“We must not only give what we have, we must also give what we are,” Cardinal Désiré-Joseph Mercier

I found this quote today in a “care” journal, given to me several years ago after a keynote presentation I gave at a luncheon. I haven’t picked up this book in three years. Boy, is this a fitting book for what we are dealing with right now with the COVID-19 pandemic. On the red cover is the most appropriate verse:

The place you are in needs you today. Your spark can become a flame and change everything. Reach out your hand, do great work, stand up for an ideal, and put your heart into it. Believe that we can build a better world. Know that what you do makes a difference. Life is the grand adventure, and any life worth living is worth recording. Don’t just think it – ink it!

Instructions: Give, help, support, and serve daily as needed.

Wow. How fitting is this? Isn’t it perfect for what we are all facing today? Our Governor has ordered the entire State of Michigan to shelter in place – stay home except for essential needs outside your home. So what are we to do?

I’m a marketer. A communicator. A PR professional for businesses that sell to other businesses. I’m also a Mom, a daughter, a friend and a wife. And I’m afraid of what tomorrow may look like for my industry, my family and my friends.

How can I help during this pandemic crisis?

Honestly, yesterday I was destined to stay in my PJs and surf through Netflix for something to distract me. But this morning, I found this journal. It’s time to sit up, put our street clothes on, and get to work on what we can do to help.

We are not medical personnel or first responders who are bravely helping our Nation. We are writers, designers, social media experts, SEO professionals, and digital PR divas and dudes. Here’s where we can help.

Many businesses are used to generating leads by attending face-to-face meetings to convey the attributes of their services or visiting trade shows where they can demo their product. So perhaps our best job is to help corporate America replace in-person marketing by extending their marketing and communication processes with a digital marketing program.

In the coming weeks, our team of independent senior-level marketing professionals will be authoring an informative blog series to help the business community with its digital marketing challenges.

  • Not sure how to turn your website into a lead generation machine? We can help.
  • Need to know the ins and outs of content marketing and how it can help your SEO rankings? We got you!
  • Looking for guidance to get the most out of social media? We’ve got suggestions and best practices to get you going.

Plus, we’ve got award-winning expertise on how to leverage digital PR and work with the media. Markit Strategies & PR is celebrating 15 years in business this May. We’ve survived one recession and we will survive this crisis. We are in this together and we will come out stronger in the end! Visit us at www.markitstrategies.com or visit me on Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggyfenwick/. Stay well (and wash your hands).