How to communicate with your audience when sh*t hits the fan: Getting back to some copywriting basics
The internet is SO DARN NOISY!
Especially when there’s a global pandemic that forces everyone to stay inside, and our only means of communication is digital.
Let’s face it - it’s hard to navigate social media at the best of times. But now, cutting through to your audience is that much harder.
So, let’s get back to some copywriting basics!
Here are 4 ways to communicate with your audience when sh*t hits the fan. Plus, I’ll throw in a few lil content ideas at the end.
1 - Keep it real!
Make sure your community knows that you’re a real, live human. Not a robot, not the HR person of a major company, not a copy-and-pasted script. The quickest and easiest way to do this is to use conversational language. Talk to your community like you’d talk to your best friends.
Obviously, this is going to differ depending on who your target audience is. For example, if your audience is people like your mum - how would you talk to your own mum? If your audience is kids, what sort of language do you use when you talk to kids you know? Next time you’re chatting away with someone who falls under your dream demographic, take note of the sorts of words you use and store them away for later.
Don’t be afraid to use slang, colloquialisms and contractions.
2 - Be transparent.
COVID-19 has shaken up thousands of companies across the globe. We’re all adjusting the ways we work, communicate and function. So, keep your audience in the loop.
Are you down to reduced hours? Working with a smaller team? Running into due to working remotely for the first time?
Your community will feel A LOT better when they know whats going on.
3 - Be inclusive.
Using one-to-one language is a great way to make your community feel like they’re included.
Most likely, your audience is reading your content alone. That means you should address them alone. Using words like ‘YOU’, is an easy way to implement this tip.
Promote engagement by asking for feedback, replying to comments and messages, and asking direct questions that they can relate to.
This time in our history can be quite isolating and there are currently lots of lonely people on this planet. So, show them that you care by including them and making them feel part of your community.
4 - Read everything out loud.
This is a super important technique, for so many reasons!
It helps you suss out the flow and readability of your content, it shows you where you’ve made mistakes and can even help you nail your tone of voice. Even if you feel like a total loser reading your content out loud to yourself (which it totally shouldn’t!), don’t overlook this one.
This copywriting technique is definitely underrated!
Getting back to the basics of copywriting will definitely help you put pen to paper and communicate effectively with your audience through difficult times like this.
But, as always, if you’d like a hand - be sure to get in touch.
As promised: here are some content ideas for your socials!
Keep showing up.
I get it, it’s hard to show up when things are so uncertain and you don’t know what to say. But you have knowledge, experience and stories that your community needs - now more than ever!
Provide value.
If you were already doing this, ramp it up a notch! Use your social platform as a force for good by providing valuable content that connects, entertains and educates. With the current situation, people are spending more and more time at home trying to upskill, learn new things and kill the boredom. So give it to them!
Educating your community won’t stop them from hiring you, despite common belief. Rather, it’ll position you as an expert in your field, and show them that you know your stuff!
Pivot!
I’ll never not hear Ross Geller yelling whenever I use that word! Obviously, less human contact means that things need to become digitalised. Hosting your workshop on zoom rather than in person doesn’t decrease the value of what you’re offering. So, don’t be afraid to continue to sell.
Get creative about how you can provide value to your community when you can’t send them products. I’ve seen beauty companies teaching their clients how to use household items to create face and hair masks during the lockdown. Create a fun challenge that your community can engage with, and share with their followers. I’ve seen lots of businesses creating memes and templates, providing recipes for when people can’t access certain products, and turning their knowledge into e-books and online courses.
Collaborate.
I’ve always been an advocate for community over competition, but I think this is even more important now! We need to continue to support small businesses, and friends in the industry. So, think of ways you can team up, promote each other and offer help and support to those who need it.