Messaging in a time of crisis 

Business strategies in uncertain times 

Coronavirus and market volatility is shaking everyone’s stability.  How do you respond to public inquiries about what you are doing to keep your customers and clients safe?  Your team also wants to know what you are doing to protect them and their family’s health, as well as their job security.   

In a time of heightened concern, how you message your organization’s response is not only important for public safety, but also to the integrity of your brand.  

Each piece of communication needs to be thought through. For example, when asking staff to wash their hands more often, do you take a humorous, straight-forward, authoritative or informative approach? When responding to clients and customers are you empathetic, sympathetic, jovial or avuncular?  

Consider carefully your audience, their state of mind, and your brand’s personality.  Crafting content is a blend and balance of your audience’s needs and your brand.   

Here are 5 tips for crafting and disseminating content:

1. Don’t go it alone.  Ask a small group (2-3 people) to act as a sounding board. And set them up for success by:   
   1. Explaining your communication goals  
   2. Outlining the audience’s state of mind 
   3. Defining the brand persona and tone 
   4. Explaining that their input is not an exercise in redlining, but an exercise in honing the tone and feel of the message in order to be most sensitive to your audience’s needs
   5. Asking how their edits support the goals of the communication
2. Run the final text by an expert. See if your goals are attained and have them read/listen for places where you may have missed the mark
3. Share the communication across multiple mediums (email, direct mail, social media, your website, podcast and video) 
4. Ask for feedback
5. Respond expeditiously to any feedback, inquiries, and online comments