Making sure you keep the communication lines open between your business and your community is always important, but even more so in times when you can’t physically interact with them on a daily basis.
By community, we mean your past, present and future customers; your audience, your partners, and the public in general.
Engage with your audience in ways that informs and inspires them.
Businesses that make their customers’ lives a little bit easier and happier in times like this will be hard to be forgotten. Now is the time to prove yourself to your customers. (Samual Ayobami, Bami Brands)
Even though it may seem as if there are much more important things to focus on at times like these, content creation is one of the best ways to make sure your business doesn't lose contact with the world.. Pinterest has created a useful guide for engaging your audience through content under the COVID-19 pandemic.
Creating content during a crisis can be a difficult balancing act. On the one hand, failing to acknowledge the current state can feel tone-deaf. On the other hand, without a delicate touch, copy can come off as opportunistic or insensitive. To strike the right chord, you need to create content that feels authentic, compassionate and most importantly - helpful. (Pinterest, 28 March 2020)
Remember that meaningful engagement is always a two-way street, so keep the dialogue going with your community.
Next steps:
- Determine your audience’s unique needs and pain-points during the pandemic.
- Create, commission or source content that addresses each of these pain-points.
- Schedule to publish your content over time on channels and platforms that resonate with your audience.