Business Communications in the Coronavirus.

I get it – pandemic is prompting businesses of all kinds to rethink how to keep things running in these times - and yes, impact included.

There's not exactly a guidebook for how to handle marketing in times of a global pandemic, so we're all in this together to figure it out (that is, except for whats app and zoom in, who seem to be doing just fine).

One step at a time.

There are best practices that we already know. We just need to be reminded how they can be applied to the crisis we're in.

More importantly, it's essential to remember now more than ever - we are all prospects and consumers, too. We know what makes us feel good or not good when we read one of those pandemic-related messages we get.

Let's explore some communications from companies you may confess. To see what we can take away as you plan for any business communications about pandemic.

The dos what your pandemic marketing communications should include

First off, it's worth mentioning that if you haven't already done so, there needs to be a clear communication from your company about how pandemic has impacted your way of doing business.

Pandemic is affecting every industry in one way or another, and by staying silent and not addressing the elephant in the room, you run the risk of your prospects and customers making false assumptions about your business operations, or, worse, being seen as terribly detached from reality.

Now that we accede that communications need to be incidenting in the first place, let's dissect some instance of marketing communications from brands you’ll probably incident and see what you can take away to do - and not do - in your communications.

Show your humanness

All businesses are made of people, and now more than ever we're able to take a look behind the curtain to see the vulnerable, helpful, sometimes unexpectedly human side of the brands we're familiar with.

One email that caught my eye was from Geico, my car insurance company.

They really surprised me - in a good way.

Their first email (on march 15) made a point about their mobile app, which allows customers to make any policy updates while still social distancing. But what really stuck out was how they were willing to acknowledge that people might be facing financial hardship, and that they want to help

A multi-million dollar, nationally-recognized corporation is relating to the hardships people are going through and acknowledging that they might have a hard time paying their bills?

That was unexpected. But it got even better.

Days later they sent another message that impressed (and touched) me even further by stating how not only they are there for "assistance" but that they’re proactively pausing any coverage cancellation or expiration due to non-payment.

Show your true colors

It's in hard times that you, and your business, will show your true colors.

When someone’s there for you in a really tough situation, there’s a degree of loyalty and appreciation built that you can't buy. In other words, there’s now an emotional tie between me and my insurance company it’s not just all about the numbers.

What’s the spirit of your company? What are the values ​​you're going to stick with no matter the cost?

Of course, all small and medium-sized businesses may not have the financial runway to offer something like  did, but the question still remains how can you show your humanness and be genuinely helpful right now?

Offer helpful, relevant information

If there's one thing people want and need right now, it's constantly updated facts and information about what's going on.

They took the time to explain the fed’s approach to cutting interest rates, but also took it one step further to empathize with what most of their readers were probably feeling, and gave them some practical advice and insights based on it.

The don’ts what marketing communications shouldn’t do in the pandemic.

These days, it's not just what you do do that's going to build that relationship with your prospects and customers, but it's also about what you don't do. Here are a few things that you’ll want to avoid doing so you’re not burning any bridges of connection with your audience.

Don’t make a sales pitch

In general, people typically don’t like the feeling of being pressured into a buying decision. We don’t like being sold to. On a normal day this pressure is enough to totally turn most people off — and that’s when there isn’t a global pandemic threatening people’s health and livelihoods.