It’s essential to have a communications plan for bouncing back – it won’t happen on its own.
It’s hard to imagine an industry, or even a single business, that hasn’t been affected by the global pandemic in some way. For many, the effects have been devastating, for others it has been an opportunity to take stock and redefine their business and marketing plans.
Whether you are scaling back activities or ramping them up, the key to success now is fast action and effective communication. We have been working with our clients to help them navigate their bounce back from lockdown, aligning their PR activity with new focuses, updated business and marketing plans. These new plans may involve focusing on new audiences and markets, or new products and services may have been developed in readiness for the return to market. No matter what the focus is, it is now more important than ever that the PR strategy supports the new business goals.
What should businesses consider for post-lockdown PR?
Be authentic
Authentic communication is always going to be effective. We are coming out of a global crisis, and people do not want cynical, opportunistic companies trying to sell them things they don’t need. The societal shift that has occurred over the past six months has seen, on the whole, communities come together and support each other. What resonates now is raw, honest communication and a more favourable look on businesses that share trustworthy, helpful news.
The added bonus of this is that businesses of all sizes can create this type of authentic communication and content. A PR team can help to develop a tone of voice and content strategy that speaks openly and honestly to its audience.
Strategy
In everything you do, consider how the pandemic has affected your customers. They may have new pain points, they may have new needs, or they may simply be new customers. Knowing what issues your customers are facing will enable you to adjust the way you communicate with them effectively. With every piece of content and communication this should be at the forefront of what you do and say. Don’t be tempted to send out communications without thinking about this and your PR and marketing strategy.
With all communication that you have with your audiences, continually question why you are doing it. What are you trying to achieve? What will success look like? Who are you communicating with and why? Always have a purpose.
What to do if you have bad news
There are a wide range of difficulties that businesses are facing at the moment, from redundancies, to unfulfilled orders. If you have bad news, how you manage it will make all the difference. If you don’t already have a crisis comms plan, start developing one now. Think about how and what you are communicating, put people first, and offer support. While it might seem appealing to fly under the radar, sometimes staying quiet can be the worst thing to do. You need to keep your customers informed and crisis comms plan helps you manage everything effectively to get the right message across.
What if you have good news?
Even sharing good news at the moment can feel like a bit of a minefield. Of course businesses don’t want to risk looking unsympathetic to others who are not doing as well. It is important, though, that good news is shared. There is still a lack of confidence and a feeling of insecurity from businesses and consumers, so spread some positivity in a compassionate way.
The future
It may feel as though we will forever be in a state of flux and that things will never level out, but remember to keep an eye on the future when developing your PR strategies. What are the long term commercial goals for the year? What you do now will impact on these, so keep this in mind when you are putting plans in place.
Putting plans in action
There are many PR tactics that can be used to help communicate your messages. An integrated strategy will ensure that messaging is consistent and that you get the most value and ROI from every activity. A main aim now will be to build trust, either with new audiences or with existing ones who are still nervous about the state of the economy / sector. Tactics such as providing thought leadership can be excellent in positioning a business or person as an expert, which would be particularly useful if approaching new markets.
Case studies and reviews can also provide reassurance and confidence, as can product placement in the right media outlets. It may also be a good time to start developing strategic, complementary partnerships with likeminded businesses, organisations or charities.
If you require any help with your post-lockdown PR strategy, get in touch. We have a wealth of experience helping national brands and small businesses alike with their PR needs.
