We’ve been having a lot of client conversations over the last 48 hours on what to do with all that day-to-day marketing in light of COVID-19.
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Do you hold off on ads, emails, and social posts? Continue in an effort to keep businesses running and people employed for as long as possible?
It’s a tough conversation, for sure.
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We’ve been trying to weigh the value of helping to keep our economy going (with activities that don’t spread infection) while mitigating any possibility of harming a brand’s reputation.
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The last thing we want is for a well-meaning business to come off as insensitive, tone-deaf, or oblivious to our current situation.
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Here’s what we’ve come up with so far. It’s interesting that much of this seems like good advice for even the best of times:
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1. Be Empathic. Keep in mind that your email, social post, ad, etc. could reach someone in the middle of them worrying about potential very serious health concerns.
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2. Consider Tone of Voice. Take a gentler approach. Be wary of being overly self-promotional.
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3. Communicate Clearly Around Events. Stay on top of communicating event cancellations. When possible, work to move events online.
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4. Add Value. As always, focus your communications about your product or service on how it can help people, not what you’re selling. What can you contribute that others would find beneficial? Can you share how your company is approaching this situation so others can learn?
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5. Stay quiet. If you feel uncomfortable continuing with your normal marketing, listen to your gut. Take some time to figure out what the next best step is.
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How is everyone else approaching this? We’d love to hear! Send us a tweet or comment on Instagram to let us know what your brands are doing.
