At university, I studied a unit called Crisis Communications.
It looked at creating action plans to deal with an emergency or serious incident, and crisis management solutions if disaster does strike.
I learnt about classic examples from the late 20th century:
- Chemical leak at the Union Carbide insecticide plant in 1984 in the city of Bhopal, India, one of the worst industrial accidents in history
- Tanker Exxon Valdez running aground in 1989 in Alaska, United States, and causing a massive oil spill and environmental disaster
- Food recall by Kraft Australia in 1996 after people fell ill after eating contaminated peanut butter products.
Events such as these are still defined by their devastating impact on people and/or the environment.
Not only that, companies and leaders were judged by how they communicated with victims, families and all people affected during the disasters and in the days that followed.
Significant crises generally end up in textbooks because of the failures – or successes – of the companies to communicate effectively, honestly and fast when it really matters.
We currently find ourselves in the worst crisis of the 21st century, and history is being written as we speak – or write.
Our current worldwide crisis: COVID-19
As the novel coronavirus first reached Australia in early 2020, COVID-19-related communication from businesses and government exploded.
By March, my inbox was inundated with COVID-19 updates from businesses informing me about their response to the threat and the changes to their daily operations.
I decided to set up a crisis comms folder to store all the emails and analyse the different writing techniques used by big and small businesses to engage with their customers.
Among the written communications were countless examples of how to write clearly, plus great ways to inform, educate and build trust with readers.
I’d like to share three techniques that stood out which you can use in your own business writing.
Communicating during a pandemic
1. Be clear
The volume of information about COVID-19 during these weeks was huge.
The majority of messages acknowledged the crisis, and started with words that referred to uncertain, challenging, difficult and unprecedented times.
And how many times did you read an article or email that looked for ‘silver linings’?
Most emails offered news or advice. This included practical tips and links to health information.
Other messages focused on building trust and making readers feel safe.
Some were repetitive, to reinforce behaviour changes, or were adapted over time to make the advice clearer or more relevant.
People were expected to change behaviours and routines around travel, education, shopping, work, exercise and socialising – and do this fast.
So, the messages distributed had to be clear and unambiguous in order for readers to understand exactly what was expected.
Unnecessary words only waste time and dilute the messages.
Make sure you explain what you mean using clear sentences, easy-to-understand words and plain language.
Some examples:
- If you are not feeling well, please stay at home and rest.
- Payment: where possible, use card rather than cash.
- We are now offering fast and free local delivery for our customers.
- Deliveries can be dropped at your door, requiring no signature.
- Library members can borrow e-books. Click on the link for instructions.
Don’t make it hard to figure out the message.
Keep away from jargon as it will simply distract your readers.
Writing is more effective when it is easy to understand.
2. Be specific
Tell your reader what you want them to do. Or in the case of COVID-19, what NOT to do.
What are the benefits? And the risks?
Let’s use social distancing as an example:
“Social distancing has been a key intervention to control the disease and slow the spread.”
This message was made specific by spelling out what kind of distance:
“In public, people should keep 1.5 metres away from others, avoid public gatherings and avoid physical greetings such as handshaking, hugs and kisses.”
Signs appeared in parks in my local area to get community attention (sadly, so did red and white tape covering benches and every piece of play equipment).
The message about stopping the spread has been adopted widely by shops and retailers.
By being specific, businesses helped customers understand what keeping a safe distance looked like in their stores.
Supermarkets adopted the length of a trolley (1.5 metres) as a guide for customers and team members.
Many shops started using dots and crosses on the floor to help customers follow social distancing guidelines.
Here’s a closer look at the language used:
The problem: there are no medicines or vaccines for COVID-19 at this time.
The response: One way to slow the spread of the virus is with social distancing.
The benefit: The more space between you and others, the harder it is for the virus to spread.
The risk: Not slowing the spread of the disease could quickly overwhelm our health systems.
If you want to persuade people to do something, make your case by making the copy specific.
3. Communicate with positive words
This technique helps build trust and makes readers feel better.
Many companies and businesses have responded to the challenges with empathy and understanding, which is exactly what people were seeking − particularly as COVID-19 happened on the back of the devastating bushfires in Australia in the summer of 2019/2020).
Avoid negative language and keep your copy as positive as possible.
‘We’re all in this together’ has been used frequently. It acknowledges we are all in this predicament together but doesn’t feed the fear we are all feeling.
Others examples include:
- Stay safe, stay well.
- We are so grateful for your business during this time.
- We’re ready to help you.
- We are doing everything to put the health and safety of our community first.
- Thanks for your continued support, and please take care.
- Everything you need is only a click away.
But this final example is my favourite.
It’s both clear and specific: “Wash your hands.”
The message has only three short words and is easy to understand by everyone, including children.
It can be explained using words or with an illustration.
Or as I saw it eloquently explained in an online newspaper that had a list about how to protect yourself:
“Wash your hands. With soap. Then wash them again.”
Also, this message empowers people because it is up to them to carefully and frequently wash their hands – during a time when it feels like so much is out of our control.
The science behind it is easy to understand too:
People touch their face an average of 23 times an hour, and the three infection points of the coronavirus are your nose, mouth and eyes.
Soap molecules in water stick to the virus and break it down.
Virus particles are washed away with water.
So, washing your hands well for at least 20 seconds destroys the virus.
Hopefully, this message is one that really sticks in people’s minds, and then becomes part of everyone’s hygiene routine.
Conclusion
Keep in mind, during the good times and the bad, you can make your written communications more effective by:
- Saying what you mean with clear sentences and easy-to-understand words
- Telling your readers what you want them to do, and being specific about the risks or benefits
- Writing with empathy and using positive words to build trust.