Not just brands, but employees too should be
mindful of how they communicate in times of a global crisis
 |
| Posting mindfully in times of a global crisis |
The onus is on each of us, not just personally, but professionally
too, to exercise sensitivity while posting on social media in a time when
businesses and individuals globally are experiencing the wrath of the COVID-19
pandemic. Not just brands, but employees’ own social media platforms are having
increasing impact and reach. Now more than ever, consumers are closely watching
how brands are communicating to their consumers, clients and vendors across
various platforms. Thus, as employees and advocates of the brands we work for,
the microscope is on us as well. After all, it does not take time for an
inappropriate personal post to go, for the lack of a better word, viral.
How we engage with the community online and offline during this
unprecedented situation will be extremely critical. Our social media behavior now
will influence the decision-making of key stakeholders when the crisis has
passed. Understand that given our present situation, people are looking at
online activity for content that will offer value to them. Thus, if you are
going to post on social media, especially on a professional networking platform
like LinkedIn, focus on sharing content that will resonate with your followers,
else you will risk coming across as tone-deaf or sounding too cheerful at a
time when things are risky, and businesses and bottomlines are being impacted.
What you should be mindful of…
· Be considerate and understanding, and
anticipate what your social media audience may be experiencing, especially as
many face changes in their professional situation including the immediate
obligation to shift to remote working, adapting to new policies their
organizations roll out, being anxious over possible lay-offs, and many other
personal changes
· Be conscious of your tone of voice, especially
as your written/published posts will be subject to interpretation
· Things are changing quickly, so keep up to
date with the news and what is happening; what may have felt like a good
message yesterday may not be the right or appropriate thing to share today
· Fact check the information you are planning to
post, particularly if it’s about how your business is reacting to the
situation, the solutions you are offering to customers, and so on - be sure to
verify everything
· Don’t sound opportunistic. The last thing you
want is to make you or your organization sound self-centered and transactional
· And remember, once you put something up on the
internet, it stays there forever. Screenshots have enabled people to
store/capture your posts for future reference. We’ve seen time and again in the
past how old tweets have come back to haunt many influencers
If you want to communicate with
your stakeholders on social media, you could look at incorporating the below
verbiage into your post:
- Pleasantries (how are you / hope you are well
and safe)
- We’re still accessible/reachable via
_____
- We are taking our activities online…
- We’re working closely with our team to
support you…
- We’re available to chat about your
concerns anytime, please reach out to us at ……
- We are adapting and reacting quickly to….
- Sign off with phrases like ‘take care’ /
‘stay safe and healthy’
- Thank you for your support
- We understand…
Avoid using the below phrases
in your posts:
- “It's business as usual”: Because really, it isn’t!
No one wants to hear that now
- “Don’t panic!”: Let’s not advise people
how they should or should not react and fee as we don’t have visibility on
their personal circumstances
- “We are a global firm…”: Let’s stay humble and reflect that in our communication, as even the biggest global companies are being financially crippled by the pandemic
If you as an
employee are still unsure about the appropriateness of your post, run it by
your marketing or social media manager before you publish it online. The
above is by no means an exhaustive resource of guidelines. You are more than
welcome to share your best practices in the comments below. Stay safe and let’s aim towards physical
rather than social distancing!
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