COVID-19 has impacted nearly every facet of our everyday lives, from the way we get our groceries and go to the doctor to the ways we conduct business. For some organizations, these changes have created moderate bumps in the road. While these organizations may have needed to reorganize staff, revisit campaigns or re-evaluate processes, business has been able to continue — more or less — as usual. But for other organizations, COVID-19 has disrupted nearly every part of business, to the extent that all communications must reflect this change in environment.
Acknowledging that your audience might be struggling with the new order of the world creates opportunities to help them feel better understood. Whether you have made minor, significant or extreme changes to adapt to COVID-19 restrictions, strategic communications can relay these disruptions and help you connect with your audience in the context of this new reality.
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For organizations that experienced minor disruption
While COVID-19 is top-of-mind in all organizations, some businesses did not have to make significant changes to continue day-to-day operations. While you may continue to develop communications for your audience according to previous content strategies, there is still room to acknowledge that your messaging is reaching people who may be gravely affected by the pandemic.
Remember that you are not limited to mentioning that we are living in uncertain or unprecedented times. Think about how you can contribute to the conversation and craft meaningful messages that guide your audience.
Do you have easy-to-access COVID updates on your website? While not all communications need to revolve around COVID-19, it will always be in the back of your audience’s minds. Offer a dedicated landing spot where people can access the most recent information about your organization’s availability and business adjustments. In addition to supporting a streamlined customer journey, this boosts confidence that your brand is being thoughtful of the current environment.
Keep your audience aware of any changes to your business. Things are changing frequently, so it’s important to simplify the journey for your audience by proactively keeping them aware of adaptions that may change how they interact with your organization. Do you have push notifications, social channels or a newsletter that your audience can subscribe to? These will allow you to create a prominent connection with your audience.
Digital experiences are key. While most businesses have been working in the digital realm for some time, updates and innovative changes may not have been a recent priority. Are you adding features to your app or simplifying user experiences on your online platforms to help your audience better navigate their journey with your organization? Make sure your audience knows how you are working to improve their experience in today’s virtual-driven world.
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For organizations that have deployed entirely new strategies
For some industries, new strategies are necessary to survive in a COVID-19 world. In the energy industry, energy demand has dropped nearly 4% globally and is predicted to drop at a total of 6% before the end of the year. And factory quarantines and tariffs are creating new supply chain issues, especially in the renewable energy sector. For organizations experiencing this level of disruption, change is essential to withstanding the pandemic.
Communicate thoughtfully. Seek to understand your audience’s new needs, concerns and behaviors. These factors are likely changing as the pandemic evolves. And learning about your audience isn’t limited to surveys — observe your customers, consider engagement trends and look to social media to help gauge your audience’s comfort levels. Keep in mind that some preferences have become lasting, such as contactless, touch-free and digital service options.
Promote your agile capabilities. Even if your digital capabilities were rolled out in years past, reminding your audience that they can continue interacting with your organization through COVID-friendly channels might be all the push they need to pick up the conversation. This could even jumpstart a campaign or other communication-driven strategy that helps get the word out.
Be clear about the status of your employees. The status of your employees — and how your audience is being asked to interact with them — should be publicly available. If in-person interactions are still occurring, step-by-step protocols should be easily accessible for your audience to review so that they may engage based on their comfortability level.
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For organizations that have undergone complete transformation
Industries like health care, or those that rely on brick and mortar and in-person interactions, have undergone drastic change to accommodate today’s environment. For organizations in this group, business has either slowed significantly or stopped altogether, requiring transformative changes to resume operations — even if only at a recessed level.
Communicate how you can still help. Some organizations have cut certain services or offerings entirely during COVID-19. While the pandemic is a clear reason for these changes, pointing your audience to alternative ways to meet these outstanding needs, either now or down the road, is critical for building trust during a time of fluctuation.
Actively reinforce your messages. Where organizations once recommended washing hands with signs, there are now portable hand-washing stations available. Pairing your communications with immediate action and resources affirms that your organization understands today’s new climate and is positively contributing to it. This helps consumers embrace preventive practices and reserve some influence of their safety while interacting with your organization. These reinforcements will directly impact your audience’s confidence in your brand.
Manage uncertainty and fear. The disruption in your organization is a constant reminder of today’s pandemic. Empathetic messages that acknowledge this fear and acknowledge that not everyone has the same resources to combat the virus is critical to building trust. You don’t have to have all the answers. And messages delivered by the same spokesperson on a schedule can create a reassuring cadence for your audience to follow and will be critical as the potential of resurgence and promise of recovery awaits in future months.
Keep focus on your adaptions
Clear information is crucial in a time when it seems all businesses are talking at the same time — and often repeating each other’s messages. Standing out from this noise requires a humanized approach that meets your audience where they are, acknowledges recent change in their lives and introduces something new to the conversation.
When people look back someday, they are likely to remember which businesses built agility and stood beside them in a time of great uncertainty. How you communicate now will establish future relationships with your audience and will determine which lens your organization will be viewed through moving forward.
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