Tips, news and views from Green Light Copywriting

How to make the right copywriting impact during a crisis 2 April 2020

Extraordinary times call for an extraordinary approach. That’s why copywriting and business content have an important role in difficult times. Because people – from employees to customers – need to be kept informed quickly and effectively.

In difficult times, your business may well be at one or two removes from your customers, employees and stakeholders. These are the moments when carefully constructed content can make a vital difference. So, how do you keep your copywriting approach sensitive and effective in a time of crisis?

Be specific

The more specific you can be, the more people will understand the steps you’re taking to protect them. Make your message short and precise. Tell your readers what you’re doing right now to keep your employees and customers safe. Conversely, if you make promises or assurances, be sure to follow them through and prepare to update people if things change.

Make it personal

An one-off statement about your response as an organisation to a crisis can be beneficial, but that’s not enough. Different groups and audiences have contrasting concerns and needs. How can you personalise your content – email, social media, blog posts – to really address the worries of specific audiences right now? This extends to making sure you don’t go into robot marketing mode.

Consider your tone of voice

If ever there was a time to carefully consider the tone of voice you’re using, a crisis is it. Humour can be powerful but it’s far less appropriate in such times. Are you confident that your message and tone of voice are aligned with where people are at emotionally and practically? On the other side of the coin, while hyperbole may seem a natural tone to take, it won’t do your content or your audience any favours. The best approach is to keep your tone factual and reassuring.

Stay in touch

With all the potential risks of getting the messaging in your content horribly wrong as discussed above, it’s understandable that you might be tempted to stay quiet. You may even believe your customers won’t want to hear from you at such a difficult time. Ultimately, this is your call. But my advice would be to stay in touch. Approach it carefully. Whatever the status of your business, let people know. Reassure them that you’re still working hard to provide the services they need. Keep people updated about changing opportunities and conditions.

Remember the call to action

The time for a well-placed and carefully constructed call to action? You are here. Now is when it means everything. Whatever format you use to communicate with your customers during this time, provide a clear and practical call to action. And support it with a proper plan. If you’ve provided a dedicated email address to allow customers to share their concerns, ensure the inbox for that address is checked regularly. If you specify the hours during which a phone-line is open, be sure to staff it during those hours. It’s all too easy to miss things when you’re working hard to keep your business healthy in challenging times.

Your words have power

Your content has the power to help shape the public response in a crisis crisis. Be there for customers, offer them support and advice, be clear, be specific and, above all, keep them updated.