Is one of your New Year’s Resolutions to revive a currently closed-down business? Whether it’s a hobby you put on hold or a victim of the pandemic, if you’re bringing a business back from the dead, you’ve got more work than you might think. Beyond the logistics and business strategy side of things, you’ve also got work online so people both know your business is back and that everything is pointing properly to the places you do business online. Here’s the marketing needed to restart an old business.

Reviewing Your Branding and Reputation

First thing to do when you’re thinking about restarting a business is taking inventory. Beyond your physical assets, you need to see how your digital assets faired in your absence. Both your online branding and reputation will be critical to restarting your business, especially with the forced digital nature of the new normal:

• Your Website’s Domain: Did you have a website? Is it still running? Check the status of your domain to make sure you still have it and it’s paid up. If not, think about getting a new one. You may also want to look for the warning signs you need a new website.
• Your Logo and Photography: Just like your domain, you want to make sure your branding – such as photography and logo – hasn’t been appropriated by others. It might also be time to make a new one as part of a rebrand. New photos are essential, especially for restaurants.
• Rebranding: Did you close your business due to an issue with your reputation? Just because it’s been several years, those issues may still follow you around. Take stock and figure out if you need a rebrand (it can be harder than you think).

Reviving Your Online Presence

Once you’ve decided to pull the trigger on your business’s restart, you want to make sure people can find you online – this is your online presence. You’ve got several stops to check, claim, and refresh:

• Your Google Listing is a combination of your Google Search results and Google Map listing; you’ll want to make sure the information here is up to date to make certain people find you when they search for you. Get started here.
• Review and Listing Sites should also be claimed. Depending on your business, this can include Yelp, the BBB, Trip Advisor, or even more specialist or regional listing websites. Do searches for your company online and see what comes up.
• Your Social Media Platforms: Before you can make the big announcement, you need to make sure your social media pages are correctly hooked up. Refresh as needed and make sure they are properly linked on your Google Listing and website to make it easy to find you.

Getting the Word Out on Social Media & Email

For most businesses, you’ll have two ways of informing current and new customers about your restarted business. Social media is the most common, as it allows you to tap not only current followers but also new customers through careful use of hashtags, images, and promotional material. But don’t discount any mailing lists you may have developed in the past: email marketing can also play a crucial role in getting the word out about your business reopening.

Restarting a dormant business is no easy task, but you’re not alone. At Vision Advertising, we believe the first step for any business’s marketing is education – it’s why we have an extensive blog archive alongside regular webinars. If you’re looking for more, including coaching, marketing and business strategy, and outsourcing marketing: we can help. Contact us online today to get started.