The coronavirus has transformed the way we live, love, work, and do business. The way you conduct your public relations both externally and internally as a company during this time is vitally important for your reputation. As a respectable brand you can’t just continue business as usual.
We’re living in a pandemic and everything you ever did before should be handled differently now, including your PR and marketing efforts. Brands are made up of human beings, and as such, we must act responsibly and compassionately. So here are a few basic tips to guide you in how you should handle your PR and marketing efforts during this time of crisis.
Utilize your social media and blog presence more than ever
Locked up at home, people are unsurprisingly glued to their computers and smartphones more than ever. Not only that, but they’re feeling alone, uncertain, and scared. This is why it’s so important to engage continuously with your customers via social media and other online channels, while also making sure that you cater to their needs rather than your own.
This means avoiding the posting of product features or funding news, which many people will probably not be receptive to right now. Instead, use your social media and blogs to address what’s happening in the world and think of what knowledge or expertise you have as an organization that could be helpful for your audience at this unprecedented moment in history. For example, if you’re a medical startup, share advice with your audience on how they can stay fit and healthy. If you’re a payment platform, share information on how people can save money during the coronavirus pandemic, and so on.
Likewise, it’s also important to publicly address all relevant and ongoing issues you may be facing as a brand because of the coronavirus outbreak. So if you’ve had to layoff people, cancel orders, or whatever it may be, address such news honestly and openly. Customers will trust and respect you more for it, and they’ll be more willing to engage with whatever COVID-19-related content or advice you want to share with them.
When much of the world needs help, the best way to make a name for yourself is to help people. Yes, there may be a reduced appetite for your products at this moment in time, but there has been an explosion in the demand for aid and assistance. So now’s the time to take the opportunity to help your community in whatever way you can as a company.