Key Considerations while sending COVID-19 emails
With the number of cumulative cases of Covid 19 growing to a huge 1,067,127 in the United States itself, the severity and fatality of this disease are certainly on an all-time high.
So, everyone across the globe is taking necessary measures to stay safe and protected. From practicing social distancing to avoiding crowded places, people are doing everything in their capacity to get through this virus. Even on the professional front, people are working from home with no idea when they will return back to the office.
As a result, the buying behavior of consumers has taken a drastic shift. These unprecedented changes are having their effect on businesses too. However, the most challenging thing in these trying times is to stay in touch with customers. As a marketer, you have to keep in mind a lot of aspects while dealing with your customer base. From how you are addressing the situation to what measures you are taking to combat the crisis, you need to tell them all. So, it becomes imperative to know how to communicate with customers in a way that’s relevant and provides value to them.
This is where email marketing comes in handy. It is a great way of establishing personal connections, bridging the social gap, and creating a long-lasting relationship with your customer base. So, how are you going to make the most out of your email campaigns during this Covid 19 crisis? Remember, unlike social media or search engine marketing, your customers are opting in to communicate with your brand. Simply put, they are willing to hear from you. Hence, make sure you deliver a great experience along with some actionable insights into their inbox. All in all, if leveraged the right way, email marketing can serve as a great tool for building trust during today’s time of uncertainty.
However, make it a point to analyze your email campaign with importance and consideration. After all, you don’t want your subscribers to ignore your messages. Remember, their inboxes are already overcrowded. So, provide them with messages that resonate with them and aren’t something that can be deemed irrelevant or inappropriate during the time of crisis.
What is the right time to send a COVID-19 update?
If your business is into such products and services that are being affected by the crisis, you should update about the same to your customer base. Here are a few handy reasons to hit send on that coronavirus-related email. Take a look.
- You want to share useful and insightful crisis-related information with your subscriber base.
- You have a brick and mortar business with a physical location.
- Your services have transformed because of the present scenario.
- You are lending a helping hand to your customers during these uncertain times. For instance, providing food and health supplies, waiving off cancellation fees, offering discounts and free products etc. Take a look at this email from Buck Mason. They are doing a great email marketing job by being empathetic and supportive and producing non-medical masks to curb the pandemic.
When you should avoid sending a COVID-19 email?
Before you send that Coronavirus email, pause for a while and ask certain questions to yourself. From why are you sending this email to does your customer need to receive this, you must analyze it all. In short, don’t send Covid 19 emails just for the sake of it. If you have nothing valuable to provide, you would better want to stay out of your customer’s inbox. Here’s a quick look at the kind of crisis-related emails that can annoy your subscriber base.
- You don’t have anything planned and are just going with the flow. You just want to appear as if you are doing something or responding to the crisis in some way while you have no concrete ways to do so.
- You want to inform your customer base how Covid 19 is not going to affect your business.
- You want to update your subscribers about how your employees are working remotely.
- You have nothing new and valuable to share.
Now, since you know it all about when to send Covid 19 emails and when to not, let’s take a sneak peek into the key considerations that you must keep in mind before sending Covid 19 emails. Here you go.
Genuine content works
As already mentioned, you don’t need to send a Covid 19 email just because everyone else is sending it. Send it only when you have something valuable or informative to share. In this context, you can send content that’s genuine and relevant to the customer in these uncertain times. For instance, you can send them tips on staying productive while working from home the way Asana did. Take a look.
You can even provide them with a reminder about the virtual services you offer. In addition, if you have updates regarding the delivery and return options of your products, you can update your customer base about the same. In short, keep your customers at priority and make sure they are happy with the information they receive. See how CVS pharmacy does it like a pro and reminds its customers about the varied tools and services that they can use remotely.
Make your emails readable and easy to decipher
Covid 19 emails most of the time either look like a lengthy speech from the CEO with a solid wall of plain, unformatted text. Such emails make it hard to understand the key points. So, make your emails readable and easy to decipher. You can do so by skimming your content into bullets, points with large headings, and subheadings. In short, you must highlight the key takeaways for your subscriber. You can do so by dividing the email copy into readable chunks. Take a look at this email template example from Drip. It has made good use of paragraphs and bullet points to put across its message to the customers.
Keep it short and concise
Remember, there’s a lot going around in people’s life because of the Covid 19 crisis. The whole scenario might be overwhelming for them. So, instead of sending long, lengthy email copies containing superfluous words, it is better to keep your message simple and precise. That’s why this email template example from Dunkin Donuts is worth taking notice. From explaining clearly what the issue is to letting customers know how they are addressing it, the brand explains it all in a simple, effective, and concise way.
Ask your customers for feedback
If you are not sure about the kind of content you must send during this crisis, go ahead and ask your customers. Don’t hesitate in taking their feedback. Remember, this whole crisis situation is challenging. People are anxious, scared, and mentally exhausted. While some of them might not want to receive any emails, others might be looking for something valuable in emails. So, asking your subscribers about their preferences will give you a clear idea about the email strategy you must take to connect with them in a relevant way.
Add a COVID-19 note to your existing newsletter
If you do not wish to send a dedicated Covid 19 email, you can add a note for the same at the top of your regular newsletter. It will help you do the needful.
Wrap up
Nobody knows when this crisis will end. All we can do is follow social distancing and abide by restricted movements. So, as the world drastically shifts towards a new normal, make sure you stand by your customers during this tough time. Be empathetic, compassionate, and honest with your customers. Remember, if you do it the right way, email marketing can prove to be a milestone in cementing your enduring relationship with your customer base. Hope the above-mentioned tips help you do the needful. Go ahead, make use of custom email templates, design impeccable email copies, and let people know that we are in this together.
About the Author
Kevin George is Head of Marketing at Email Uplers, one of the fastest growing custom email design and coding companies, and specializes in crafting professional email templates, PSD to HTML email conversion and free responsive HTML email templates in addition to providing email automation, campaign management, and data integration & migration services. He loves gadgets, bikes, jazz and eats and breathes email marketing. He enjoys sharing his insights and thoughts on email marketing best practices on his blog.
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