Unfortunately, we live in times where global crises are emerging more frequently and impacting various markets.
Rather than wishing them away or ignoring them, your Axel Marketing Experts are here with more Pro Tips to help your business navigate these tumultuous occasions, and even come out ahead!
Pro Tips For Marketing During A Crisis
First: Don’t Capitalize on the Crisis.
In addition to being in poor taste, this can backfire in a big way. These days, outrage is a very potent fuel for viral content. This the kind of viral content your business doesn’t want. While you may get a lot of visibility, it will more than likely come with public shaming, shunning, and boycotting of your services. By the end of it, you will more than likely lose business and then require Public Relations and Reputation Management strategies for your best chance to repair the negative associations made.
This assumes the scenario of going viral for the wrong reasons, which may not happen at all: you are also likely to simply lose business by turning off audiences and not gaining any viral traction at all. Regardless of whatever benefits capitalizing on a crisis may seem to offer in the moment, remember that your company’s negative response will live online long after the crisis subsides (especially thanks to screenshots), further adding to the chances of it coming back to haunt your brand. In short, capitalizing on a crisis is the wrong approach from just about any angle you look at and carries a disproportionate risk to reward. Here are some better options…
Second: Be Positive, But Not Ignorant.
Whenever there is global instability, it reflects in the markets. Seeing widespread market volatility that directly impacts the finances of millions will naturally result in a lot of consumer fear and worry. This makes it crucial to maintain a clear and calming tone for your brand across all your communication outlets. When panic sets-in and misinformation runs high, show your audience that your business is keeping up with the situation as it unfolds and remaining calm. In addition to being informed, it is important to show empathy during a crisis in order to humanize your brand in a way that will not only resonate in the moment, but also make your brand more memorable to consumers longterm.
Third: Be Helpful.
In addition to remaining (and projecting) calm and staying informed, your business should actively show its usefulness in a major crisis. To do this, start by considering all the ways your business and industry relates to the crisis and is impacted by it. This will likely include nuanced and unexpected ways, like supply issues and increases in indirect costs. Then your team can list out and highlight all the ways your business can help and be a resource to your audience, consumers, and clients. An easy way all businesses, regardless of industry, can be helpful in a crisis is by sharing accurate information from reliable sources, such as government agencies related to crisis response. You can also share websites and contact information to help your connect your audience to aid, or to give them options to help others, such as through donations. While doing this on social media, be sure to research the trending hashtags related to the crisis to make it easier for anyone looking for that information to find it, and therefore broaden your reach. Your business may also want to consider partnering with other businesses or organizations to offer other means of support relating to the crisis, especially if your business is in a unique position to do so.
All of this should be communicated to your audience in order to show how your brand is using its expertise to contribute to solutions during uncertain times, further building public goodwill and brand loyalty.
Stay tuned for more Axel Marketing, Branding, and Digital Communications tips, tricks, and strategies to make your brand stand out from the pack!
Is your business ready to get to the next level? For in-depth marketing strategies suited to your business, reach us at (866-328-4329) or dave@davidaxel.com to schedule a free consultation and map out the best plan for you and your brand!
