History has already shown us quite how drastic an effect disease can have on spatial design. COVID-19 will undoubtedly impact how we create space.

Source: www.frameweb.com

The COVID-19 pandemic will likely be an inflection point in the design of public and retail spaces. Expect to see changes in materials used (plastic and steel are out - copper is in) and navigation paths (more IKEA single-path navigation, less Apple Store open concept). In addition, advanced HVAC filtration systems and spacial semiotics to denote entrance to a clean, controlled environment will be needed to instill consumer confidence and encourage customers to return to brick-and-mortar retailers.

These tips will help you and your team be productive regardless of where they work.

Source: www.inc.com

While we at Sales Renewal have been a remote team from the company’s inception almost fifteen years ago, this new era of mandated physical distancing has forced many managers to reevaluate how to maintain productivity and preserve their pre-covid corporate culture from afar. This article reinforces the notion that personal check-ins, increased communication, and a more flexible approach to the workday may be required, with the understanding that not all personal circumstances are the same. The good news is, that armed with the right tools and technology, most managers seem to be making the shift with relatively few hiccups. Our tip: we encourage you to appreciate all the screaming kids and barking dogs for what they are – a bit of levity in these tense and unpredictable times.

Change was coming all along, but the coronavirus has expedited a number of key facets of consumer behavior.

Source: www.ama.org

While the cultural shift during the pandemic has been tremendous, there are many facets that are likely to become the new normal for businesses and their marketing strategies in the future.

Businesses should not look at this time as a temporary normal that they can come up with some quick fixes for, but as a permanent shift for the future. There will be a new way of doing things and the business models and marketing strategies will be different - it's already changing every day.

With people staying at home more often than ever, virtual has become the new standard. Video calls and online communication are more normal and saving consumers time, setting them with a new expectation of how they can communicate with companies and firms. For example, having a video meeting with a professional service instead of visiting their office, can be more convenient and efficient for a consumer - something they might want to keep doing in the future.

The reality is that people are developing new ways of doing things and new expectations are being set. Many companies will need to have a substantial online presence to meet their consumer's needs. Is your business in line with adapting to the new virtual landscape of consumer behavior?

People have reached out asking for advice on protecting their content marketing investments in these uncertain times. Here's how to make the case.

Source: contently.com

Three reasons to increase your content marketing budget in the COVID era:

1) Content Marketing delivers compound returns that grow over time.

2) Content is the most cost-effective place to reallocate part of your paused event marketing and paid media budgets.

3) With in-person events suddenly canceled, virtual events are becoming critical. When the focus turns to the screen, strong content becomes more important than ever. Mediocre presentations can’t be propped up by great food, booze, and networking opportunities.

Many updates are taking considerably longer than normal.

Source: searchengineland.com

During this time of crisis, it's so important for local businesses and companies to make sure they are keeping all of their channels, including their Google My Business listing, up to date with special hours, contact information and posts to keep their community informed of any changes or updates.

This was the advice laid out by Google recently, but now the listing service is experiencing delays and functionality issues as local businesses and companies have been flooding the site and Google’s own staff is reduced. As a result, Google temporarily disabled new local reviews, as well as the ability to post responses, in an attempt to mitigate the problem.

Remember to also update other channels such as your website, social media and local listings to ensure the information is accessible.

Chat bots were central to Facebook Messenger’s strategy three years ago. Now they’re being hidden from view in the app along with games and businesses. Facebook Messenger is now removing the Discover tab as it focuses on speed and simplicity instead of broad utility like China’s WeChat.

Source: consent.yahoo.com

At the beginning of this week, Facebook began rolling out a new update of its Messenger app. The update brings a much simpler design to the app, by removing the "Discover" tab and hiding chatbots, along with businesses and games. Users will now only be able to find chatbots by searching for them specifically in the app. Before, you could find business and bots in the Discover tab, but now that is long gone. That also means businesses will no longer be able to promote themselves through Discover and may now be limited to advertising through Stories and other paid marketing channels to promote their company and get users to communicate with their bots.

Messenger policy changes are coming on March 4, 2020. Learn how to stay compliant while using Facebook Messenger, and take the reins using new marketing channels to scale your business.

Source: manychat.com

Today, March 4, 2020, Facebook's new messenger policy changes have taken effect. You can read the full overview from Facebook here. The update was created to help reduce spam and abuse, improve user experience and more. If your business utilizes the messenger feature make sure you review the policy changes and use the guide linked below to help you stay compliant.