How the Global Health Crisis is Making Social Media More Social

Social media has garnered a lot of flak for getting in the way of organic, human relationships in recent years.

Because people were so attached to their gadgets, connecting outside the screen became less of a priority. In fact, a study on Thrive Global reveals that more than 50% of people reported social media as having a negative impact on their relationships. It’s easy to say that we should all just ditch Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter altogether. But with the ongoing health crisis keeping everyone at home, social media is back in the spotlight — only this time, as a force for good.

These are some trying times that we live in right now, as we’re all forced to adapt and connect with our loved ones in new ways — from family dinners over Zoom, to dates on FaceTime. In this regard, social media has provided a lifeline for everyone in self-isolation. Moreover, our “new normal” has caused many of us to reconsider what really matters to us, which is another reason we’re all longing to strengthen our ties more than ever.

So how exactly is the global health crisis making social media more “social”?

Group Fitness

The benefits of exercise go beyond improving strength and physique. According to doctor Katharina Star, group workouts, in particular, can provide great support and motivation. With gyms closing their doors temporarily, people are taking their workouts to social media. On Instagram Live, Olympian Shawn Johnson, model Olivia Culpo, and countless other fitness influencers are sharing their workouts and encouraging their followers to get active. Apart from being free to participate in, following a live workout routine can make users feel like they’re back in the gym with friends. If you’re a health or fitness business owner, you should consider conducting your own live workouts as a way of increasing your social media presence, too.

Virtual Hangouts Via Video Games

Video games are proving to be one of the most social (and fun) digital activities people are doing during self-isolation. After all, it’s a great way to spend time with friends and do activities online. It’s no surprise that newly launched games like Call of Duty: Warzone reached 15 million players in just four days following its release. Apart from this hit title, the gaming world still has much more to offer in helping people stay connected. In fact, even friendship-themed games are on the rise. The Best Friend Formula by Gala Bingo is a simple but interactive game that explores “the science of best friends.” Plus, it reminds players that sometimes all you need in life is a few close friends. Indeed, these games provide the comfort that our friends are just a click away—even if it means hanging out on a Minecraft or Animal Crossing server.

Creative Communities

Social media has always been a platform for artists to share their work. But with a lot more free time at home, many creatives are making the most out of their indoor-living situations. For instance, TIME Magazine shared how some photographers have started sharing their recreations of classic paintings — be it Grant Wood’s “American Gothic” or works by Edward Hopper. Meanwhile, on the more performance end of things, Gen Z social media users have been devoting their time to practicing new TikTok dances with their friends. And on another note, people have also been sharing their baking creations online — comparing sourdough bread and exchanging recipes with each other. All in all, the health crisis has pushed people to look for new skills to learn and share with their social media followers.

Car Dealerships: How To Compete With Online Car Buying Sites like Carvana

Car buying sites and apps like Carvana, Carmax, and TrueCar are changing the way that people are buying and selling cars. The trend of buying things online has grown tremendously over the past 10 years; a convenience that’s no longer limited to clothes, furniture, or anything small enough to fit in a box. Now because you can make a purchase as big as a car from the comfort of your own home, the automotive industry is experiencing a major shift in the way that cars are bought and sold.

If you own or operate a dealership, you know how frustrating it can be to lose customers to an online retailer. Fortunately, there are certain measures you can take, and new technology to consider that can help strengthen customer retention, and even generate new business.

See: “The Top 6 Dealership TV Systems: Comparing Custom TV Offerings.“

The Rising Threat of Car Buying Sites

At the time this article is being written, many businesses- dealerships included, are closed because of the Coronavirus. Due to the fact that many customers are stuck at home, or practicing social distancing; if someone is in the market for a new vehicle, chances are that they’re going to explore car buying sites in order to limit contact with others. Because of this, services like Carvana are thriving more than ever before. Stocks in Carvana, specifically, went up a whopping 68% since last March.

Additionally, an article published by Forbes labels car buying sites as “The Best Way to Buy a Car in the Age of Coronavirus.”

Virus or not, car buying services didn’t need a worldwide pandemic to get ahead of the game; their success was inevitable. Competing against these alternative means of buying and/or selling cars isn’t impossible, but it’ll take some clever strategizing and forward-thinking.

3 Key Steps to Competing Against Car Buying Sites

Step 1.) Make Your Dealership Shine! If the Coronavirus left any sort of lasting impact on the way that business is conducted, it’s CLEANLINESS. Even after the country gets the ALL-CLEAR, you can count on folks practicing social distancing, or even wearing masks in public. The anxiety isn’t going to go away overnight. In fact, the bar for what constitutes as “a clean establishment” is likely going to be set high. Do what you can to keep surfaces and waiting areas clean. Offer sanitizer; a small, but meaningful gesture. You want your customers to be comfortable and stress-free when they visit your dealership.

See: “Top 5 Ways to Prepare Your Business for Reopening Post-Coronavirus.“

Step 2.) Revisit Your Social Media Pages

If your dealership isn’t on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram; consider getting it on social media- especially Facebook. If you do have a presence, but your pages aren’t up-to-date, blow the dust off and make an effort to craft regularly-scheduled posts. Dedicate a member of your staff to make a daily, or even bi-weekly posts to ping your loyal followers. The more active your are, the more likely your posts are to get shared. The more your posts are shared, the more likely you are to generate more followers on social media. Followers are generally the best folks to market to since they’re already following you; and they’re more likely to make a purchase with you.

Related Article: “Social Media on TV: Businesses Become More Social with their Customers” & “Top 3 Reasons to Get Social Media TV Software for your Business.”

Step 3.) Brush Up on the Latest Waiting Room Technology

Waiting room technology is ever-growing. In the past, if you had a TV in your waiting area, you’d put cable on it and call it a day; whereas today, you have your choice of cable TV alternatives to pick from. Alternatives that not only tend to be more cost-effective than cable or satellite TV, but are a lot safer, and come with all kinds of features made with your business in mind. The elements that make up the best car dealership TV vary based on your dealership’s specific needs; however, the following article should give you a good idea in terms of what to look for: “Car Dealership TV Systems – The Top 5 Most Important Elements.“

Car dealerships are among the best users of custom TV networks; having no shortage of videos, promotions, and marketing messages to entice customers with. Deciding between a cable TV subscription that doesn’t block out ads from “Bob’s Better Automobiles,” vs a custom TV network that promotes your own brand is an easy choice.

Related Article: “Should I Cancel Cable? A Better Cable Alternative for Businesses.“

Interested in a Custom TV Network for your Car Dealership? Start Here

Whether you’re new to waiting room TV technology, or you’re switching from a service like Spectrio, or Automotive Broadcasting Network (ABN); the best TV solution for car dealerships is It’s Relevant TV. Featured in an article published by Automotive News, It’s Relevant stands out from its competitors by having the lowest cost, whilst being the most feature-rich.

It’s Relevant TV for Car Dealerships features the world’s largest library of licensed, short-form content at over half-a-million videos. Additionally, it’s the only service that features live social media integration; displaying your most recent Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram posts for visitors to enjoy alonside IRTV’s fun and engaging content. See what’s out there, but don’t settle for less than what IRTV delivers.

READ: “What’s the Best Dealership TV Service for Waiting Rooms?“

Top 5 Ways To Prepare Your Business For Reopening After COVID-19

If you’re one of the many business owners who had to temporarily close, or adjust the ways you’re serving your customers because of the coronavirus, having a strategy in mind for reopening is a smart move. Especially when there is a high likelihood that the virus may make a resurgence in the Fall.

Whether you’re an urgent care center or dentist office with a waiting room, or a restaurant with a dining area; creating a safe environment for your visitors is going to be paramount. Even after the pandemic ends, people are still going to be nervous about going anywhere.

Here are the top 5 ways you can prepare your business for reopening:

1.) Cleanliness: Make your Business Shine

Nothing is going to be more reassuring post-COVID than a clean, and spotless environment. When the pandemic does eventually come to an end, it won’t be overnight. Even with businesses reopening, it’s going to take some time before the public settles down, and isn’t feeling as germaphobic. Therefore, it’s important to keep up with your new cleansing/disinfecting routines.

Read: “Top 5 Factors to Enhance Your Business Environment.”

2.) Consider Seating & Spacing

Social distancing is likely to persist even after the country is given the ALL-CLEAR. You can expect people to find comfort in maintaining distance from one another. They will also have greater appreciation for businesses that make an effort to space-out seating for them. Now the idea isn’t to put traffic cones on sofas, or nudge visitors apart with a long stick; but reducing chairs, tables, or putting up a friendly sign for customers to be mindful of spacing is easy, and a step in the right direction.

The trick is getting visitors to notice the message.

The best way to get visitors to notice your messaging is by putting it on your on your TV, which you can learn more about HERE.

3.) Communicate your Efforts to your Visitors

Working hard to make your environment safe and accommodating isn’t going to mean a whole lot if no one knows you’re going the extra mile. Don’t let your efforts go to waste. Communicate with your customers in any way that you can; via social media, email, or a big sign outside of your business. Whatever it takes to get the message across.

One of the most effective ways of communicating with your visitors that your business is safe outside of telling them, is showing them. Advise your staff to wipe-down counters, touchpads, and other surfaces frequently. Putting out hand sanitizer, if you haven’t already, is also a good idea. Lastly, your TV is one of the best tools you have to remind people that your business is a safe place to visit, and come back to!

Research: Television for Businesses.

4.) Keep the Coronavirus off of your Business’ TV

We don’t mean disinfect the screen, though it’s good to clean it once in a while.

The last thing you want visitors to see is a news story about “WHY YOU SHOULD STILL THINK TWICE ABOUT EATING OUT,” or “WHY IT’S STILL NOT SAFE TO RESCHEDULE THAT DENTIST APPOINTMENT.” News coverage can be bad for business in general, but it’s worse when there’s a major health crisis like what we’re experiencing now.

A COVID-free TV is better for your business!

The public is anxious enough without the TV reminding them that they’re “constantly at risk,” especially when they have mustered the courage to return to your business. We’re all very well-informed at this point. Simply changing the channel doesn’t help either, you’re simply trading one problem for another. Consider looking into cable TV replacements for businesses and get rid of those problems.

Read: “The Top 5 Risks of Coronavirus News in your Businesses.”

5.) Encourage Visitors to Come Back

Getting your customers to visit after reopening your business is great, getting them to come back is even better. After being away from your business for a time, you need to become part of their routine again. So give them reasons to come back! Whether it’s a sale, a new sandwich, a limited time offer, or a promotion; educating your visitors on products and services they can take advantage of is extremely important.

How you go about educating them is the key.

The TV is a best place to start. You could put up signs and hang posters all over the inside of your business, and yet, 9 times out of 10 visitors will be able to tell you what was on the TV instead of what was on the poster. (“What poster?”)

It’s frustrating, but it’s true. Fortunately, more and more business owners are realizing this, and are taking advantage of the TV’s ability to get people to notice things by putting their own content on the TV.

It’s a growing trend that has businesses taking control over what’s on their TV. Instead of showing ads from competitors, or unsettling news, businesses are able to display custom-tailored content as well as their own promotions, giving visitors a good experience and reasons to come back. If you’re interested learning more about cable TV alternatives, schedule a demo with the TV experts at itsrelevant.com.

Read: “Should I Cancel Cable? A Better Alternative for Businesses.”

Top Free TV Service for Medical Waiting Rooms and Lobbies

Browsing the internet for a free TV service for your waiting room? The leader in patient-focused TV has recently announced a new subscription plan that’s available to all medical offices. Whether you’re a hospital, urgent care, doctor, dentist, or medical specialist; the sponsor-supported subscription option allows you to utilize the premium service, but without incurring the cost.

A “Free” TV Service Vs. It’s Relevant TV’s Sponsor-Supported Service

A “free TV service“ is exactly what it sounds like on the surface. It’s a TV service with no cost, which you pay nothing for– at least insofar that you’re not spending any “money” for it; but that doesn’t mean it’s not costing your medical office something else.

Read: Top 5 Reasons a “Free” TV Service for your Waiting Room is Bad for your Medical Office.

TV providers who offer that kind of “free waiting room television” are only able to do so because their services are actually paid for by pharmaceutical ad support. You might be paying $0 for the service, but you get what you pay for in this case– likely generating $0 for your own practice from it. Instead, the revenue generation is completely taken by that provider. What’s worse, you’re left with TV that you have little control over, and may upset your patients.

While you are not paying any money out of pocket for that kind of service, it could be costing you money, and your patients’ trust. It goes against the spirit of creating a good patient experience when you allow your visitors to be subject to ads which might make them feel like they have X symptoms, or need Y drugs.

Best practice: Avoid TV services that put anything medical-related on the TV that you don’t endorse yourself.

Patients don’t need to be bombarded with drug ads, and pharmaceutical companies shouldn’t be invading and monetizing your waiting room. If someone should be generating revenue off of your TV, it’s you!

It’s Relevant TV: A No-Cost Waiting Room TV Service for Medical Offices

Let’s compare the traditional “free TV service” described above to It’s Relevant TV’s sponsor-supported service. Instead of your service provider profiting off of your waiting room TV, you do. It’s Relevant’s unique approach is for a sponsor, of your choosing, to pay the cost of your subscription in exchange for having their brand on the TV.

It’s a great way to strengthen relationships with local businesses.

This way, you’re in control; you control who, and what, shows up on your TV.Sponsor-supported subscribers don’t miss out on any of IRTV’s premium content. Over +1,000,000 minutes of fun and interesting content is available for your visitors to enjoy, coupled with the ability to promote your services in a more meaningful way. This allows you to generate positive feelings among patients, and more revenue on the side to improve your medical office.

Visit: It’s Relevant TV: Medical Custom Networks to learn more.

Should I Close My Business During the Corona (COVID-19) Outbreak?

A number of restaurants, offices, and even large retailers are closing up shop in response to growing concerns about the corona outbreak. Some are even required to depending upon choices made in local jurisdictions. If you’re a business owner, you might be asking yourself the question:

“Do I close my business?”

Many businesses are. The answer really depends on you, your staff, and your industry. Are you noticing an alarming decrease in visitors, or sales? For some business owners, temporarily closing; whether it’s for a week or two, or for a month, is the best option for your business. However if it’s a restaurant that you own, this article for restaurant owners might help you identify some says in which to stay open during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Retailers, on the other hand, may have it much harder as people aren’t as likely to buy non-essentials during a health crisis. Below is something to keep in mind if you ultimately decide to temporarily close shop, and help you bounce back once all of this is over.

Focus on Your Strategy for Reopening Post-Corona

Have a solid game plan to hit the ground running.

More important than the decision to close your business for a time is figuring out how you’re going to reopen in the near future. It can be tough, and extremely stressful to deal with the financial impact of closing. Take advantage of the time you have, and strengthen your strategy for when your doors are open again.

A major part of that strategy should be growing your business from within. Work on your website. Make phone calls, research new vendors/partners you may want to work with. Every brand has loyal customers, yours will be waiting, and even excited for you to reopen. Reward those loyal customers for coming back; give them reasons to be excited about returning, and reasons to refer their friends.

Utilize Your TV’s Full Potential

When you eventually reopen your store, you’re going to have a lot of messaging that you want customers to see, and certain programming you may want to remove. Putting that messaging on your business’ TV gets it noticed. Whether it’s a big sale, a referral bonus, or a reminder to follow the brand on social media for even more deals; utilizing your TV is the least expensive way to get customers informed.

Consider a custom TV network to help kickstart your store’s marketing messaging for when you eventually reopen. It’s an inexpensive way to market to your loyal customers and earn back their repeat business.

Top 5 Ways to Maximize Working From Home During Coronavirus

The coronavirus has a lot of companies and businesses working from home in an effort to combat exposure; however, not everyone was prepared to do so. Business owners without a contingency plan are quickly discovering the challenges of working from a home office regularly. Normally that might not be so difficult, however when your whole staff is forced to do the same, that’s when things get complicated.

Fortunately, there are ways to plan ahead.

During this time, it’s important to remind yourself that things will be back to normal, eventually. But until then, be a step up- by stepping up; plan ahead, and keep the following 5 tips for maximizing work-from-home effectiveness in mind.

Tip#1: Strategize a Way to Communicate with your Customers & Visitors For Reopening

The lights may be off, and your doors closed, but you still have visitors, clients, and/or loyal customers who should be kept up-to-date and informed of news regarding your business.

Communicating with your visitors- and employees, as well, will be more important than ever before.

The coronavirus is not likely to disappear overnight. Even as businesses start to reopen, it won’t be without a number of precautions, and preventative measures in regards to public health safety. Once people start coming back to your business, they will want to know what measures you’re taking in order to keep them safe. Mass emails and social media is an okay place to start; however, your customers are likely to get emails from every business to the point where they’re ignored. Additionally, the folly of social media is that not everyone follows you, and therefore isn’t the most reliable way of getting this sort of message across.

Not when tools like It’s Relevant TV exist to communicate important messaging to your visitors and employees.

Putting your important messages on your business’ TV is the best way to get it noticed by everyone in your business. Investing some time into coming up with a solution for this while you’re working from home should be priority #1. For more information about getting started with a custom TV network, start your search here.

Tip#2: Build a Workspace with Minimal Distractions

If you’re not used to working at home, it doesn’t take much. Whether it’s a desk in the corner, the kitchen table, or even a well-placed tray in front of a comfy couch; if it supports your computer, and your phone is handy, it’s enough if you can get work done. However- home office or makeshift workspace, minimizing distractions is paramount to staying on top of things.

Working at home; the temptation to relax, or procrastinate, can be very real. In order to avoid falling behind on important tasks, you should:

1.) Dress as if you were going to the office.

2.) Reduce auditory distractions: i.e. TV, videos, etc.

3.) Hang a sign on your door if you’re living with others, or communicate that you have to work hard, and focus, between during your normal (or adjusted) business hours.

Tip#3: Communicate with your Team & Employees Regularly

Communicating with your team members and/or employees is essential to staying on top of work during this coronavirus outbreak. Working from home, it’s easy to get distracted; the same goes for your employees. The best way to ensure that work is getting done is through regular scheduled check-ins, or team-updates.

The solution can be as simple as a group chat.

Setting up a group chat on messenger, or requesting daily, weekly, or even bi-weekly status reports is an effective way to keep employees mindful of their pacing, and incentivizes them to create progress goals. Be prepared for bumps in the road, especially for employees who aren’t used to working remotely. Communication is the key to both preventing, and working out problems.

Tip#4: Face-to-Face Video Meetings

“We human beings are social beings.” -Dalai Lama

Naturally, one of the downsides to working from home is the lack of social interaction. We thrive on it; some, more than others. With social-distancing in effect, most-all telecommuniction is being done via phone, email, and text messages. You might be thinking to yourself: “How is this any different than before?” We take for granted how many human faces we see in a day until we’re limiting contact.

Seeing a face is good for soul.

Consider using services such as Apple’s Facetime, or Zoom.US to get a healthy dose of human element. Hosting meetings via video chat is a great way to simulate the feeling that you’re all in the same place together. It’s more meaningful, and has a lot more heart than text, or emails.

Tip#5: Keep Morale Up Working From Home

Worker morale is a vital part to any thriving business. At a time when businesses are closing left and right, and and many Americans are working from home; there’s a million reasons morale could be suffering. It’s a good practice for business owners, or those who are managing teams, to take a few minutes out of the day to chat casually with your fellow workers and team members. Ask how they’re doing, share your own stories, or even share videos with them to lift their spirits.

Everything from a “4:00 Tea/Coffee Casual” where everyone sits down at the end of the day with something hot, and shows off their fun mugs, to designating a color for everyone to wear for the next video meeting can be enough to raise spirits and bring everyone together.

How to Keep Your Restaurant Open During the Coronavirus Outbreak

The coronavirus outbreak is hitting restaurants hard. In the midst of a pandemic where people are being advised to self-quarentine, limit contact with others, and avoid going out in general; a industry that mostly thrives on people sitting down and eating in public is understandably affected. With stories in the news about businesses closing each day, figuring out how to keep your restaurant open during the outbreak might seem like a challenge. First thing’s first:

“Don’t Panic.” -Douglas Adams

The following article will explore some of the ways that restaurants are managing to stay afloat despite the rising panic.

Step 1: Switch Off the News in your Restaurant

If you have the news playing in your restaurant, turn it off. Currently, the news is roughly 90+% coronavirus stories. Choosing to have the news playing is likely doing more harm than good for your restaurant for reasons you can read more about in this article.

Generating business at this time is hard enough without your TV reminding customers that they’re at risk for contracting COVID-19 by going outside. Switching off the news is the first, and easiest step you can take towards making your restaurant more welcoming to customers who are concerned about the virus. Click here for ideas for what to put on your TV instead.

Step 2: Combat Coronavirus Fears With Good Practices

Thoroughly sanitize tables, counters, touchpads, and doors.

Fight fears about the coronavirus outbreak and make sure everything is 100% clean 100% of the time. Each day, more and more people are electing to stay at home; which means less and less people eating out at restaurants. If a customer visits your restaurant and feels comfortable with the cleanliness in spite of recent events; chances are they might come back.

Not everyone is sitting on a stockpile of food.

Because of that, you can count on many Americans relying on the food industry to keep them fed. Those individuals are going to be on the lookout for a place they feel confident getting food from regularly. Show your visitors that you’re making an effort to keep things clean and you’ll be their go-to for food. Bonus points if they tell their friends and family that your restaurant is safe!

Step 3: Promote Mobile Order & Delivery Options

Customers are less likely to be dining in at restaurants in order to minimize exposure and limit contact with others. In some cases local governments will not even allow for sit downs to happen. Because of this, you’re more likely to see customers opting for carry-out, or delivery. Your restaurant can still thrive by providing easy ways for people to order, pick up, or get their food delivered while retaining social distancing.

The trick is communicating with your customers.

Encouraging your customers to order food online is easier said than done. Statistically speaking, the easiest way to get your customer’s attention is through the TV. People notice messaging on the TV like you’re noticing this boldface text now. It draws they eye, and simply allows the message to be received easier. Customers will be grateful for the convenience, and you’ll have a better time keeping your restaurant open during the coronavirus outbreak.

Click here for more information on putting important messaging and promotions on your restaurant’s TV.

Top 5 Risks of Coronavirus News in Your Business

Is coronavirus news impacting your business?

The TV in your business may be doing more harm than good for you, your visitors, and your employees given what’s happening around the world. Because of the fear and panic being caused by coverage, now more than ever businesses should be looking into cable TV replacements, or considering news alternatives for their TV solution. Listed below are 5 reasons why you, as a business owner, should be thinking about what’s on your TV right now.

Learn more about COVID-free TV!

1.) Coronavirus News Scares People

Coverage on the virus, however informative, is unsettling to people who are sitting down to eat at a restaurant, or are in a waiting room. When the whole country is on the edge of their seats watching others are in a panic on the TV, people start to notice every little cough, every sneeze, or anytime someone clears their throat; suddenly, they start to become anxious and uncomfortable.

Your business’ TV shouldn’t contribute to your visitors’ anxiety.

Awareness of COVID-19 is essential to preventing the spread of the virus; but at this point, just about everyone already knows the risk, and knows what to do in order to minimize their exposure. Yet in spite of that, people are still going out and visiting businesses for one reason or another. Whether they’re looking for comfort in food, or they have a scheduled appointment to keep; the last thing you want is your TV making life stressful for your visitors.

What’s the answer?

The best thing you can do for your visitors is to turn off the news; or better yet, find a cable TV replacement for your business.

2.) Corona Coverage Might Highlight A “Lack of Preparedness” in your Business

A friendly reminder to wash your hands, avoid touching your face, and always cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing!

The public’s responsibility when it comes to staying safe and healthy is fairly straightforward, but what about businesses? If you’re a business owner, or you manage a business, you’ve no doubt spent time these last few weeks “corona-proofing“ your location to the best of your ability.

But is what you’re doing enough?

In truth, you could be taking every necessary precaution in order to combat the virus from wiping down counters every 2 minutes to offering free hand sanitizer; but out of nowhere, there’s a news story about how local businesses are disinfecting not only counters, but things like touchpads and doorknobs as well and have multiple sanitizer dispensers. Not only that, the story could show the lengths many businesses are going to communicate with visitors about good, healthy practices.

The last thing you want is for your business to seem like it isn’t doing enough because of a story on the news. Allowing your visitors to see these kinds of stories while they’re eating, or waiting, is a surefire way to discourage them.

3.) Coronavirus News Affects Your Employees

“Businesses left and right are closing amidst a growing number of confirmed cases the the local area…”

Visitors aren’t the only ones that are affected by coronavirus news on your TV. News coverage featuring buildings with CLOSED signs, images of dim, vacant restaurants, and interviews with workers expressing their fears about employment in the coming crisis are being shown on the TV; when those stories are being played in your business, it can be very stressful and concerning for your workers.

Seeing businesses closing on TV is harmful to worker morale.

Business, in general, is slow thanks to COVID-19. Couple that with the aforementioned news story, and your employees will wonder whether or not they’re going to be out of a job. As a result, productivity might suffer, workers might become less focused; which opens the doors to number of new problems. Consider putting something better on the TV and get rid of the coverage that’s harming your business.

4.) Bad News = Bad Vibes

Simply put, bad news creates a bad atmosphere. This has always been the case; graphic, or unsettling news stories ruin meals if you’re at a restaurant, and makes waiting uncomfortable if you’re in a medical office. However now, that same news channel is covering stories on a virus that’s spreading across the globe; you don’t want the bad vibes generated by coronavirus news to be associated with your business.

It’s time to do something. COVID-free TV is better for businesses.

The quick-fix is to simply change the channel; or better yet, shut off the TV, especially when the news is as risky for your business as it is right now. However neither option is a longterm solution. Changing the channel only changes the type of problem you have; you’re not in control of what comes on the TV. Shutting the TV off eliminates the risk, but you’re left with a blank screen that makes your business look like something is missing. Replacing cable with a custom TV network gives you control, and blocks out bad news coverage. Click here if you’re interested in learning more about a customized television for your business.

5.) Coronavirus News is Bad for Repeat Business

Visitors watching news coverage on the virus in your business might very well choose to stay home the next time they would have gone out. For many people, what they see on TV can lead them to lean towards “better safe than sorry.” Keeping your business open during the coronavirus outbreak is hard enough without your TV working against you.

Preparing Your Business for the Future

It doesn’t take a pandemic to see why cable TV is unfit for businesses.

Or perhaps it does? The impact of COVID-19’s coverage should be a wake-up call for business owners. Today it’s the coronavirus, tomorrow it’s the next nationwide, or worldwide catastrophe; neither of which is beneficial to your business. Take action against cable, and take control of your TV.

How to Communicate With Your Patients About Coronavirus (COVID-19)

News coverage on the coronavirus is everywhere; on TV, social media, the radio- you’re even getting mass emails from your favorite retailers and restaurants advising you to be cautious.

In the midst of all of these efforts to inform the public on ways to stay safe and healthy, what is the best way to communicate with your patients about preventing the spread of the virus? This article is all about exploring an alternative, and very effective way of getting your message across.

The Best Platform for your Messaging is your Waiting Room TV

The TV in your waiting room is the best platform for your health & safety tips regarding the coronavirus. Why? Because patients always notice the television. We’re naturally predisposed to look at TVs everywhere we go; whether it’s at home, at a restaurant, or in a waiting room- if it’s there, the eye will find it. Therefore, the best- most effective way to deliver your messaging is by putting it on the TV.

TV News Coverage on the Coronavirus is NOT a fit for your Waiting Room TV

Unfiltered news segments covering the virus can do more harm than good for your patients. While they can be informative, repeating stories can make your patients feel anxious, or uncomfortable. The world is facing a serious pandemic that nations are working very hard to contain; everyone knows this. People don’t need to be reminded 24/7 at this point, especially while they’re waiting to see a doctor.

It’s unnecessary stress for your patients!

Is awareness of the coronavirus important? Absolutely. However, more important than being reminded of the fact that the virus exists, are the ways in which your patients can prevent the spread of infection. Gently reminding visitors to wash their hands thoroughly, and to avoid touching their eyes, mouth, and face in general are not only more effective when it comes to combating COVID-19; it does so without any drama, or the threat of an impending doom.

Virus or no, a personalized approach to patient education and engagement is the best thing you can do for your waiting room TV. However, having a thoughtful message isn’t enough. You need a way to ensure that the messaging will be seen by your visitors.

COVID-free TV is the way to go.

It’s Relevant TV: The Best Way to Deliver Important Messaging to your Patients

It’s Relevant TV is a custom TV network that is available to medical offices; one that transforms waiting room TVs into powerful communication tools. Designed with waiting rooms in mind, It’s Relevant features over half a million licensed videos that visitors genuinely enjoy watching; removing otherwise graphic, depressing, or otherwise unsettling programming.

IRTV has an entire category of content dedicated to preventing the spread of viruses that take a friendly factual approach. You also have the option of creating our sourcing your own videos to add to the mix. There’s no better way to educate your patients about important health reminders than by uploading your messaging directly to the TV.

For more information about the best waiting room TV software for medical offices, speak with the TV experts at itsrelevant.com.

Top 3 Steps to Remove Bad Reviews From Yelp and Google

Bad reviews hit businesses hard. Having a bad review, or a one-star rating, show up whenever new or even repeat customers search for your business might as well be a big sign that says: “DON’T COME HERE.”

Often times that’s EXACTLY what it says.

While there’s no way to easily delete a negative review that’s impacting your business, there are ways of getting around them. You want to avoid these kinds of reviews, and generate new positive reviews instead. There is great technology out there to encourage exactly this.

Step 1: Finding the Bad Reviews

Before you can act on negative feedback, you have to find it first. Knowing where people are posting about their experiences in general is the best place to start. Whether you own a restaurant, an urgent care, a dentist office, or car dealership; if one of your visitors has a bad experience- i.e., one so bad that they feel compelled to leave a negative review. Chances are that review can be found on Google. Other popular review sites include: Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Citysearch. Look up your business on each one of these sites, if you haven’t already, and see what people are saying.

Step 2: Addressing the Bad Reviews

A good practice for any business owner is to dedicate a member of your staff to finding any negative reviews that might be out there. Most review sites have the option of commenting on someone’s post. If you’re able, address it ASAP! Remember- it’s important to be as polite, understanding, and considerate as possible with your feedback. The original poster might never see it, but you can bet others will. And your response is more for everyone else, than it is for the person making the complaint in the first place.

Responding to Comments Makes a Difference

Seeing your responsiveness goes a long way towards those viewers giving your business a chance in spite of a bad review. In some cases, your responsiveness is more important to people than whatever misstep you, or your staff, might have made in the first place. Responding to feedback is a quick and easy way to fix things.

On rare occasions. you may be able to get a once-frustrated-customer to change or remove a negative review entirely.

Yelp SC4 — What you put on the TV is important!

In addition to being aware of these reviews, you need to address the concerns in a way that prevents people from having negative experiences in the first place. The most common negative reviews we’ve observed, in no particular order, are; visitors complaining about loud TVs, the [political] news, long wait times, rude staff, and shabby waiting areas. Fortunately, most of these problems can be resolved fairly easily.

Yelp SC6 — It’s not always about the food.

If visitors complain about what’s playing on the TV, consider a business-friendly cable replacement, or a custom TV network. When a visitor says that a member of your staff was rude, address the complaint and work with your staff. If you receive complaints about the cleanliness of your space, or other environmental issues, check out this article about the Top 10 Secrets for Creating the Best Waiting Room.

Step 3: Give Visitors a way to Leave You Feedback Directly

Giving your visitors a way to leave feedback is one of the best ways to prevent negative reviews from showing up on sites like Yelp and Google. Plenty of complaints are simple enough that they can be resolved on-the-spot if your visitors can be empowered to say something while they’re there.

How you go about this is up to you. Whether it’s a box, a billboard, or an email they can address specifically, you can’t go wrong. Some businesses even provide a telephone number customers can send a text message to in order to voice their opinions. However, more important than the “how,” is getting your visitors to know that they can come to you directly if they have a complaint, or grievance. Your TV can help.

One of the best ways to encourage on-site feedback is through messages on your TV. Consider investing in waiting room technology that allows you to customize what’s on your business’ television. We recommend visiting ItsRelevantTV.com as a great place to start. By being proactive with your environment and publicly asking for customer opinions directly, you will be able to address the bad reviews before they ever hit the sites, and encourage the posting of positive ones.