Author : Ellen Britt
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, many businesses are hesitating to
keep clients apprised of new offerings, perhaps afraid that they will
appear insensitive to the enormous human suffering that is going on
along the United States Gulf coast. The impact of this devastation will
undoubtedly continue for years to come, so many business owners are
understandably nervous.But of course, life, as well as business, goes on and you must continue
to contact existing and potential customers, or risk stormy weather of
your own. How can you continue to promote your business, and at the
same time, remain sensitive to disastrous events?Just this week, I faced this same problem. We were due to announce a
new course offering to our existing subscribers and potential clients. The
copy for our email broadcast was already written and ready to go. But I
was hearing from colleagues that they were choosing to hold back on
promoting their businesses…lest they offend their customers.What did we do? We sent the email anyway…but we prefaced it with a
statement of concern for those affected by the situation and told our
subscribers what we, as a company, were doing about it. Then, we
explained why now, more than ever, was the time to take advantage of
our offer. The results? Our offering went smoothly, with as large a
conversion rate as ever.Will this same strategy work for you? It all depends…on your offering,
your timing, and your attitude. Here are seven guidelines, when disaster
strikes and rough seas abound, to help you decide whether to promote
your business:Guideline #1: Don't do it! Consider delaying or canceling altogether a
particular promotion. If you feel that advertising your particular product
or service would be in poor taste, then by all means, follow your
instincts. After the tragic events of 9-11, Arnold Schwarzenegger's
movie, Collateral Damage, was postponed for four months and a Jackie
Chan movie, Nose Bleed, about a window washer on the World Trade
Center who foils a terrorist plot, was cancelled entirely.Guideline #2: Scrap your copy. You may need to completely rewrite your
ad copy, making sure your readers understand you are sensitive to the
circumstances at hand. Get input from others before you send anything
out to customers, to make sure you are on the mark.Guideline #3: Run the ad anyway. But preface it with a statement, as we
did, telling your readers exactly what you, as a company, are doing to
help. You are helping, aren't you?Guideline #4: Use reverse engineering. Let your subscribers know why
now is the perfect time to purchase your product or service. But use
caution with this one, as this guideline will only work if it truly is the right
time for your offering. If this is not the right time, refer back to guideline
#1.Guideline #5: Throw out a lifeline. Send out an email announcing a new
blog or listserv, especially for your customers, to create a sense of
community and give your customers a place to leave comments about
their own experiences. Empower your customers by setting up a place
at your website where your customers can click to donate money, such
as the Red Cross.Guideline #6: Call the doctor. Set up a teleconference bridge line call for
your customers and bring in an expert on stress, to speak about how to
be resilient in the face of disaster. Your customers will thank you for it, as
you will be seen as someone who cares about them for more than their
money. The best thing about this guideline is that you will feel good, too.Guideline #7: Don't go down with the ship. Even if the disaster did not
affect you directly, you are apt to feel some effects, both physically and
mentally. Take some time to reflect on your feelings about what has
happened and also remember to pay attention to the basics, like eating
right and getting enough sleep.So don't despair! You can still market in the face of disaster, if you use
sensitivity, compassion and common sense. Adhering to the seven
guidelines can help you steer around submerged obstacles and get you
into open water for clear sailing ahead.Copyright, Ellen Britt, 2005. This article may be freely distrubuted and
reprinted as long as it is reprinted in its entirety, with the author's
information and web link included at the bottom of the article. The web
link should be active when the article is reprinted on a web site or in an
email.Ellen Britt, PA, Ed.D., is executive producer of the beautiful and relaxing
Flash movie, Lessons from Water. See it at:
http://www.LessonsfromWater.com
Keyword : marketing, email marketing, Hurricane Katrina, marketing guidelines, email marketing campaign,
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