How to Handle Marketing Campaigns During a Crisis

By Lindsay Valenty -

When it comes to marketing, it's pretty apparent what NOT to share during times of crisis — but what SHOULD you share?

None of us want to come across as insensitive during times of conflict, or in our current case, during a global pandemic. Knowing what sort of content is acceptable to share that won't get lost in the noise can seem an impossible task, but today we're going to discuss some ideas that will allow you to stay top-of-mind with your clients without seeming opportunistic.

Pause and Reevaluate

Just because you have blogs, emails, social media posts, and ad campaigns planned doesn't mean that everything needs to be paused or stopped altogether.

Before you go radio silent with your marketing efforts, take a look at your content's language. See if it can be updated to be more aware and sympathetic of whatever crisis is taking place, or if you should hold off for a future date.

Be Helpful, Not Insistent

Edelman conducted research that found 85% of people expect companies to use their power to educate their audiences during the COVID-19 crisis. Your number one goal should be to help during any time of strife, not profit off of whatever is happening.

Ensure that your messaging offers suggestions that are helpful, or cost-effective, or even just tips that may not have anything to do with the products and services you offer — beneficial information that you feel may aid your clients.

Choose Where to Market and How

There are various ways you can market, and unsurprisingly during a crisis, marketing email send volumes increase significantly.

That doesn't mean you should send unnecessary or unhelpful information on a regular rotation. Limit your interactions to prevent email fatigue in your customers.

If what you're sharing is something that would appeal to a broader audience outside of your existing customers, consider sharing it on other channels such as an SEO-optimized blog post.

Stay Active

We cannot stress enough the importance of continually monitoring your marketing efforts during a crisis.

While programming social media posts and email workflows should be standard practice in a normal situation, keeping abreast of the changing landscape of any emergency is crucial to ensure your messaging never comes across as tone-deaf or insensitive.

It's no secret that people have a hard time trusting companies on a good day, let alone in an emergency. HubSpot Research shows that 55% of people don't trust the companies they buy from, and 71% don't depend on sponsored content on social.

Knowing how to cut through the noise without putting your company in a bad light may seem like a delicate line to walk, but as long as you monitor your channels and ensure what you share is helpful, you may be surprised by the returns your content generates.

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