Content marketing - 4 min. read

Brand communication in uncertain times

Nobody knows how long these uncertain times are going to last, so we, as entrepreneurs and marketers, need to do our best to protect our businesses as much as we can.

Now is the time for business to communicate with purpose, and, to strive, as far as current business conditions allow, to deliver on the promises they made during better days. You can focus your energy on the actions and decisions that you can control.

Communicating important information to your customers:

As we continue to live and work under lockdown, communication with your audience is more important than ever, but it has to be the right kind of communication. Whether you choose to address the current situation head-on in your emails and other channels or continue the business, as usual, is ultimately a brand decision. For many retail businesses, there will be necessary information that you need to address, such as:
• Updates about your schedule, your support department or return policy;
• How can your services or products be useful during this period;
• How you’re changing the way that you operate — it’s important to focus on providing people with value rather than selling.

Things to consider:

• Use positive, not negative statements;
• Effective communication starts with being a good listener — always take feedback from customers into consideration;
• Monitor the unsubscribe rate closely — if it’s higher than usual, it may be a sign that you need to adapt your messaging or frequency;
• Keep an eye on engagement rates — especially if you’re including topical content in your emails — are recipients clicking through?
• Add more adapted content to emails —consider adapting the content of your emails to suit those who may be house-bound. For example, it may be worth removing references to outdoor activities or products;
• If you can, adapt your product catalogue — focus more on the products that make more sense for you to promote.

Make sure you stay relevant for your audience

Of course, it doesn’t always have to be funny or playful. You can share genuinely helpful advice or features about your products, respond to frequently asked questions or whatever you think will help people get through these tough times.

We’re going to get through this. On a global scale, we are unified in an act of solidarity of overcoming and navigating today’s circumstances.