The coronavirus pandemic has brought a new challenge for the seafood industry – from fishermen to seafood processing to retail and restaurants. In a business that already has plenty of its own challenges, COVID-19 has already made plenty of commercial fishermen and seafood business owners wonder about their futures in the industry.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
By adapting your business and exploring new, unique ways of offering products to your customers, you have the opportunity to not only survive in these trying times, but thrive.
3 WAYS YOUR SEAFOOD COMPANY CAN SUCCEED DURING COVID
1. Get creative with seafood service options.
Seafood restaurants and retail shops have a unique opportunity here: service customers in ways that you never have before.
Sure, takeout and delivery services are great options – especially if you’ve never offered them before. Curbside pickup is also an excellent way to keep your employees and customers safe.
But how about some even more outside-the-box thinking? Consider packaging and selling meal kits for the week. With a predetermined menu, you can package meal kits – cooked or uncooked – for customers to take home and prepare or enjoy with their families. These types of kits can be established as a one-off or ongoing subscription basis for your customers.
Think about taking this idea to the next level by incorporating great digital content alongside your kits. Video or written tutorials help customers prepare meals and entice new customers to purchase your cuisine.
2. Put digital marketing first.
It’s no surprise that those companies who have a great online marketing presence are going to have better success right now. No matter what your role in the seafood market, it’ll be instrumental that you position your business online to get in front of your target audience.
A few key areas include:
- Website: Your website should be user friendly, crisp, clean, and help customers solve their problems. Any ecommerce or online store should be easy to navigate and secure for users.
Example: Your seafood shop’s ordering system should be simple and easy to use. Customers should be able to order what they need and check out securely without any issues. - Blog, Video, Social Media & Email Newsletters: No matter what form of content you choose to create, ensure that it’s reaching your target market. Give them the information and resources that adds value.
Example: Your seafood processing center can provide great resources on how your facility is keeping seafood safe and ready to ship to restaurants and retail shops. - Google My Business: Local businesses have no choice but to focus on local demand. That starts with cleaning up your local search presence using Google My Business. Own your account information and ask happy customers to leave great reviews.
Example: Your fishing charter can use Google My Business to advertise existing discounts, share videos and photos from happy customers, and gain traction with fantastic reviews from customers. - Google Analytics & Google Search Console: You can’t manage what you don’t measure, so use these tools to measure all of your digital marketing efforts.
3. Rethink your product distribution channels.
Now may not be the right time to recreate your business, but it is the perfect time to reimagine it. Consider your current customers and distribution channels…is this business structure sustainable in pandemic-riden times?
If not, think about how you can incorporate new distribution channels and customers quickly and effectively. For instance, if your seafood processing company traditionally supplies area restaurants with fresh seafood, how about providing product directly to customers?
Or if you are a commercial fishing company who sells your seafood to local restaurants, figure out what it would take to ship all across the country to a variety of different restaurant customers.
No matter what, the pandemic has provided a perfect recipe for seeing what your seafood business is made of. Are you willing to pivot and last for the long haul? Or will you fold under the economic pressure? If you need help creating a digital marketing presence that represents your business and reaches your target market, contact us at OSC Web Design.
