How to improve communicate in a crisis
Read this now - you never know when you might need this advice to safeguard your business when things go wrong
What happens when there's been a really heavy deluge, massive storms or your area has been hit by flooding? Your business is affected and you need to do something FAST, but what?
Communicate clearly with potential visitors:
Be honest – tell people what has actually happened and how your business has been affected. Be as factual and specific as possible e.g. “one downstairs room has had 6 inches of water in it but our guest bedrooms are unaffected and just as cosy as ever. Some of the surrounding area is quite muddy but the roads are still passable and all our fantastic pubs are still open”.
Don’t moan and share disaster stories on social media – it’s natural to want to do this and to share experiences with local colleagues but remember that visitors will see these as well, and they stay online much longer than you might want them to.
What happens when there's been a really heavy deluge, massive storms or your area has been hit by flooding? Your business is affected and you need to do something FAST, but what?
Communicate clearly with potential visitors:
Be honest – tell people what has actually happened and how your business has been affected. Be as factual and specific as possible e.g. “one downstairs room has had 6 inches of water in it but our guest bedrooms are unaffected and just as cosy as ever. Some of the surrounding area is quite muddy but the roads are still passable and all our fantastic pubs are still open”.
Don’t moan and share disaster stories on social media – it’s natural to want to do this and to share experiences with local colleagues but remember that visitors will see these as well, and they stay online much longer than you might want them to.
- Use images to prove that things are improving. Show signs of spring, or anything that feels upbeat and optimistic – after a difficult time such as during a flood, you’ll find that people are very willing to share these positive messages
- Focusing on statements such as “open for business” implies that there has been/is a problem which you’re trying to surmount. It’s better not to ignore the problem but instead to give really strong, specific reasons to still come to the area e.g. “12 shops, 5 pubs, 3 great museums and amazing waterfalls”
- Remember that many people don’t have a great grasp of geography. They may have seen media stories about “Yorkshire” but perhaps the worst affected areas were several miles away from you – if this is the case, say so and explain where you are, and why you’re not affected.
