The right words, said in the right tone and at the right time often define what a brand truly stands for. Like most industries, public relations plays a crucial role in how information is managed, consumed and shared. In a recent social media post, we talked about how empathy, compassion and truth are more important than solely paying attention to how well a paid campaign did, the latest industry trends or tracking brand growth.
Being a people-first business that thrives on emotions and communications, consumers will always remember what their favourite brands focused on during a crisis.
Walk A Mile On The Other Side
The first step is to be able to step into the consumer’s shoes and identify their needs. And so while brands, digital marketers and corporate communications teams around the globe are facing unprecedented challenges, it is up to each of them to use their platforms to share resources, support one another and amplify safety measures.
But all said and done, brand’s too need to stay afloat and that means promoting their products and services, even during a crisis. While it is impossible for them to truly understand what each of their consumer’s might be going through, it is important to showcase a sense of empathy in their marketing efforts.
Content AND Compassion
Bite-sized content that is both relevant, engaging and purposeful will go a long way in leaving a lasting impression in the minds of consumers. Instagram Reels and LinkedIn Stories for instance are a great way to connect with your audience in a short span of time, while also delivering value to their social media feed. In a recent survey that surveyed over 200 marketers in leading businesses, the DMA found that 74% of brands were communicating with a renewed sense of compassion and empathy towards their consumers. Right from tailored content, to thoughtful messaging, brands stepped up to the plate and put people first.
Picking The Right Platform
Whether you use Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tik Tok, LinkedIn or a mix of all to connect with your target audience, it’s time to integrate compassionate storytelling into your strategy. If your brand uses LinkedIn Stories for example, it opens up a world of opportunities for brand awareness and engagement. While LinkedIn is known to be a formal, professional networking platform, Stories gives brands a chance to show off their fun and quirky side.
LinkedIn Stories appear at the top of your audience’s feed and help keep your brand top of mind! Adding a swipe-up link as well boosts website traffic and amplifies your brand’s message with the help of simple, short content.
Story viewers are growing 15x faster than feed content viewers, and it’s time for brands to up their content marketing game if they want to catch up!
Instagram for example has an active audience of one billion (yep, billion) monthly users that use Reels. With options to edit videos ranging from 3 to 30-second videos and add all kinds of animation, Reels should play a crucial role in your marketing strategy.
So how do brands blend content, compassion and also cater to the need of the hour?
Well, they can take a page of out of luxury Italian car maker Lamborghini’s book, when they shifted production from cars in some departments to making surgical masks and medical shields!
Now more than ever, consumers need to feel heard and understood, instead of simply being advertised to. This means primarily responding to the basic health and safety needs within communities in order to collectively plough through the crisis.