The best solution to fight Coronavirus right now is about social distancing and staying at home as much as possible. A lot of companies are closed until this all passes, and many are working from home. This means that what you write on social media, your website, etc. has a huge impact because it’s the only way to connect with your clients right now. 

Emotion connects and sells

How are you talking to your customers right now? During these stressful and uncertain times, empathy makes all the difference. If you connect with your customers in the right way, you will leave a lasting positive impression on them. Studies show that positive emotions toward a brand have a far greater influence on consumer loyalty than trust and other judgments.

Think of the reason why people pay more for a product they could get for cheaper from a generic brand. Because it means something to them and they have a positive emotion for that brand. Rolex doesn’t sell any of their watches under $5,000 USD. Why do people pay that much for a watch?

Because they are emotionally invested in what they buy.

Getting an emotional response from customers has been shown to impact intent to buy by a factor of 3-to-1 for television ads and 2-to-1 for print ads. Not only could you make a deep connection with your clients so they become loyal long term customers, showing that your company cares actually helps you get more business. 

If you want to learn how to write great copy in general, there are great courses all over the internet. During this pandemic that we are going through, I have found that some simple steps can really make your writing much more emotion driven and feel personal. Everybody is isolating right now, and what your clients want to feel is a personal touch. Be human, be empathetic.

How to write great empathy copy

First take a look at what you currently have scheduled on your marketing. Many companies nowadays have scheduled social media posts or email drip campaigns. Check what you are currently sending and you may find it appropriate to pause those for now. They might not be sending the right message. Now let’s talk about how to write the right message for your clients.

1. Humanize your brand

Speak from the heart. Don’t sound corporate or salesy, people want to feel heard and connected. Write how you would address a person in real life. What works for me is thinking of a specific person I want to write this to and let them know what we are doing during COVID-19. Just make sure not to put their name or anything. Here is a great example from a travel company, RCI and their post on twitter:

2. Connect with clients through empathy

Connect with your clients. Thank everyone you know that are on the front lines providing medical care to those that need it most. Tell your clients about your way of helping your community or let them know you are there for them if they have any troubles. This is the time where you can leave a long lasting impression by worrying about your clients and helping them however you can.

3. Provide clear and direct information

All writing or social media posts should have a purpose. Why are you writing this? You have to make sure you are providing clear and direct information and not cause any confusion. If you are writing about closing or adjusting your store hours, make sure it’s clear and easy to understand. Think about the medium you are writing in. If you make something too long it may not get read simply because the attention span of a human is on average about 8 seconds.

4. Self awareness (optional)

This is a tricky step but one that adds to the positive emotion clients may feel towards your brand. That’s the reason why I labeled it as optional. Letting clients know that you are aware of the current situation and still being there for them can make a big impact. See this email communication by Levi’s. They know that buying jeans is not the priority right now but they are still there for you. 

Remember that this situation is temporary. Quarantines will be part of the past soon enough. Once everything returns to normal you may see the results of levelling with your clients and showing there’s a human on the other side of your brand. Think about what you are doing right now that will make a positive impact in the near future. You may see that showing empathy and being there for your community will set you apart and increase your word of mouth for years to come.