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You may have heard that "crises are opportunities to grow", but what the authors do not say is that growth does not happen by itself, much less when what was said, done and promoted is not compatible with the moment you are living. The coronavirus pandemic has meant that every industry must reinvent itself in every aspect to continue to attract customers.
The arrival of COVID-19 has forced companies to pause and ask themselves how to move forward, both in the area of internal operations and in their external communications. And if we are talking about content strategy, it is prudent to reflect on how to remain active without appearing insensitive to this global reality. Here are a few points to keep a relevant voice and attract customers even during times of crisis
Shut up or modify our voice?
When a circumstance strikes the reality of your audience in a surprising way, it is advisable to make a temporary silence while the event takes place. For example, if a coup d'état occurs in your country, it would not be an opportune moment to invite people to go shopping.
According to Edelman, 71% of consumers agreed that they would lose confidence in a brand that, in a crisis, prioritizes profits over people.
But when that situation extends longer, as is the case with the coronavirus, prolonged silence can be fatal. To avoid being forgotten among your audience and digitally swept away by your competitors, it is necessary to keep them loyal, and this can be achieved through appropriate content that takes advantage of the time users are spending on technology platforms during quarantine.
Plan before changing your brand's tone of voice
Augie Ray, an analyst at Gartner, says that one of the biggest challenges in marketing is anticipating what customers need, want and expect, so it is important to study the scenarios before acting.
Be careful, this evaluation should not take more than a couple of days, since the context you live in today is likely to undergo drastic variations the next day. Get your team together, come up with ideas that are compatible with the company's vision and current reality, and put the plans into action.
Due to the volatility of events, it is advisable to closely monitor how events unfold and, if necessary, adjust the communicative tone again. If you notice that a publication does not match the current tone, it is better to dispense with it and rethink it.
Create content that provides value in the face of the crisis
Depending on the nature of your brand, it is possible that with the arrival of COVID-19 your sales will increase (food, hygiene products) or decrease (air flights, tourist packages), but even if your brand is located in this second line, it is important that you prepare the sales ground for the new normality, without being opportunistic. Edelman also states that 85% of users expect companies to use their voice to educate about this pandemic.
And this education can be widely represented in your content. For example, if you have a brand of drugs, you can create a webinar in which medical professionals debunk the most common myths about COVID-19.
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If you are a technology company, you can create a free app that reminds users to wash their hands several times a day. The relevance of this information will allow you to stay present in your community and make yourself known to potential new customers.
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Be strategic with your channels and moments of diffusion
Users want valuable information that does not border on 'infoxication' (information overload) during this time when information noise can be stifling. According to Hubspot, it's a good time to concentrate only on important content about the crisis in the more "intimate" channels, such as personalized emails, push notifications (in case you have an app), as well as distribute content dosed through other channels, such as blog articles or social network postings.
The idea is that you provide all the information necessary for your audience to be able to process it during these uncertain times. For example, if you used to send 6 push notifications and 10 posts per week on social networks, you can reduce this number to 5 posts and reserve the push notifications for exceptional cases. As the crisis evolves or decreases, it will also be necessary to evaluate the type of content, its distribution channels and the frequency of publication.
Constantly monitor your metrics
Uncertainty is a characteristic feature of crises, and what is relevant for your company today may no longer be relevant tomorrow. For example, in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization recommended the use of masks only for medical personnel and noted that cloth masks did not have a desired effect. A few weeks later, it recommended that all people use masks, even those made of fabric.
Crises often bring moments of study and evaluation of the situation, as well as the modification of strategies. The situation that occurred with WHO is a particular example, as are the content strategies that respond to what is happening right now and what is relevant to keeping our audience engaged. To do this, it is important to determine which metrics will allow you to evaluate when and how to modify your methods, according to what your community needs and wants.
A good content strategy should be able to:
- To be coherent with the reality that is lived in every moment.
- Maintain engagement with your audience.
- Provide data on what your community wants to know, read, listen to
- Increase your chances of conversion (leads, sales, subscriptions)
In order for your company to have a strategy directed towards your target audience that will provide a result that can be transformed into sales, brand awareness and customer attraction, it will be necessary to be advised by experts who will evaluate the situation at all times.
The time to adapt is now! At Innova Marketing Solutions we can be your allied hand so that your strategies are aligned with your sales and growth goals, especially during times of uncertainty. So it is possible to transform crisis into opportunities, and you can start doing it today, contact us here!