Separate, Together: Businesses Offer Leadership for Communities

There’s no doubt the past month has been a difficult one for all of us. The health and wellness of ourselves and our families is being threatened. Our communities and states are locked down. Our businesses have been challenged. Many of us may be tempted to withdraw, retreat, and hunker down with the hope that the spread of the coronavirus will soon ebb, and we can return to “normal.”

But over the past few weeks, my team, GET Creative, the branded content studio of the USA TODAY NETWORK, has been inspired by the leadership offered by local businesses in their communities. They’re doing it through insightful, engaging, and relevant content that connects with their customers and communities.

• Local hospitals, clinics, and medical professionals are using content to share accurate information and useful resources about the coronavirus.
• Senior living facilities are offering practical guides for families caring for elderly loved ones and solutions for staying connected to those who are isolated.
• Grocers are sharing how they’re adapting their operations, keeping their doors open to provide the necessities of life in a way that is orderly and safe for all of us.

Many of the brands we’re working with now are adapting to the circumstances. They’re recognizing the needs of their communities and asking themselves: How can I help?

For many, that means pivoting to create products and services that we need right now ““ restaurants changing operations from dine-in to take-out or delivery. Tailors and alterations shops sewing face masks. Decorators and remodelers offering virtual appointments to plan for those home improvement projects that we still want to tackle.

As brands adapt to these circumstances, they should also be considering how they’re communicating with their customers by keeping their website up to date and engaging with customers on social media platforms. Branded content, published on the trusted websites of your local newspaper’s website can also be a powerful way to engage with their communities, offering thoughtful, relevant leadership.

Recognizing that resources may be stretched, the GET Creative team offers full-service support to create content and distribute it on our platforms. It’s something every busines owner should consider. Our team has even developed a content solution featuring a brand’s social media feed alongside relevant content for efficient constant updates. It’s a product that can be easily tailored for any business.

Though we’re separated by distance at this time, it’s important to keep in mind that we are all together, united by a common goal of stopping the spread of the coronavirus. Naturally, we look to the elected officials of our cities, states, and nations for guidance and leadership. But also remember that your customers ““ your neighbors and friends ““ are looking to the businesses that they trust for leadership, too. The messages we send, the products and services we offer, the information we provide today, will not only get us through this, they’ll deepen our relationships with each other when we emerge on the other side.

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