Marketing Messaging in Times of Crisis

By Jennifer Karpus-Romain, Director of Marketing Services and Industry Outreach, FayeBSG

It’s challenging for any marketer to get the perfect messaging out to his or her customers, prospects, partners, and team members under normal circumstances. So this task is even more difficult during a time of crisis. It’s a bit chaotic, and no one knows what the right step forward is. 

It’s a fine line between keeping your clients informed and pestering your prospects with information they don’t need. So, what should you do?

Here are 5 tips for marketing messaging in times of crisis:

1. Be Empathetic. 

Whether there’s a global economic downfall, a health crisis, or an industry issue, it’s important to be empathetic in your messaging. A good place to start is putting yourself in the shoes of your audience. 

For example, you’re getting nervous because you haven’t heard from a customer. This company is normally super responsive, so you’re concerned they’re going to another provider for shipments. 

Instead of getting fearful or agitated, take a step back. Understand that your customer may not be signing up for any services right now, including shipments.  Their lack of response may not be due to not wanting to talk to you or do business with you. Instead, they might just not know what their budget or next steps are yet. 

2. Only Enter Conversations to Add Value.

Messaging should focus on ways to help others, not simply selling your service. Before you send an email or create any other type of campaign, think about how this information is bringing value to the recipients. Now more than ever, it’s important to truly understand the purpose of a marketing campaign and know who your audience is. 

Additionally, you can give your recipients the chance to opt out. If you’re sending regular emails to clients to let them know what’s going on at your company, feel free to ask them if your information is helpful. If it’s not, tell them to let you know, and stop sending them data. 

3. When Applicable, Reach Out in Ways Besides Email. 

The average office worker receives 121 emails per day. And that’s on an ordinary day. Couple that with the overcommunication that often occurs during chaos, and you’ll see that your recipients have a lot going on at the same time. Email boxes can be inundated with information—both needed and unneeded.  

If you know for a fact that a customer only wants you to email them, then wait for them to respond. However, other clients may appreciate receiving a phone call and hearing a friendly voice. If you can’t meet with a prospect in person right now, try setting up a virtual face-to-face meeting. 

If you reach out in ways besides email, it’s a great way to both show people you appreciate them and break through the mass amounts of communication they’re receiving.  

4. Understand the Difference between Customers and Prospects.

Undoubtedly, your customers should hear from you during a crisis. They want to understand what your company is doing and the ways you’re still serving their needs. 

However, your prospects might not need to know everything you’re doing. While it’s challenging not to conduct business as usual, you want to be respectful of everyone’s current situation. 

5. Consider Postponing Unnecessary Communications.

While it’s important to share relevant information, consider postponing unnecessary emails. Super salesy emails or blog content might be more effective at another time. 

Before you hit send on a piece of communication, think about whether it’s necessary to send it now, or if it would be better to hold off. In addition to not clogging up your recipients’ inboxes, you work hard to create the content you send, so you want to get as much value from it as possible.

During a crisis, you should do the same thing you always do: cater your content and messaging to your specific audience. The output may just look different as you are more sensitive to current need. 

Jennifer Karpus-Romain serves as Director of Marketing Services and Industry Outreach for FayeBSG and as an adjunct professor for Cuyahoga Community College for social media marketing. From journalism to PR to marketing, she has been around the written word for her entire professional life. Previously, she has held roles in the publishing and marketing industries, as well as managing her own content and publishing firm.