COVID-19: Comms guidelines you can use now
Don’t let bad communication spread like the virus
I help business leaders better connect with their audiences digitally through websites, apps, newsletters, interactive campaigns and more. We apply equal effort to structure, layout, aesthetics, and the words we use.
Digital comms products are good or bad. There’s no in-between. The COVID-19 crisis is shining a spotlight on this often neglected fact. Critical information changes from hour to hour and organizations are pumping out comms at breakneck speed. Not surprisingly, so many are awful. But if you pay attention to three comms guidelines, you’ll produce content that meets its objectives and ensures that your customers think highly of you:
1. Stop. Think. Do you need to say anything?
Valuable comms pieces respond to customer needs and get those customers to do something. Before you touch your keyboard, make sure you’re providing info that’s needed, wanted, and unique. Two weeks ago, I got 30+ emails from the CEOs of organizations, all saying the same thing. Mostly, they told me the coronavirus was “low risk” and that they had “impeccable cleaning practices”. Neither of those statements made me more comfortable. In fact, some sloppily crafted messages had the opposite effect.
Before you repeat what everyone else is saying, stop and think. Don’t just copy everyone else’s messaging. Instead, consider questions like these:
- What do your customers really need from you given the product/service you provide?
- Are they worried they won’t be able to get something they usually receive?
- Are they concerned they’ll lose money if you cancel something they’ve already paid for?
- What happens if they can no longer afford to pay you?
Tell them what they need to know. If you don’t have answers yet, it’s okay to say you’ll be in touch when you have them.
2. Write like you talk.
Here’s a little secret: Comms are more relatable and easier to read when you write like you talk. I don’t mean grammatically … I mean use first and second person language and don’t be afraid of contractions. Here’s an example:
If you were speaking with a friend, which would you say?
A) I will not walk the dog today. It is raining and I do not want to get wet.
or
B) I won’t walk the dog today because it’s raining and I don’t want to get wet.
Option B, obviously. You can — and should — write like this too. There’s a misconception that using contractions makes communications pieces too casual. But, that’s wrong. Communications are easier to read when they’re clear. Try it out and see how it feels for you and your customers.
3. Use fewer words.
These days we get so many COVID-related messages, we barely pay attention to their contents. You’re lucky if customers even open those types of emails. If they do, they’ll scan them quickly (within seconds) to decide whether they actually want to read what you’ve produced. Make that decision easy for them.
Use headings that describe what they’ll get in each short section (like I’ve done in this post). Then, use as few words as possible to get your point across.
Here’s a real-world example:
Don’t write this:
As you can imagine we are not the only organization to be realizing that some of our planned activities may be adversely impacted. However, I stress that it remains premature to be making firm decisions concerning program postponements and/or cancellations until we have clearer visibility on the duration of current work and travel restrictions. To that end, your Board is actively engaged in monitoring municipal, regional, provincial and federal updates that will provide both information and guidance concerning new developments and directives.
Write this instead:
Like other organizations, we know that our planned activities could be affected by COVID-19. However, we believe it’s premature to make any decisions about postponing or cancelling activities. We’re tracking the daily municipal, regional, provincial, and federal updates so we can follow their guidance. We’ll be in touch when we make any decisions that affect you.
Isn’t that better? Let your mantra be “Edit, edit, edit”.
Go forward, despite uncertainty
So many people are reeling in light of the new and unexpected challenges caused by this pandemic. I trust you have the generosity and tenacity to carry you through these uncharted waters with your customers. If you or your team need support, reach out to me at any time. We’ll create a path for you that feels reliable and resilient.