With current guidance on the COVID-19 outbreak encouraging us to self-isolate and limit social interactions as much as possible, it might seem like a tricky time to maintain contact with your clients. If you’ve had to temporarily close your clinic to help stop the spread of the Coronavirus, it’s totally normal to be a little bit concerned about keeping your clients updated. But social distancing doesn’t mean you can’t stay connected with your clients - here are a few ways you can help them stay in the loop.
Communicate with clients via social media
Thanks to social media, you can check in with your clients, update them on your situation and give them some guidance, all with a simple post to your social platforms. And to make things even easier, you can simultaneously upload posts across your social media channels - whether that’s Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc - to try and reach as many of your clients as possible. So, regardless of where they go to receive your digital content, they should stay up-to-date.
For a more personal approach to communicating with your clients during your clinic’s hiatus, Instagram stories are a great way to chat to your followers - and they’ll probably appreciate a friendly face whilst they’re stuck indoors. You can even do Q&As to keep things interactive and fully engage with them. And there’s IGTV, too, if you feel like posting lengthier, more chatty updates. You might also want to encourage your clients to leave comments on your posts or send you direct messages to keep in contact with them individually.
Update clients with a newsletter
If you already distribute a newsletter to your clients with clinic news, this is a great way to keep them posted whilst your clinic’s out of action. You can use it to let your clients know when you close, how long you’ll likely be closed for and - most importantly - when you’re ready to open your doors again, as well as any other important info your clients should know.
For those of you who don’t already send out a newsletter, this might be a good time to look into setting one up. There’s lots of great newsletter software out there - like Mailchimp - and lots of them even have free plans. And newsletters are not only handy for keeping clients in the know during uncertain times like these but, even after things have blown over, they’re a great way to deliver news to your clients - whether you choose to circulate one fortnightly, monthly, quarterly, etc.
Send your clients a text or WhatsApp message
Contacting all of your clients individually with a text or WhatsApp message is probably way too time-consuming and inefficient. But if you have clients who don’t use social media, or who aren’t signed up to your newsletter, checking in with them via text might be a good idea. Staying in touch with a quick message now and then will help them stay connected and updated on your clinic’s status, and they’ll probably enjoy having a quick chat. This is also a good way to inform your clients of any appointment cancellations you might have to make.
Keep your website up-to-date
Your website is another good way to update your clients during your clinic’s closure, and also a great place to keep clients (existing and new) engaged, entertained and thinking about your clinic with blog posts - and these don’t only have to be about COVID-19! Lots of your clients will probably have more free time on their hands than usual, and will be looking for ways to fill this. So, posting regular blog articles is a fab way to stay at the forefront of your clients’ minds, ready for when you reopen your clinic’s doors.
Offer virtual consultations
In light of their clinics temporarily closing, some practitioners have started offering clients digital consultations via platforms like FaceTime, Skype and Zoom. Just because you’re not able to meet with your clients in person, doesn’t mean you can’t give them advice or chat through some skin concerns they might have. Your clients are still going to be looking into treatments and, whilst they might have to wait a little while for an appointment, this is a great way for you to continue helping them and to hit the ground running with bookings when your doors open again.
Help your community
If you have any vulnerable clients who might be at increased risk of contracting the Coronavirus, now is a good time to reach out to them and offer any help they might need. This could be as simple as dropping off a few essential supplies on their doorstep - a great way to help whilst also maintaining social distance. The thing about COVID-19 is that we can overcome it together, so looking after our community is vital during this time - and your clients will no doubt be really grateful for your support.
So, these are a few things you can do to stay connected with your clients whilst your clinic might be closed. Staying in touch with your customers is not only a great way to keep them updated on what’s happening with your clinic, but to also help your business come back with a bang when you’re ready to take bookings again.