by Polly Barnfield, OBE. Founder and CEO of Maybe*6 months ago I wrote an article on Linked In. I asked a question: “who will take ownership of the digital infrastructure of each High Street”. There were lots of comments but still no answer.
We’ve been working on a plan since then. I believe that now more than ever, we should take that ownership as a collective. We have to collaborate to make it work, and I gearing up to share the full plan after Christmas.
There is no disputing it has been a hard year and I have a wretched feeling that 2021 will not be a walk in the park either. While we were all looking to Christmas as our beacon of hope, the harshness of the pandemic has refused to let up.
During 2020 we have added 3.4m UK businesses to the Maybe* platform. It provides us with an unprecedented view of what has worked well in 2020 and what tactics businesses should consider focusing on in 2021.
We have shared our learnings from businesses who have stayed connected and as a consequence are thriving despite the challenges of the new world. We are increasingly seeing the emotional needs of customers that businesses need to connect with in order to thrive.
Our "Place Insights" report enables anyone to see the best social media posts in any town across the UK or in any sector in the UK on a daily basis. It's a great way to see what social media is working where.
In a socially distanced world, selling via Social Media has to become the new normal for all. We have seen businesses get this mix right and some businesses making eye-watering sales during 2020 even in sectors that should by rights, be struggling in this climate.
It goes to show that if businesses can adapt, connect with customers and serve their new needs, then they can succeed. This is the message that I am passionate businesses need to focus on as they prepare for 2021. Anything is possible with good communication.
Consumer work patterns have changed, schooling and child care arrangements have changed, people are tired, scared, bored and in need of a break. This means now more than ever businesses need to listen first, so you know how your customers feel, and what they are talking about. Listening enables you to adapt your communication and touchpoints around your customers. Remember 66% of consumers spend 3 hrs per day on social media.
Maybe* offers every business a free set of tools that enable them to begin to listen and engage with the wider social challenges around their businesses.
We are helping 1000’s of businesses across the UK through our work with a wide range of UK local authorities and The High Streets Task Force. Here’s to helping as many businesses stay in touch with their customers and supporting the #shoplocal movement in 2021.
Thank you to all of you who have been to our webinars in 2020 and we look forward to expanding our series in 2021 as we explore what works on social media and more importantly what drives Social Commerce.
You have my pledge that the Maybe* team will be relentlessly focused on helping High Street businesses embrace social media in 2021. I am excited that we are set to unleash our new Local Rewards scheme on the world, it's been specifically designed to assist retailers and High Streets drive business and solve for the challenges they face.
Our ambition for 2021 is to reward shoppers for High Street spend and to turn every transaction in a place into a way to promote other retailers in that place.
If you want some holiday reading see our 2020 round-up and look out for your 10 steps to social media success that is ready for you to download as soon as you sign up to a free Maybe* account.
In the meantime, HAPPY CHRISTMAS and here is to more collaboration in 2021.
