t mean “cash in,” we mean take a legitimate look at how you might be able to alleviate the pain felt by your customers.
   
   Doing so may not mean anything to your bottom line right now, but it could pay off in the future.
   
   
5. Engage
   While you’re online, be sure to go ahead and actively engage with your audience. Doing so will not only show them that you’re a real person, that you care and that you are in this with them, it will prove to them that you’re actually still in business (not necessarily a given these days) and will keep you top of mind when things eventually do get back to normal.

So, there you have it, five ways you can stay productive during the shutdown and come out of it better prepared for a successful future.

Have your own ideas? Or want help with any of the above? Leave us a comment or send us a message. Like you, we’re not going anywhere.