The Coronavirus pandemic is having a profound effect on local service businesses, with many business owners looking to adapt their so they can operate remotely and generate an online income. I’ve made some simple YouTube videos to help people who are considering creating an online offer.
It seems that many people will need to adapt their business to a more remote set up over the coming years, as a result of Covid-19. I anticipate that the digital nomad lifestyle will be less attractive in some ways, at least for a year or two, however, the need to work in a location independent or remote way will certainly continue, and in fact it will probably increase. It’s just people will be working that way from their homes.
Videos on how to create an online offer
With this in mind I decided to make some simple YouTube videos, to help local businesses affected by lockdown conditions. The videos are aimed at people who normally deliver their local service business offline, but who need to adapt it to run it remotely through channels such as Zoom, social media and YouTube. For example, personal trainers, yoga teachers, therapists, music teachers, as well as tradespeople such as plumbers and hairdressers.
The information contained with them are very much ‘beginners’ level. They are aimed at people who don’t really have much of an online presence at the moment and who need help thinking through how they can develop an offer and how to articulate it. If you feel they could help someone you know, please forward them on.
In this first video, I discuss:
- How to adapt a service business which involves a coaching, therapy or teaching element so you deliver it directly to people using tools such as Zoom, Google Hangouts, Social Media and YouTube.
- How to create a very specific offer which meets a particular need – or pain point – at this unusual time. The aim is to provide real value to people as they work and live in highly stressful lockdown conditions at home.
- How to create short online tutorials to help people learn some of the skills you provide – perfect for tradespeople such as hairdressers, massage therapists, carpenters and plumbers, who normally need to be physically present when delivering their service. The aim is to build a brand for yourself, as the go to expert and then to monetise your knowledge later in time.
The second video is designed to be viewed straight afterwards, and it goes into four simple marketing steps that you should focus on to get your offer out there.
1. How to clearly articulate your new online offer to match your ideal client’s ‘pain point’. This includes a reference to my Avatar and Offer Worksheet which can be downloaded here.
2. How to easily and quickly create an online presence to house your new online offer.
3. How to promote your new online offer on social media, including Instagram, Facebook groups, Whatsapp and LinkedIn.
4. How to use loyalty and refer a friend schemes to extend your reach.
GenerationXit – currently locked down in the UK!
A quick update from me, for any new people who are looking at this blog for the first time as a result of the videos.
My name is Sam and I’m a 44 year old digital nomad (normally!) and a location independent strategic marketing consultant. You can read more about my story here. This blog aims to help people to become location independent – either through remote work, or setting up a freelance business, or becoming an online entrepreneur – so that they have more freedom and control over their lives.
Normally I travel around whilst I work, staying in one location or country for around 3 months at a time. But I was forced to leave India on 17th March as a result of Coronavirus, so I came back to the UK – my home country – to hunker down here for a while.
Since then I’ve been very busy with my marketing consultancy work. But I’ve also been thinking about GenerationXit and what to do with this website.
I will be touching on other topics in the months to come, focusing more on setting up a freelance operation as well as marketing. The podcast will also continue from next week! If there are any topics you would like me to focus please get in touch in the comments below.
Stay safe!
Sam 🙂
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