If you are a business serving the public you know this all too well: there is no playbook for navigating COVID-19.  You are making decisions daily, with new information and changing circumstances.  This is especially true for restaurants.

In six short weeks we’ve helped clients navigate a myriad of COVID related circumstances.  Let’s begin with the ‘news maker.’

You’ve had an employee test positive for COVID-19. In the South, infection rates are skyrocketing.  It’s likely just a matter of time before most businesses face this situation. The crucial first step is protecting the privacy of the infected employee. This is a legal requirement.  But you also must notify any other colleagues who have had close contact with that individual (think in terms of 10-12 minutes of close contact). Business leaders need to notify colleagues without revealing the identity of the infected employee.

Your employee reveals his/her positive test result on social media.  True situation.  There is nothing you can do about it.  Don’t stifle an employee’s right to share his/her personal information. But DO have a plan in place for how to communicate about COVID with your employees, guests, clients, and if needed, the media.  We’ve helped clients put in place a “COVID Response Team.”  Similar to a crisis response team (CRT), this nucleus of company decision makers and subject matter experts, such as a lawyer or crisis communication professional, will huddle up, assess the facts, make decisions and monitor the situation.

Messaging must be honest and transparent.  We can’t hide from COVID.  We must face it head-on.  Your number one priority should be the health and safety of your employees and guests.  Consider ahead of time what health and safety measures, such as deep cleaning, masks, etc., you have in place. That top health priority, and those safety measures are message points to share publicly.  DO NOT reveal any information which may identify your infected employee, including describing a job duty.

Be flexible, put safety first and press on.  It’s possible some of you reading this article will have to temporarily close your businesses in the future to deep clean after a series of positive employee tests.  Be proactive.  Weigh the short term loss of revenue for a temporary closure, against the long term reputational harm from appearing reckless.  Again, there is no playbook, you are assessing each situation, making decisions and monitoring for future modifications.

About the only thing we do know, is there is no telling how long this COVID storm will last. So plan now for how the virus may continue to impact your business.  Be safe, stay healthy, and offer grace and patience to those navigating alongside you.

The new world we currently live in is changing a lot of what we do and how we do it. We are no longer just matching outfits before we head into work, but we’re also making sure our new face masks don’t clash with our office attire. Another big change we’ve seen with a number of our clients is adapting events to the “no gathering of large crowds,” rule that COVID-19 has enacted.

Our team recently worked with two clients that moved their large annual events online and they’ve both been a success. They are each very different and the way they virtually adapted was different, too. However, their efforts and achievements were similar.

Here are 5 steps to turn your in-person event into a virtual success:

1) Provide ample time for guests to plan for your online event.

This allows for you to make sure they are watching, listening and not distracted. One of the events we’ve taken online was an organization’s annual retreat. This is normally a three day conference with numerous speakers, breakout sessions and evening dinners. When the decision was made to cancel the in-person programming, we quickly announced our efforts to bring the scheduled speakers into a bi-monthly webinar for nearly three months.

2) Provide something your in-person event might not offer.

Being able to bring your events online can actually be a blessing. Your speaker line-up can grow due to the ability for them to do the program from their living room. You don’t have to work around as many schedules or travel accommodations. For one event we brought online, we previously invited Georgia’s former Minority Leader, Stacey Abrams, to be a speaker for two years. This year, we were able to secure her as a speaker because no travel was necessary and we worked around her schedule.

3) Keep people engaged

The scariest part about changing your events from in-person to online is the engagement. Your speakers can’t look in the eyes of the audience. Have you ever told a joke to a webinar audience? It’s excruciating. On Zoom and WebEx, when you host a webinar, you can’t see or hear the audience unless specifically allowed but this feature also provides security to your event. However, you can provide numerous ways for the audience to be engaged. You can let your audience take polls to get an understanding of the sentiment of the audience. You can allow for an open dialogue of questions and answers. However, you want to make sure you’re able to allow the audience to ask questions, provide feedback and feel engaged in the program.

4) The time at an in-person event doesn’t always correlate online

When you’re changing your programming from in-person to online, you can’t expect the time to adjust one to one. So, if you’re taking a 3-day conference virtual, you can’t expect people to go online for three days straight. In the instance of our client, we took those three days of programming and hosted a conversation every other Thursday for nearly three months.

5) Have fun!

This is the most important piece of advice. Online events can seem tedious and time-consuming. However, you can make them fun. You can let people interact with your speakers. You can present audio and video to break up the speeches. There are a lot of things you can do that make online events entertaining and worthy of hosting.

After three full months of navigating the coronavirus in the United States, let’s check in on how it has impacted the marketing landscape, and how you can adjust moving forward.

In late February, we saw a shift on social media as many were wondering how their brand would innovate with the challenges of COVID-19 ahead. As social media shifted from its usual role of brand promotion and instead became a primary information resource related to COVID-19, the types of content brands were posting changed as well.

We saw COVID-19-related posts dominate, while evergreen content took a significant decrease in engagement, with many brands pausing their pre-scheduled campaigns altogether. According to an April 2020 report by SocialBakers, brands started mentioning COVID-19 on social media in February, but by the beginning of March, posts mentioning COVID-19 skyrocketed – increasing. While we know that many social media users report social media as a means for receiving news, brands and businesses turned to Facebook especially as a means of updating customers and followers during COVID-19.

Back to business as usual?

As if social media isn’t already evolving fast enough – with trends and news affecting social messaging by the minute, here are a few tips to consider before your brand jumps back online.

1) Evaluate the Analytics

Take the time to deep dive into your company’s social media analytics. What audiences have you reached during the last few months – any new audiences or followers you never anticipated reaching? Have you seen an increase or a decrease in engagements? How has your message evolved?

While the analytics may not tell the full story, they are an indicator of what may or may not be working. By checking your analytics regularly, you can spot trends and opportunities for improvement. Take advantage of the embedded analytics pages for platforms, which help break down various metrics over varying time frames – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn all have this feature. And, did we mention that they’re free?

2) Review Your Paused Campaigns

Before publishing those evergreen posts that you saved as a draft, take the time to carefully review each. What was considered evergreen content in the past could be irrelevant today – if you’re sharing photos with employees or clientele, are they displaying proper safety protocol? Are posts promoting services that have been discontinued? Have business hours changed? With this “new normal” comes new evergreen content.

3) Trial and Error

Now more than ever, your timelines and feeds are being clogged with information – it’s a data overload out there. So, let me reinforce that it’s okay to test things right now. From graphics to videos to posts with or without photos – it’s going to take some retooling to find what works for your company and audiences. That’s okay, but don’t give up, even if you want to. People want to hear from your company now more than ever – just make sure it’s up-to-date with appropriate, relevant messaging.

Undoubtedly, COVID-19 has taught us a major lesson in adaptability. Part of my adjustment was dusting off my computer’s webcam and becoming Zoom-savvy overnight – and I’m not the only one. On the bright side, we’re all developing a new skill set every day! Here’s what I’ve learned about perfecting these conference calls, avoiding mistakes, and acing your next video conference. Remember the acronym BEST:

• B – background
• E – environment
• S – sound
• T – test

Background:

When taking part in a webinar, you want your audience to be focused on you, not your background. Choose a place in your home or office that has limited distractions behind you, and is as neat and organized as possible. If you’re in your office, be absolutely sure that no confidential client (or personal) information can be seen!

Additionally, never set up with a window behind you. A bring light behind you will make you look like a silhouette. Shut the blinds if possible, and adjust overhead or lamp lighting to ensure you are properly lit from all angles (this will decrease any shadows on your face).

Environment:

How likely are you to be interrupted during your video? Make sure all alarms, radios, TVs, and phones are turned off or muted. Let your family members or coworkers know you will be taking part in a video meeting and will be unavailable for some time (this includes pets, in case your fluffy coworker needs to be crated or kept in another room).

Finally, do a self-check and make sure your “personal environment” is ready to go. Just like in any meeting or interview, straighten your clothes and hair to ensure you look presentable.

Sound:

Sound is key. If you are doing a TV interview or hosting a webinar, consider investing in an additional computer microphone – or headset – with better sound quality.

If your only option is to use the computer’s microphone, no problem, but do not look away from the computer while speaking. This could cause your audio level to drop, and listeners won’t be able to hear from you. Keep the microphone directly in front of you, or attached to your shirt collar mid-chest. Avoid tapping on the desk or rustling papers, as your mic will pick it up.

Test:

It’s important to do a test run before going live! Test your internet connection, make sure any documents you need are easily accessible, and if you’re sharing your computer screen, make sure notifications are off and all other applications (and web tabs) are closed!

Set up a test meeting with a coworker or a friend to get feedback on your lighting, audio and presentation.

I hope that using these tips will help you have the BEST video call possible the next time you turn on your webcam.

Three NPS team members, each proud broadcast journalism alumni, participated in a webinar panel to share tips and best practices for online interviews. Whether it’s a live interview or recorded for later, we’re here to help you nail your next interview.

The Hollywood film industry runs on a system of expectations, standards and edicts that are probably pretty dissimilar from the work you or your company does here at home. There is one, though, that applies to everyone – from the freelance landscape designer to the CEO of a multinational corporation – return on investment. And, when confronted with the proposition of spending your hard earned dollars to produce video, you want to be sure to maximize your investment.

Look no further than Marvel’s Avengers franchise – a juggernaut that, at last check, had generated roughly a gazillion dollars globally from movies to TV shows, animated series to merchandising – it’s everywhere. We’d all like that kind of ubiquity for our product or service, but let’s be honest: the videos you produce showcasing your widget, workforce or work-of-the-day will probably make … somewhat less of a splash. But that’s OK – as there’s still a strong business case to be made for making even a modest investment in video storytelling.

Viewership continues to grow

First, acknowledge what the statistics have borne out during the past few years and what our own usage has proven during COVID-19: video is a powerful tool for driving engagement. CEO’s have used it to more effectively communicate difficult and personal messages with their employees, while non-profits are showcasing the work they do and the difference it makes in their communities. People are watching, and audiences continue to grow. According to Cisco, by 2022, it’s estimated that more than 80% of all consumer Internet traffic will be devoted to video.

Improve SEO

Including video content can increase your brand’s search engine optimization. A website is 53 times more likely to reach the front page of Google if it includes a video. That means more eyeballs, more potential customers, and a greater impact. And it’s not tied to length – you don’t need a series of 3-minute documentaries to pump up your SEO numbers (but if you’re interested in producing a few of those, I’d be happy to help!).

Increase views & engagement

One last statistic: social media posts with videos get 48% more views, while tweets with videos see 10x more engagement. This is important to remember the next time you’re considering hiring someone to help you produce video – think beyond the initial filming, and consider how that product can be broken up and repurposed elsewhere.

That last point has become more significant at a time when people have been less inclined to gather in person for video shoots or interviews. At NP Strategy (pardon the self-promotion), I’ve been fortunate enough to work with several clients who’ve built a library of material that they’ve been able to deploy during COVID-19 to aid fundraising or educational efforts. Pieces of interviews that were previously unused, or simply still frames or photos that ended up on the cutting room floor, have found new life across social media.

No matter the vendor you choose, it makes sense to establish a relationship with a videographer you can revisit during the course of a campaign or the lifetime of your company. That library of content will pay off – if you make the initial investment.

Empathy is a key element of emotional intelligence – the connection between self and others. We’re all seeing the power of empathy in dramatic ways during the COVID-19 crisis; from the heartfelt appreciation for health care workers, to the celebration of sanitation crews and delivery drivers.  While we undoubtedly see empathy’s impact, many still believe it’s something you either do or do not “have,” or don’t think of empathy as an action.  I would like to challenge that belief, and encourage all of us to be better leaders by putting empathy into action.

When Mahatma Gandhi returned to India in 1915, he was a pinstriped barrister with a high-stiff collar. But in order to lead his nation to independence, he knew he’d need the support and trust of the population living in poverty. So Gandhi put empathy into action, and began to dress, live and eat like the poor. It gave him a greater understanding of the lives and experiences of the poor of his country, and also helped him develop an extremely loyal and engaged following.

Leaders of modern organizations often operate on a different level than most of their people: their office is in a different location, they eat lunch with different people, they socialize in different circles. To be an effective leader, one must understand the entire organization, and a powerful way to do this is to prioritize empathy through your actions. Here are a couple of ideas to help you practice empathy in the workplace, as we all continue adjusting to this new “normal” life:

• Attend meetings and lunches that you may not have to attend with employee groups you don’t typically interact with – set a calendar reminder, or ask a colleague to help keep you accountable, to make this happen.
• Make an effort to reach out to every part of the organization and understand what folks do, even if it’s not crucial to your tasks that day.
• Consider who you do not know well or at all, and make an effort to engage those employees. No one is exempt from this – including the contractors who may support your organization, such as couriers, cleaning crews, etc.
• Keep a stack of cards at your desk – for any occasion – to sign with a personal note. These could express sympathy, congratulations, or a simple gesture of thanks that might otherwise go unsaid.

As you deploy these and other similar actions you will not only understand your organization better, but you will also foster the loyalty and engagement necessary to succeed.  And best of all, your life will be enriched by the variety of relationships you will build in the process.

When I was a kid, my mom would ask us that question immediately following what – at the time – seemed like a soul-crushing disappointment. You know, the kind of disappointment that ruins your young life: not making region band, missing out on a role in a play, the VCR failing to record the 3 AM showing of Godzilla Vs. MechaGodzilla, etc. No matter the scale or severity of the issue, mom was always ready with the Pollyanna-inspired rhetorical pick-me-up, “but you know what the good news is?” Typically, the answer paled in comparison to what we’d originally wanted. But there was always something.

Today, the stakes are much higher. We face a worldwide pandemic that’s killed thousands and left countless others sick and/or quarantined. We don’t know what’s coming next, but the experts say it doesn’t look good. People are unable to grieve the lost, earn a living, or just sit and talk with friends and family. Even Pollyanna would struggle with this one.

But I’m trying to find the good news in our collective resilience and ability to innovate on the fly. Like never before, we’re seeing everyone from business leaders to school bus drivers figure out how to “adapt and overcome” to ensure people are fed, cared for and loved.

I submit, for your consideration, the following GOOD NEWS:

• Online book reading sessions for children stuck at home.
• Local health clubs closing, but posting workouts online members can access and use at will.
• Designated shopping hours for seniors to keep them safe (and stocked with toilet paper).

Or, how about this one from Kershaw County (where today, you’ll find 1/3 of South Carolina’s positive cases): we’ve watched school bus drivers leverage social media to make sure school children are fed.  Drivers are posting on social media, “Listen for the school bus horn at 8:00 am on so-and-so street.  Come to the curb and pick up the meals.”  It’s an impressive (and rapidly deployed) solution to feeding children who depend on school meals, while also maintaining that all-important social distance.

Along with innovation, we’ve watched compassion spring forth in ways that rival our typical responses to a natural disaster: neighbors shopping for friends who are at an increased risk of catching the virus, residents gathering money to buy dinner for local hospital staff, a building owner telling their tenants to pay their employees instead of the rent.

The examples are out there, and although social media has been accused of “killing socialization,” I think it will ultimately be one of our greatest sources of joy throughout this experience. So, I encourage you to seek – and share – that joy. Social media campaigns are already in motion: #EncouragingTheCarolinas (on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter); WLTX’s #ShareTheLove; or #StayHome (get a look inside your friends’ work-from-home set-up across all social platforms). Jokes, video of your dogs helping you work from home, examples of compassion in the face of adversity, it’s all welcome. And these days, it’s all needed.

So, help me out – do you know what the good news is?

Silence fuels fear in a crisis, especially when the crisis is changing by the day and is something few people have experienced before.  Over the last ten days, we’ve seen a wide spectrum of communication tactics unfold with the spread of COVID-19, and some of those tactics have been truly horrible.  But the organizations that are communicating well are navigating these uncharted waters with reassuring confidence.  What are they doing?

1. Getting organized – quickly.

I watched one of our clients call together the organization’s Critical Response Team (“CRT”) long before the COVID-19 situation was urgent.  The CRT is a team outlined in the organization’s crisis communications plan, which team members adopted last year.  In response to the threat of COVID-19, the CRT met after work one night in early March and mapped out different phases of where this situation might go.  They talked through how different groups of stakeholders may be affected and what would be the best way to communicate with each group.  When the spread of COVID-19 began to rapidly increase, this team calmly deployed each phase of messaging – without internal panic or confusion.

2. Planning for worst-case scenarios.

Prepare for landfall in your back yard.  Team members who routinely manage the direct effects of hurricanes have deployed similar tactics with COVID-19.  They haven’t shied away from the fact that their community could be ground zero, and they’ve written messaging to plan for a worst-case scenario. It takes a strong leader to look ahead and acknowledge the situation could get must worse, but when you are prepared for a disaster, you are able to begin caring for your organization immediately.

3. Communicating openly – but calmly – with stakeholders.

Scrubbing your communications for words that unintentionally induce panic ensures you are calmly and effectively sharing information.  This can be hard to do in a rush, but it will save you a lot of time trying to reassure scared readers that you really do have the situation under control. We’ve seen successful teams candidly acknowledging the impending possibilities with COVID-19.  The same logic of preparing your team to communicate in a crisis applies to preparing your stakeholders to weather the crisis: tell them the truth and what they should do/prepare for, but don’t unintentionally inflate the risk.

4. Speaking up for the unpopular option.

A group may drift toward the easy option when it comes to communicating, but a focused professional will have the courage to speak up for a different, harder option if it is the right course of action.  Consider the CEO who wants a COVID-19 message to go out to employees by noon, but at 11:45 AM the communications professional determines the wording isn’t accurate because the facts have changed.  In times of crisis, an effective communicator must both stay abreast of the latest news, and in this example, have the courage to recommend missing the noon deadline in order to deliver accurate information to the company’s employees.

5. Looking inward to prepare for the long haul.

While COVID-19 feels like it sprang upon us overnight, the effects will be long-lasting.  Your crisis team will likely need to be operating at 150% for the next several months, so consider now how you staff the big projects, how you provide outlets to share personal concerns, and how you ensure everyone gets a break when possible.  Together you can navigate in this evolving situation, but it will take ensuring you care for your co-workers.

While there has already been much communication about COVID-19, it seems that we may still have quite a road ahead of us. It’s not too late to put a solid communications plan in place for the coming weeks. Meanwhile, I hope you and your family stay healthy and safe. If you are struggling, please let someone know. May we all band together, do our part and support the suffering with courage and words of peace.