For the last month, my inbox has been full of Covid-19 communications from organisations; some good, some not so good. Communication has been more important than usual during the last few weeks, as businesses worked out whether and how they were going to trade on through the challenges of Coronavirus, and sought to reassure the world of their plans to deal with the crisis.
However, as we. move forward, it’s time for those of you leading businesses to handle these communications differently. Now is the time to create a page on your website dedicated to how you are responding to Covid-19.
This has three advantages:
- It prevents message fatigue, as peoples email inboxes continue to fill with Coronavirus messaging.
- It allows you to update your message in one place, without constantly recreating communications for updates and different channels of communication.
- It allows you to start to talk about other things in your marketing communications, as people rebound from the initial impact and begin to settle to a new way of living and doing business as we go through periods of greater or lesser lockdown this summer.
If you’re creating such a page, think about these points for discussion.
Reassurance around continuity. Reassuring readers that your organisation remains operational, and that you’ve made the necessary changes to make sure operations can continue. You might discuss in brief the operational changes you’ve made.
Safety and empathy. A clear message that the safety of everybody involved – those that work for you but also customers and anyone else dealing with the business – is top of the list. Maybe share some of the things you are doing to ensure safety.
Information re changes in how you communicate. It may be that communication might take a little longer than usual. It may be that the best way to get in touch with you has changed. If so, let people know.
Help for those that need it. Are you making any special provision or prioritising any sector? (Thinking here of the supermarkets setting aside times for the old and vulnerable and also for key workers to shop, or businesses prioritising NHS shipments.)
Any support you’re giving. I’m thinking here of the way some businesses are indicating where they are working to help e.g. the NHS. Like Halfords free bike servicing, or maybe there’s an internal initiative where you are doing your stuff. I’ve even seen businesses where they have asked the staff to film themselves clapping at 8pm on Thursday and then shared that as a message of support. If your team is doing work to support our key workers, then talk about it. It will make your team feel like they are doing their bit, and it will encourage others to do the same.
There’s more you can say around the subject, and you can go into greater detail depending on your business; revised openings hours, product lines, etc.
Finally, some good examples to inspire you, from simple messages to fully fleshed out information centres:
If you need help with this or any other of your business communication, please get in touch here.
