PR Tips During The Coronavirus
In challenging times, do a “PR Check-In” to give your company a much-needed boost.
Crisis-proof your communications plan
We face difficult times now. Amid the fear and uncertainty, it’s helpful to take strategic steps and re-evaluate your PR roadmap to set yourself up for success. As we share this global uncertainty, I encourage you to use this time to invest in learning critical skills important for your business, take the leap to try something new (I am in the process of launching my “PR 101” webinar course), and evaluate your PR strategies—a bit of fine-tuning now could pay HUGE dividends later.
PR is often said to be more powerful and enduring than marketing efforts, so to give you some much-needed optimism, here are 3 steps to doing a “PR Check-In”.
1.BE AUTHENTIC
During times of crisis, audiences are HYPER-AWARE of jargon and attempts to “over-sell”. Be very careful not to “newsjack” the #Coronavirus story in an attempt to appear relevant. Unless you are taking direct action to help (such as releasing free premium content, providing free consultations, skill-sharing or giving donations) it might be better to refrain from jumping on this bandwagon.
The time is NOW to get specific about your contributions (if applicable) and re-align with your “why”. The clearer your external messaging is, the more it will cut through the noise—don’t be surprised if your authentic messaging rewards you with a wider audience base.
2. FACE YOUR FEARS OF USING VIDEO
If the past weeks have taught us anything, it’s the importance of using digital tools to establish expertise—especially with video.
Research shows that videos get 1,200% more shares than text and images combined.
In a time of scarcity and competition, the ability to truly connect with your audience might be your lifeline. This means facing your fears of getting on camera to produce more helpful content and thought leadership. Luckily, there are tons of free platforms such as Medium and LinkedIn that can distribute your content, and PR professionals who can help with media training.
—> Here are free resources to help you get more comfortable with being on camera.
3.HAVE A CRISIS COMMS PLAN
In the age of viral social media sharing, lack of internet privacy, and clickbait headlines, having a crisis communications plan might save you from an unintentional mishap that might cost your business. If you don’t have one in place, don’t worry—use this time to invest in key resources, identify spokespeople, and select the appropriate channels to communicate to internal and external stakeholders (a PR professional can help you disaster-proof your communications plan).
Your crisis communications plan might involve having a separate webpage for FAQs, creating fool-proof responses to contentious topics, and drafting talking points to communicate with investors or employees.
Next Newsletter: My exclusive “CPR” winning pitch method for getting the attention of journalists. You won’t want to miss this!
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