COVID-19 has changed everything – from the way we interact, to how often we leave our homes, to the future of work and life balance. Grappling with the pandemic has also changed how we do and how we should communicate.
For the first time for many of us in our professional lives, we got an up close and personal take on the lives of our colleagues. Screaming children in the background of Zoom calls, barking dogs interrupting conference calls, pajamas galore! We got a new perspective on just how human our colleagues actually are. And that’s not a bad thing.
One of the things we can learn from the pandemic comes from accepting our teammates as they are. We all have responsibilities and interests beyond our job role – and leaning into that reality paves the way for communication to be more honest, more human, and more trustworthy.
Let’s dive into some lessons learned with this!
1. Think through the method of communication
Now, more than ever, people consume content at all times of day and in all forms. Take a look at how your audience consumes information. Do they use social media? Read the newspaper? Open emails? Choose the method of communication that your audience will most likely engage with. And, when in doubt, leverage a few different modes! Send your message out on social media AND send an e-blast to a targeted list, for instance.
2. Don’t shy away from being personal
We’ve learned a lot about people’s health and family circumstances over the past couple of years. When communicating about something that affects you, your business, your organization, don’t hesitate to be more open, clear, and personally honest than you might have been before the pandemic. If there’s a challenging business shift or an exciting announcement, you can add your own feelings to the communication – if done thoughtfully and strategically.
3. Think through your hook
How will you break through the noise of the pandemic (and other massive world events) to share your news? Whether you want to share through the traditional media or through your own or partner channels, you need to consider what will catch the interest of your audience. If it does not rise to the level of independently interesting, think of how you can repackage the news, or wait until you have a clearer hook.
And, as always, we will help guide your climb!