In uncertain times, it can be hard to know what to say. In recent weeks, a consistent question we are seeing from brands is ‘How do I communicate effectively and create useful content a crisis?’.

People are worried about appearing tone-deaf or flippant, but the worst thing you can say or do is nothing at all.

In this blog, we will cover some pointers on creating content that is of value to your audiences in the current climate, ensuring you keep the lines of communication open. Learn how to create useful content in a crisis for your organisation.

1. Identify your stakeholders and their care-abouts

Clear and consistent communications with your key stakeholders is fundamental to protecting your business. In the first instance, map out who exactly these stakeholders are, including all the audiences relevant to your business, from employees and suppliers to customers and competitors.

Develop a short-term communications plan that outlines their immediate needs and concerns during the crisis and the activities you can feasibly do to alleviate them. Can you host a webinar sharing useful tips or write a blog that addresses the common concerns you are seeing? Can you do a Q&A on Twitter?

Sharing information that will address their pain points will position your business as helpful and credible.

2. Review your content

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to content. Review all your existing content – blogs, imagery, videos etc. – and find what is still relevant now, with a few tweaks.

Your objectives should be to engage, inform and advise. Ask your audiences what they want to see more of – put the call out on your social media channels or run a short survey or poll. This ensures you will be sharing only the content that your audience is craving and may also throw up some new angles you hadn’t considered.

For maximum reach, make sure you focus on the platforms where your audience is currently active and engaged, whether that’s your website, email marketing channels or individual social media platforms. But don’t be afraid to change it up! Live streaming and webinars are fast becoming the new norm. What you create doesn’t have to be ‘perfect’, it just has to be relevant.

3. Listen, listen, listen

Be authentic in wanting to help – you want to communicate the fact that you are a brand that cares about its customers beyond sales. Use this time to create authentic communications geared at connecting with your audience instead of selling to them.

Listen to the conversations happening in the media and on social channels and determine what your audience wants or needs, if anything. It may be more appropriate for you to publish a single message to showcase empathy and support, and wait and listen to see what else you can do. That’s ok, too and you can use the time to plan for the future.

Remember, you are trying to build goodwill and brand equity that will sustain you past the current crisis.

For more information on how we can help you create useful content that resonates with your audiences, email info@springboardcommunications.ie

Post by Susie Horgan

Susie founded Springboard in 2011, and has developed the business into a leading, director-led communications agency. She has worked for over 20 years in senior marketing and public relations roles.