Communicating effectively with customers during the Covid pandemic

Moving forward from a crisis can seem daunting but in terms of recovering your reputation the key is to talk. Content might be king but engagement is queen. Lorraine Bryant, Director at Briscoe PR tells us more.

People are crying out for good news and to hear that life will return to some level of normality one day. Your industry is key to this. Hospitality is the fun stuff in life – it is family holidays, trips to see family and weekends away.

Your business should be maintaining communication with your customers, and the outside world, during this time but the next step is to get ready for when it is all over – and it will be over.

First thing is to work out how this crisis is going to change the way your business operates.

1. What does success look like? What do you want people to know?
2. How might your customers have changed during this time and will that make a difference to how they do business with you?
3. What has changed about your business and how will that affect your customers?

Once you have considered these questions you can then push forward to make a plan of action.

Here are some of my top tips:

1. Show your face. People buy from people and that is the way to gain trust.
2. Tell your story and be honest.
3. Change up your content. Use different formats such as video, blogs and social media posts.
4. Listen and engage with your audience.
5. Repeat yourself. Research shows that someone needs to see a piece of information at least three times to digest it.
6. Repeat yourself. Research shows that someone needs to see a piece of information at least three times to digest it.
7. Repeat yourself. Research shows that someone needs to see a piece of information at least three times to digest it.
8. Evaluate and change. There is no tried and tested plan for coming out the other side of the COVID-19 crisis. If your plan works then great but if it isn’t working then change it until it does.

Lorraine will be sharing more on Communicating During the Covid Pandemic, at an IoH Southern Branch event on Monday 30 November at 2pm. The event is free of charge and all members and non-members from across the hospitality industry are invited.

Find out more and book your free ticket