Business might be slow, but that's no reason to scale back your communications efforts.
If there’s one thing we can all take away from 2020, it’s a lesson in managing uncertainty. The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the world upside-down, and the situation continues to change daily.
But, in uncertain times like these, one thing is certain: communications really matter.
Companies have a responsibility to communicate with their employees, staff, and investors; customers, clients, and followers – and it’s important, particularly now, to get those communications right.
Before you join the ranks of businesses cutting back on their communications efforts, consider the following reasons for doing just the opposite.
1. Economic downturn = communications downturn.
Most businesses have suffered in some way because of COVID-19. And, when businesses is down, communications seems like a reasonable place to reduce spending and effort.
To the best of your abilities, don’t do this.
Instead, as your competitors scale back their communications efforts, build yours up. Fill the gaps left by the silence of others in your industry. Be in touch with the media more, double down on social media, keep putting out valuable content.
Maintaining – and even expanding – your visibility can benefit you tremendously in the long-run. Those who cut, or eliminate, their communications efforts now will have to play catch up later.
2. Open communication breeds trust and loyalty.
As the pandemic changes day-to-day, so too does business. Your audiences – investors, customers, followers, employees – will all be looking to you for important information about your business, and their relationship to it.
Communicate often, openly, and honestly with each one of your audiences. Provide them with the unique information they need and want from you. Your investors will want to understand the pandemic’s impact on your financials, for example, and your employees will want to hear about the safety protocols you’re putting in place to protect them. Don’t leave them guessing.
Communicating properly with each one of your valued audiences shows them that you respect and care about them and, in turn, breeds trust and loyalty.
3. Virtual events make it easier to reach more audiences.
Speaking opportunities can be a critical component of a well-rounded communications strategy. But, opportunities need to be considered carefully. Is it worth the time, effort, and money required to appear in-person before a specific audience, or at a particular event?
Today, these considerations are all but gone. You can participate in speaking opportunities from your living room, no travel required. This saves significant time, effort, and money – and for this reason, it’s worth it to pursue as many relevant, high-quality virtual speaking opportunities as you can.
Take advantage of the prevalence of virtual events right now to expand your reach.
Though your comms strategy will look quite different now than it did at the beginning of this year, the long-term benefits of maintaining visibility and presence remain. Invest whatever you can – time, energy, money, staff – into communications, and your company will be in better shape once the pandemic ends (and it will end one day).
If you'd like to learn more about how we can help your business communicate throughout the remainder of the COVID-19 pandemic - and beyond! - reach out to us at info@418communications.com.