Strategic Email Marketing During COVID-19

As the hospitality industry continues to move forward through these uncertain times of the coronavirus pandemic, businesses are shifting operations to comply with state lockdowns, "shelter in place" or "safer at home" orders and health advisories.

Many businesses are realizing that it is important that your email marketing strategies adapt to address customers' immediate concerns. Unfortunately, chances are good that most of those in your email marketing database are already swamped by crisis-related emails.

Your job is to understand what, if anything, your customers/subscribers need to hear from you. Customers will react differently when faced with a crisis. Here are some items to consider when sending emails during the COVID-19 disruption to decrease the chance that your emails are ignored:

1. Determine Who You Should Email

Before you hit send on your COVID-19 email, make sure you ask yourself, who should receive this email? It may be tempting to send your message to your entire customer database, but there is a chance that you may have a different message for different segments of your database.

For instance, your message may be aimed at those that recently cancelled, or that currently have a reservation in the future and may possibly cancel. In this instance, it may not be necessary to send it to everyone in your database, especially those that may not have stayed with you in multiple years.

Make an effort to profile your customer database and target your emails/messages to those that will care about and benefit from them the most. Otherwise you may risk unintentionally seeing an uptick in spam complaints and/or unsubscribes.

ResNexus built-in email marketing allows you to create interest groups that can be used in order to target specific customers. For more information view our video below:

2. Keep the Email Short and To the Point

Many industries have published long, text rich emails with full page letters from CEO's or company executives. While these may be heartfelt and inspiring, they often get lost in the shuffle. A good rule of thumb for all marketing emails is that people don't read anymore. Using intelligent formatting such as highlight titles, bulleted key points, and even pictures or infographics can help the customer easily determine your email's key points, and whether or not they want to read more in depth.

3. Express Empathy

Empathy builds relations, loyalty, and impacts performance. The most important thing to do is connect with your customers. Acknowledge that this is a stressful time. In your email, aim to strike a tone of solidarity.

4. Express Optimism

While it is important to show empathy, it is also important that you do not increase your customer's fears. Providing a calm and confident tone in your email messaging can go a long way in building the confidence and optimism of your customers.

5. Only Update Customers With Relevant Information

As COVID-19 is turning many worlds upside down with "shelter in place" and social distancing, ensure that your emails provide your customers with useful information about your business.

Determine what information you can provide that they will be happy to receive. Are you still open? Are you taking future reservations? Is your restaurant still open for takeout orders? Maybe you want to highlight service you are engaged in such as housing healthcare workers in your area that are assisting with the crisis.

Whatever it is, make sure it is relevant to your customer. Offering practical updates on your business status can give customers a sense of stability. Continue sending these emails throughout the crisis only if you have relevant updates to share. DO NOT send COVID-19 emails just for the sake of being able to say you sent an email.

6. Highlight Your Emphasis On Cleanliness & Safety

Below is a good example of a marketing email highlighting cleanliness and safety.

If your business remains open, you should detail actions you are taking to support the health, safety, and well-being of the community. Share how you are keeping your customers and employees safe.

Highlight any improved cleaning methods, meal preparations, or facility changes that you have implemented. Look for ways to assure your customers that their safety is your top priority, and that you have plans to deal with the situation.

7. Avoid The Appearance of Profiteering

Understand that not all customers will react the same way in a crisis. What many may find useful or humorous, others may find pointless or offensive.

To be safe, use sensitive language and avoid doing things that may make you seem like you are profiteering off of the crisis. For example, discount codes or promotional sales related to the crisis (ex. COVID19 for 19% off!) may seem insensitive or give the idea that you do not care about the situation.

8. But Don't Abandon Marketing

Avoiding profiteering does not mean you should abandon all marketing efforts during this crisis. Make sure your promotions and marketing techniques show a benefit to your customer, and how your business can legitimately help during this troubling time. We have seen many successful marketing campaigns from campgrounds, RV parks, guesthouses and cabins promoting "stay-cations", offering local customers a way to safely self-isolate while still affording them the opportunity to escape their house.

Below is a good example of a marketing email

And as we begin to emerge on the other side of this crisis, engaging with your customers will be a good way to ensure you remain top of mind whenever people are ready to get back out and travel.

9. Ensure Effective Email Subject Lines

This is not the time to embellish your subject lines with cute emojis or funny puns. Your email crisis communication subject lines should be clear and simple. Make it very clear to your customers what is inside the email.

10. Evaluate Your Entire Email Program

While you are figuring out your email strategy during COVID-19, make sure to check your automated email marketing tools. Make sure to update these messages to include current conditions. As an example, if you automatically send birthday or anniversary messages with incentives or rewards to use, update them to account for current changes to your business. Also make sure you do not have any pre-scheduled marketing campaigns that may be irrelevant or conflicting with the current COVID-19 situation.

In Summary:

In the current environment of COVID-19 and its near universal disruption of our daily routines, there is a fine balance to be found in communicating with your customers.
Life is difficult for many people and buying priorities have changed.

There is a lot of noise at the moment, so you want to make sure your message resonates and that it's not just another message capitalizing on the current situation.
Following these 10 steps can assist your business in connecting with your customers during these stressful times.

If you are looking for examples of other businesses that have successfully designed emails to stay connected to their subscribers during this global health crisis, check out the link below.

https://reallygoodemails.com/categories/emergency/