Page 29 - PR Communication Age January-June2020

COVID-19 and the lockdown, we feel that communication to businesses. So get on a video chat or phone call with one
is highly essential. Even though many business aspects have of such experts and let them help you.
come to a halt, which does not mean that the conversation
needs to stop. In a time of crisis, communication is the one When an advertising executive presents a marketing plan
thing that can make or break a business, a relationship, etc. via Zoom to his boss and colleagues, hoping his kids are still
Few reasons are listed below why it is believed to be vital watching Frozen on Netflix. A couple argues over band-
to stay in touch along with our database during the width requirements for their dueling video conferences,
lockdown. while at the same time their teenager brood searches for
preventive medicines or protective gloves on Amazon.
You may not want to be left in the dark - There is so much
uncertainty at the moment, don't let your customers be This is the new normal-virtual communication, 24 hours a
uncertain of how lockdown is affecting your business. Keep day-for who knows how long during the COVID-19 crisis.
your database up to date on your business procedures, what Work is at home. School is at home. Date night is at home.
has changed, and how this will affect them. A quick tip: your Even healthcare may be confined to the home. We are all
subscribers are likely getting loads of these types of emails, attempting to accommodate our emotional, entertain-
so make yours stand out. Try using a quirky subject line or ment, educational, and health needs in one virtual place.
include a value added services.
Excuse the bad witticism, but this feels virtually impossible.
It offers a little value - Let's face it; most of us have a bit What is happening now is unprecedented. Communication
more free time on our hands, and we're all feeling a little researchers call the practice of engaging in multiple con-
bored. Communicate something of value to your database. versations simultaneously "multi-communication". Even
Use your email marketing as an opportunity to give your before the pandemic, the practice of multi-communicating
mail-readers something to do or something to brighten their had profoundly changed how we are socially present, but
day. Value additions can include interesting blog articles, this is likely to further change with this current crisis.
videos and other fresh content. For example some organi-
zations have started offering daily crossword puzzles to Our social presence describes the degree to which we per-
their readers / customers. If you watch a famous website's ceive the presence of another person. An important type
Daily Smile campaign and 'Star Jalsa TV' started recasting of social presence, often required when simultaneously
'I Love You' Series 1, 2,3 one after another - all that they engaging in multiple conversations, is "budgeted presence."
have started in just a way of bringing some joy and laugh With budgeted presence, we allocate part of our social
back into everyone's everyday life. presence to one person and the other part to another,
during the same conversation. Just as we allocate funds in
Avoids risk of losing subscribers - Many companies have our budget based on spending priorities, we allocate our
decided to stop all communications until lockdown is not social presence based on our goals for communicating dur-
over. But the risk of not communicating with your subscrib- ing any one moment.
ers for an extended period is that they may lose interest
on you and may forget who you are. You then run the risk An alternative to budget our social presence, which will
of customers unsubscribing and even marking you as spam become important as we all deal with the societal shift to
if someone forgets about who you are. virtual living, is to recognize the importance of not manag-
ing multiple conversations at the same time, and instead
So it may be definitely suggested and encouraged during make thoughtful decisions about engaging in one conver-
this lockdown period everyone should keep on communicat- sation at a time to deepen our relationships. The dramatic
ing, not only through email but through all your digital plat- change in our family and home lives today, where each
forms. If you need any assistance or advice on how to best aspect of a family member's life collides within the walls of
communicate with your customers during this time, there the family home, creates a situation where people's bud-
may be a good lot of suggestions. There are good number geted presence is severely overtaxed. Multitasking is diffi-
websites those are offering free virtual micro-consultations cult; multi-communicating is even harder.

"The great aim of the dating game is to find that one person who can stand at the bottom of your heart and touch
the top of your mind"

PR COMMUNICATION AGE January - June 2020 29