The COVID-19 pandemic has redefined almost every tier of social and business life.
Isolation, masks, social distancing, and expressed and unexpressed fears have become a worldwide norm and new way of living.
At the moment, countries are experiencing one of the largest ever global and coordinated vaccine drives in history.
These vaccination rollouts are finally bringing a ray of hope after more than a year of despair and crisis management.
Businesses are gradually preparing to reopen their physical doors.
Professionals, however, believe that it will not be business as usual.
The impact of the pandemic, the resultant safety measures, and a new awareness among people effectively denote ‘before’ and ‘after’ virus times.
BDO, a provider of international financial advisory and related services, stated that people proved their adaptability by employing and using virtual business means.
Marketing professionals and other experts feel that the efficacy of conducting business virtually indicates that these measures will remain in place even after the real-world doors of the business sphere open.
These industry experts asserted that businesses should use both print and digital media to communicate arrangements regarding reopenings.
The senior vice president of commercial business development at FedEx Office, Aimee DiCicco, and the president of Dion Marketing Company, Julie Dion, raised several aspects to be communicated during a webinar held on 18th May 2021. These included:
- New business working hours.
- The regulation of the number of people allowed in a venue or on the premises at one time.
- Governmental compliance with restrictive measures such as wearing masks in public.
- Relaying certain business operations, such as bulk orders, to virtual sites to streamline operations and implement better time management measures.
Digital media communications is a faster and more effective means of reaching a large group of people at once.
The setting up of a virtual notification system, for example, can immediately inform customers and audiences of changes and new business rules.
Physical boundaries and other limitations do not affect virtual communication means.
The US Chamber of Commerce recommended the following reopening communication strategies:
- Announce reopening information on your website’s homepage and use tools such as auto pop-up messages in your chat functions.
- Use all of your social media platforms to continually run reopening news and measures. Ensure that your settings allow for comments and questions, enabling you to keep a finger on the pulse of your customers’ preferences.
- Set up or use existing email newsletters to get your messages across.
- Explore text messages and other mobile notification means to keep your customers updated and involved.
Communications professionals concur that business reopening messages should:
- Be done in good time and not be last-minute, rushed notes. This communicates consideration and respect for customers and their time.
- Be applicable and contain relevant information. Ambiguous and vague ramblings will only frustrate and stress customers in already uncertain times.
- Express significant empathy and understanding. People are still reeling from the effects and uncertainties of the pandemic.
A content development specialist can help your company to streamline reopening communications and get the right messages across.
