The role of Copywriting in times of crisis

As marketers, we play an important part in how our brands communicate with customers. It is our responsibility to make sure the words our customers hear or read from us align with our purpose and values.

And in the midst of a pandemic like COVID-19, the words we use matter more than ever.

Today, customers are bombarded with coronavirus-related messages. So to engage audiences, every piece of communication must be clear, sensitive, accurate and helpful – from subject lines, emails and social media posts to customer enquiries and website content.

Keeping your customers’ needs and situations in mind is imperative now. Everyone has been affected by the pandemic in different ways. Some have had to start working from home, while others no longer have a job. Some struggle to balance home schooling and work, while others battle the frontlines in hospitals, supermarkets and in the police force.

Here’s how your brand can be sensitive to the varying experiences of your customers and become a leader during a crisis.

Take the right tone: while this is not the time for light-hearted jokes and cheeky remarks, try to be uplifting and positive - without coming across as insensitive. Skyscanner’s We will video acknowledges the current situation in an empathetic way and offers hope that soon it will all be over.

Be genuine: if you have nothing to contribute right now, don’t force it. It will come across as insincere and turn your customers off.

Write simply and succinctly: don’t overcomplicate things. Don’t use jargon or buzzwords, use simple words and keep your sentences short.

Write with empathy: think about who you’re writing to, not about what you want to say. What do they want to hear? What would be helpful to them? What would make their life easier?

Make your copy easy to scan: chunky text-heavy paragraphs can turn readers off. Use headings and bullet points to break up paragraphs and make important information easy to find.

Don’t spread misinformation: fake news can be extremely damaging, especially during a crisis like COIVD-19. Always make sure the information you share is accurate and comes from a reliable source.

Copywriting is now an important tool in a marketer’s arsenal. In 2019 it was one of the top five most desired skills for digital marketing hires, according to the Altimeter/Prophet State of Digital Marketing report.

But writing doesn’t come naturally to everyone and there are certain things even gifted wordsmiths can improve on. So, here at ADMA IQ, we pulled together three courses that will help marketers at all skill levels become copywriting guns.