How and when to communicate during the Covid-19 crisis should be based on the answers to a few simple questions. What is your company doing that is either necessary to keep your people and clients safe, or that is helpful and makes you a trusted resource amid the crisis? How will you help minimize the negative impact of the crisis for your employees and your clients? Your marketing communications during a time of crisis should answer these questions, and if it does not, then you should think again about why you are communicating in the first place. Are you communicating helpful or necessary information or are you just making noise?
Your communications need to convey compassion, starting with what you are doing for people. The effects of this crisis are far reaching and its ramifications are seemingly infinite. People need information, answers to their questions, plans and reassurance. They need to know how they will continue to receive necessary services and products. They need leadership and guidance, and sense of control from trusted voices.
People will need to hear your messages more than once, yet it’s also important not to inundate them with too much communication. Consider how many emails, social media posts, advertisements and other communications you have seen regarding the Covid-19 pandemic. How many were truly relevant to the crisis vs. how many were just shameless promotion? Effective crisis communication starts with compassion and is about taking care of people, not selling product or inundating your audiences with marketing that isn’t relevant to the situation. So examine your messages closely, and make sure you are offering a resource, support, convenience or comfort…something that benefits people during a difficult time.
That said, communication is important, and it’s great to talk about what you are doing in the crisis as long as you are sensitive to what other people are going through and dealing with. Listen to the tone out there, because there is no room for the tone deaf when people are suffering. Remember your employees and what circumstances are like for them now. Make sure you are accommodating them and communicating what you will do now and moving forward, how you will prepare to become more resilient for them in the future.
Remember that we’re all in this together. Your employees and clients depend and count on you, and how you can continue and improve on that is not only what can make or break your business, but what you should be communicating to your audiences–both internally and externally. Crisis can define leaders, companies that will last through a crisis, and those we look to for support and comfort. There are opportunities out there. Right now those opportunities are about being better, building more resilient systems, accommodating internal and external teams and changing behaviors. Those that do it well and with compassion will come out on top.
Please stay safe, stay healthy and stay home. And let us know if we can help with your communications during this difficult time.