First of all, I and the entire Savy Agency team hope you and your loved ones are well. As you know, a global health crisis is impacting every single one of us. Our lives, our jobs, our kids’ schooling, our economy—our 12-month projections—are at a halt, except for those industries still serving demand. We’re all adapting by the hour to COVID-19 updates and to what we’re hearing and learning. We’re pivoting our businesses, changing how they function, and how they serve, and thank goodness we’re all trying to find a kernel of positive in these times, like what can we learn, how can we adapt, and how we can become stronger together.

As we navigate our new ‘now’, I wanted to share a COVID-19 update from Savy, including how we are getting by on our day-to-day to both stay sane in the face of COVID-19 and to stay ahead in every way we can.

We’re all inundated with ‘COVID + insert standard greeting’ emails. In the middle of it all, here’s our suggestions on how to communicate with your direct clients and your partners as to not sound like a tone-deaf ass or like you’re sugar-coating what’s going on:

1. Communicate transparently.

These are unprecedented times. Admit it or not, that’s a fact for all of us reading this. Use email formats to alert your customers to any changes, like shifts in hours, shifts in productions, operations or schedules, and the like. We’ve come to learn this morning that Google has headed indoors, even noting in Google Ads that there will be limited humans to respond to needs. Today they state “Due to adjusted work schedules at this time, we are currently experiencing longer than usual times to process new ads in non-text formats (such as Video, RDA, App, etc.)” And “As a precautionary health measure for support specialists in light of COVID-19, some Google support options may be delayed or unavailable. You can still reach us through the Contact Us form. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience.”

2. Be relatable, because you are.

Your brand is not too much different than the next brand. Some brands are better positioned to serve right now, but we’re all in this together. Our lives are fragile. Our brands are composed of our blood, sweat, and tears, and everything can change for us if our health is affected either as individuals, communities, or peoples. While, yes, we can still market during this time, we need to find opportunities to adjust messaging, to change rapidly to demands and needs, and to be empathetic to every situation our customers and partners find themselves in.

3. Set the stage on the new ‘now’.

Let customers know what has changed and how they can get ahold of you, and make sure those ways are easy to find and access. You have more time now that you had a week ago, and especially more than you had two weeks ago. As users move to a near-fully online approach, it’s critical that you deliver customer experience moments wherever you can — because even though there’s market noise with COVID-19, there’s less market noise than usual. Now is when you ensure your core touchpoints are up and optimized, meaning your phone experience, your form submissions, your social media responses, and more.

While the Savy Agency team is working remotely to do our part and slow the spread of COVID-19 to our families and communities, we’re available during our normal business hours, and more, to support your brand and its needs, and to help you navigate COVID-19 and its impacts. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at support@savyagency.com, or talk to any of our team members directly.

Stay positive, stay well, and stay doing what you love — Savy Agency

By Christina Brown, a top 3% Google Partner and founder and Creative Director @ Savy Agency. Savy is an international digital marketing agency out of Bend, OR and Santa Barbara, CA.