Coronavirus Has Affected Email Marketing March 16, 2020, | Posted by erin

If you’ve been keeping up with the news, you already likely know about COVID-19, a novel coronavirus pandemic affecting most of the world in a variety of ways. Though the virus began in China, it has traveled the world--and already had a huge economic impact, even in the US. It should come as no surprise then that email marketing efforts have been impacted by the pandemic; 12% of emails sent on March 12 from AWeber’s email marketing platform mentioned the virus itself, and most of those were to do with various measures that businesses are taking to help maintain the safety of their personnel and their customers. The pandemic isn’t going anywhere, so brands will have to continue to grapple with the ongoing need for information and the questions consumers have for the businesses they interact with. Site Impact’s experts have some excellent advice for how to engage with consumers and businesses alike in these troubling, stressful times, and today we’re going to take a look at the best practices.

Don’t avoid the issue

There may be a temptation to pretend that COVID-19 isn’t happening, or to just conduct your email marketing efforts as if it isn’t a factor; however, with so much attention on the important public health aspects of the pandemic, staying silent on it just makes brands seem cavalier or irresponsible. It shouldn’t be a feature of every campaign you send out, but expressing your readiness to do what will best protect your customers and your business alike will reassure your recipients that you’re trustworthy. Reassuring your prospects and current customers alike that you are taking steps to address concerns related to the pandemic will take your brand a long way towards maintaining confidence--which is absolutely vital to keeping your business going throughout this global crisis.

Lean into compassion and empathy

An important feature of any discussion of this pandemic has to involve a degree of compassion, empathy, and community spirit. People are afraid, and while not talking about it at all is certainly the worst option, not far behind that is discussing the issue in a way that comes across as callous or uncaring. Communicate clearly with your recipients that you understand their concerns, and that your brand is doing everything it can to ensure safety. Several big brands have already taken a strong lead in this; email campaigns have gone out to explain changes to store policies (such as buying limits for products that are in high demand, or altered operating hours to accommodate social distancing efforts) or to inform customers about efforts that brands are taking to ensure not only the safety and health of their employees but ultimately their customers as well. The focus of any communication about this crisis and its impact on your brand should be on how you’re working to ensure safety and security for everyone, and should acknowledge the strain that everyone is under right now. Connecting on a more emotional level with your audience is important in a time of crisis.

In this time of uncertainty, brands have a strong incentive to take the lead and address the elephant in the room in a compassionate, understanding way. Ignoring the pandemic affecting the world won’t keep it from being a factor in your prospects’ decision making processes, and addressing the issue in a callous way will only turn them away from you. Reach out and provide reassurance, communicate clearly and effectively, and your email marketing efforts can strengthen your business even in this period of economic uncertainty and challenge. Contact Site Impact to learn how we can help you get the word out about your coronavirus plans.