How (and why) to communicate during Covid-19

This article is authored by Candice Lee Reeves, Senior Digital Copywriter at Everlytic, and it was firstly published here.

Everlytic why keep communicating 1 ()

Why keep communicating?

Because the world as we know it has changed drastically in a very short time. People want to preserve the parts of their lives that are important to them and your business may play a role in that. So, if you haven’t already communicated your Covid-19 approach to your clients and other stakeholders, and you’re still in a position to do so, you should – soon.

Additionally, Everlytic’s email stats show that the overall open rate in March was really high (roughly 55.3 million unique opens) – like, close to Black Friday 2019 stats (56.5 million unique opens). So, people are reading. As overwhelming and destructive as this crisis is, it won’t last forever. And when the dust settles, it will have made a difference to your clients and employees that you kept engaging with them. This kind of brand loyalty can help your business get back up and running faster when all this is over.

How to keep communicating

Saying you’re going to keep communicating is one thing and making marketing and other communications work during this period is another story. Here are some tips:

1. Focus on low-cost channels

Budgets are tight. If you can’t get through the pandemic at normal speed on your company reserves, focus on the more affordable channels, like email, SMS, and social media. According to Forbes, you can also get more from your social initiatives by asking your employees to authentically share your company content.

2. Stay ready to adapt

Every day, there’s a new development in this pandemic. Planning too far ahead just isn’t feasible. Keep your sights on the short-term and be ready to change your strategy as your environment and social circumstances change. In our [Everlytic’s] marketing department, for example, we’re taking it month by month.

3. Personalise everything

There are millions of people sitting on the couch, ready and able to read your messaging. Capture their attention by speaking to them as directly and personally as you can. On email, you can use personalisation tags and dynamic content tools for this. On social media, target specific audiences with information that adds value to them.

Everlytic why keep communicating 2 ()

4. Share helpful content

People’s buying patterns are inconsistent right now, and with the lockdown, many stores are closed. So, keep your focus on maintaining and growing brand awareness with content that helps people. After all, that’s what most audiences are looking for – a helping hand; not a sales pitch.

This is also a great time to go the extra mile to help out. Depending on your business, you can do this by checking in with clients to make sure they’re okay and offering support where possible. After all, we’re all in this together.

5. Remember to be considerate

A great tip from Google is to be conscious of your messaging and imagery. Now isn’t the time to be funny or insensitive to people’s pain by sending messages about touching, being out and about, or behaving like nothing’s changed. Make sure your messaging is considerate, your tone is kind, and your content is helpful and honest.

6. Adapt your SEO keywords

According to Media Update, another good strategy during COVID-19 is to adapt your SEO keywords to ones that your target audience will likely be searching at this time. This can also include just creating more content about the pandemic, the lockdown, and how you can support the people you’d like to attract to your business while we’re in the thick of it – always reference your government’s Covid-19 portal (or WHO‘s) to ensure your information is accurate.

Extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary measures. And a global pandemic like Covid-19 is pretty extraordinary. So, if you’re making changes in your business to lessen the long-term impact, we understand. But be careful not to overcompensate by making it harder for you to pick back up when this is all over.

Your first step to joining FIPP's global community of media leaders

Sign up to FIPP World x