Communication is the cornerstone of every organisation’s success. It’s even more important in times of crisis. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic is having an affect on everyone and there are no signs of the spread slowing down anytime soon.
As the news unfolds daily, we are in unprecedented times that no one could predict. Quite often a crisis communications strategy is on standby in the instances of avoiding a certain situation. No matter how large or small, your business or organisation will not be able to avoid what is going on right now.
It is however key to have a communications plan in place that will assist in you sharing accurate, honest and trustworthy information, both internally and externally.
External Communications
It would be a real luxury to have a communications plan in place for COVID-19, but we did not predict the severity of its impact. Now is the time to put communications into play – if you already have some form of communications plan in place, great. It is most likely changing daily as the government guidelines are continuously evolving. If you have no comms plan in place, you must!
WHO
Know your tone of voice and team member(s) the messaging should come from. It is important that the messaging is trustworthy and from a reliable member of the team or management.
WHAT
At times like this, communications can feel overwhelming. Ensure all content shared is factual, having following guidance from professional or government guidelines.
WHERE
Depending on the nature of your business or organisation, you may already use a variety of communication outlets. Emails, marketing material and social media will all have their uses. In times like these, social media is of great benefit to generate proactive messaging which is essential during a crisis. Using social media channels allows for content to be updated regularly and accurately. However close media monitoring should be implemented.
Internal Communications
Not only is this a troublesome time for your clients or customers, you most likely will have staff to think about. Do not overlook your employees or avoid communicating with them. This may lead to:
- Employees becoming worried and confused
- Employees being misinformed
- Chaos and negative atmosphere develops within the workplace causing disruption to operations
Management should keep things simple in a time of crisis: Be honest and produce facts.
We have provided valuable crisis communications support over the years. We will never forget when the famous NI tourist attraction, The Gobbins opened, then five months later had to close suddenly Dec 31st…we managed the comms for this as the bells rang in the New Year. Crisis comms at its finest!
Remember, effective crisis communications can define or destroy your business. Having a helping hand can save you precious time, resources and reputation. If you would like to find out more about how Rumour Mill could help, get in touch today at hello@rumourmillcomms.com