Communication Can Save Lives
For years, we’ve said to each other, particularly after a bad day, “Well, at least lives aren’t at stake.” But today, lives ARE at stake.
When we communicate well about COVID-19, we help slow the spread of the virus and ease the burden on our healthcare system, which literally saves lives. For the first time, we marketers have a mission.
That’s why we’re helping clients navigate the New Rules of Business Communication with our CoCo website. Our team is furiously finding communication best practices for business, education, and healthcare workers, WITH EXAMPLES — which we are quickly spinning into COVID-19 Resource Centers for our clients.
You can download our COVID-19 Communication Cheat Sheet here (with input from the WHO).
COVID-19: What Clients Are Asking
– Where to find healthcare writers? Just like healthcare workers, healthcare writers are in short supply. We do have a small healthcare content team ready to deploy in emergency, including one talented writer with both a Master’s Degree in Public Health and government experience.
– What is the tone? The “usual” marketing can feel out of step. For your COVID-19 content, we recommend a tone of “Helping Humans.” Focus on useful resources, trusted information, and insight from the field. Think a “Spirit of Solidarity.”
– What imagery should we use? Similarly, the imagery for COVID-19 is tricky. One useful tip is to personify the virus as a germ. We used this today in our new CoCo Intro Video, where Coronavirus is an 8-bit Space Invader.
– Should we still sell? Another principle is “Business As Usual, Though It’s Unusual.” In other words, of course we keep doing our job, driving leads and sales with our usual Calls To Action, lead forms, and ad campaigns. But we use common sense: we don’t offer an ebook on COVID-19 behind a gated leadgen form.
5 Business Best Practices During the Coronacrisis:
> See this as a magnificent opportunity. If ever you wanted to make a strategic change, this is the time.
> Get up at the same time every day. Meditate, exercise, start work by 9 am. Keep “The New Normal.”
> Start each day with our Strength of the Human Spirit soundtrack.
> Start every videoconference with a human greeting. “How are you feeling, physically and mentally?”
> End every videoconference with the greeting, “Be well.”