Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, your business has probably entered ‘safe mode’ to weather this most uncertain of storms.

As the pandemic rages on and you continue to evolve your business in response to the world around you, it’s important to remember the importance of keeping your customers informed.

Your brand messaging will have a significant impact on your success, both now and in the long term. If you get your content right, you will drive engagement and build trust as the pandemic endures.

Recently, we offered six practical tips for growing your brand during the COVID-19 crisis. Now, we’re going to dig a little deeper into the content side of things to help you weather the storm wisely.

Let’s get started.

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Visualize your messaging output

Before we delve any deeper into copy, wording, and storytelling, it’s important to consider the impact of visualizing your content during the pandemic.

The average human brain visualizes imagery around 60,000 times faster than text. Given the fact that in the digital age, we have access to an ever-growing choice of promotional platforms, the scope for bringing your messaging to life is almost endless.

By leveraging the power of user-generated visual content, striking imagery, vibrant captions, 3D motion graphics, and bite-sized videos with strong narratives, you will strike a positive nerve with your target audience.

Visual messaging like this is particularly effective for social media channels like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook—and if you have the ideas but you’re struggling to bring them to life, working with a specialist creative ad agency will make a solid investment right now.

Think ahead, but live in the now

This may sound a little vague or ambiguous, but what we mean here is: produce regular content that addresses existing news, changes, and issues as they occur, but also consider campaigns that will help generate a buzz or offer value as the pandemic slows.

If you’re a florist, for instance, you could create a miniseries of tutorials that helps people brighten up their homes with house plants and flower arrangements during lockdown, while sharing regular news on your initiatives during the pandemic. But, you might also be sowing the seeds of a campaign geared towards Halloween—one that outlines the value of using flowers for October 31 celebrations.

There are a number of scenarios you could conjure up (depending on your brand or industry) but the point here is: be relevant but commit time to developing messages for your next commercial chapter.

If you need ideas for your potential campaign content, this content title generator will offer a little inspiration.

Craft mindful, meaningful copy

When you’re talking COVID-19 brand messaging, you cannot afford to ignore this advice: read every piece of copy, content or communication at least thrice before publishing on any platform.

Look through every single turn of phrase with a keen eye to make sure it’s 110% accurate and mindful of your audience—mistakes or alienating content will only ruin your reputation at a time it matters most.

Write conversationally, as you would talk, ensuring that your language is simple, fluent and to the point.

To create COVID-19 messaging that speaks to your audience on a meaningful level and evokes real emotion, you should use action words where possible—here’s a handy glossary for your reference.

Also, when you approach any social media post, email, article, infographic or video, you should aim to lead with information. Here’s a storytelling framework that will help you structure your brand messaging during the crisis:

  • Start by honing in on your audience and how they feel.
  • Provide a quick COVID-19 based around your locale or industry.
  • Give your customers an idea of your current business status and what you are doing in response to the virus (this should include any collaborations or charity work). Or what you have in store over the coming months.
  • Offer a practical solution or ask your customers how you can help them in the current climate. Get the conversation started.

COVID-19 brand messaging: dos and don’ts

To summarize, here are the dos and don’ts when it comes to COVID-19 brand messaging:

Do. Be informational and show empathy.

Do. Ask people what they need and how they feel.

Do. Offer real solutions and create value-driven content, not fluff.

Don’t. Use complicated terms or exclusive language.

Don’t. Go for quick sales tactics to make a quick dollar. It will not work.

Don’t. Be too hasty—cross-check and proof your communications several times before sharing them with the public.

We hope this helps you with your COVID-19 brand marketing efforts. For more business-boosting insights, read our full-scale blogging strategy guide.