Communicate clearly to safeguard your company’s reputation: this will be the challenge now the business community goes through a crisis. Make a clear crisis communication plan, take great care of internal communication, show yourself to be an expert to the outside world, and use all online channels to get your message across. Only then will you be able to gain the trust of your audience.
Nearly 200,000 unemployed, 8 billion euros in business turnover lost, and a loss of welfare estimated at 50 billion euros. That’s the harsh verdict of the Belgian National Bank following the COVID pandemic as a result of which an avalanche of redundancies is expected. A lot of companies will have to reinvent their business model and will soon have to pass an extremely difficult message. The one keyword in all of this? Communication.
Our five insights will help you weather the economic storm clouds.
Crisis communication plan
It all starts with a crisis communication plan, containing solid guide lines about who does what during a crisis, the target groups which are to be informed and which messages are to be communicated. We surveyed the 100 largest companies in Belgium and it turned out that no fewer than one in three of the companies surveyed did not have a crisis communication plan at the ready when the COVID pandemic hit.
Internal communication
Pay lots of attention to your internal communication. Your employees are your best ambassadors, so inform them first. According to our research, four out of ten companies will communicate more internally than they did before COVID.
Online
Webinars, livestreams, blogs, vlogs or news videos: online communication is the one that pays off and attracts new business. Our research shows that three out of four companies will continue to make those extra online efforts even after COVID.
Social media
Everyone agrees that social media have become an indispensable communication tool throughout the COVID crisis. Honest and open communication on these channels guarantees a solid reputation.
Expertise
Surprise your customers and audience with meaningful and newsworthy messages that will profile you as an expert in your domain. This should not be a sales pitch, but an opportunity to show knowledge about your métier. Our survey showed that four out of ten companies now have a better relationship with their customers because of their proactive communication than before.
The challenges heading our way are immense: therefore, prepare your communication strategies already now.