How to keep your content operation on top during Coronavirus
Laura Smith, Managing Editor, Speak Media, explains why content during a crisis needs careful handling
Like nearly every other content creation team in the UK, the Speak team is working from home for the foreseeable future.
It’s a situation that our brilliant team of content creators is handling as best they can. But as virtual working becomes the new normal, I’ve been thinking about how content teams are having to tackle competing demands: the disruption of every aspect of our daily lives – and the need to continue to satisfy our clients’ appetites for relevant and timely content.
How to juggle the two? Here are some of my thoughts – would love to hear yours.
Over-communicate with your team
Your distributed workforce will be looking for clear and accurate leadership – now more than ever. We’ve found that over-communication is key, whether it’s sharing information, giving feedback or managing projects and deadlines. Video calls are good (even if it does mean having to get out of your PJs) but an old-fashioned phone call can feel more authentic – I don’t know how others feel, but I’m not loving seeing quite so much of my own face. Crucially, not all chat should be work chat. For some team members, the engagement they get from you and the rest of the team may be one of their main sources of human contact. So look for ways to provide a virtual hug wherever appropriate!
Engage your emotional intelligence
Empathy matters, so make sure it’s not formulaic. Consider the mental health issues that are very real to people dealing with self-isolation. And by this I mean both potentially in your own team, and also in the content that you create. People are afraid of getting sick and anxious about how long our curtailed lifestyle is going to last. Be thoughtful about how you communicate – empathy, understanding, reassurance and humour will go a long way.
Keep up to date with what’s happening – and anticipate changes in your readers’ behaviour
Make sure you and your team keep abreast of the latest changes in the news cycle, and adjust your content strategy accordingly. We have increased our brand content scanning from weekly to daily to keep our clients in the know about what others in their sector are doing – and ensure those ideas are fed into our editorial output. What might have felt like a good message or an appropriate story yesterday might not be the right thing today, and by staying on top of the latest information on the outbreak, brands can ensure their messaging aligns with important updates. Alongside, that, be aware of the behavioural and emotional shifts of those who consume your content.
Be prepared to pivot – but don’t be afraid to repurpose content
At an unprecedented moment like this, you may find that much of the lovely bank of content you’ve been building for months suddenly feels impossible to publish. Your team will need to find new things to say – and fast. As above, look at what others are doing, but also make sure your team members are acting as the best in-house journalists, communicating with the right contacts to dig out the strongest stories about how your business is responding to the crisis. You can also look back through your pipeline of content to see if there’s anything you can repurpose or tweak and repost – particularly useful if staff members are out of action due to health issues.
Using internal channels to build morale
Community is always important, but when your staff are feeling disconnected, confused and afraid, it’s essential if your business is to continue to function well. Think about using your internal channels not just to provide the information for colleagues, but also as a place to inspire. Find and share emotive and thoughtful postings by staff members, customers and leaders. If they’re strong enough, consider using their insights to fuel your social and news channels.
Find a new approach to visuals
Every content operation is having to find new approaches to visuals at a time when a nationwide lockdown makes it harder to justify sending out photographers. Speak photographer Anna Gordon shot portraits through windows on a recent assignment. I imagine that we’ll all become more reliant on illustration, graphics, stock photography and the wonders of post-production until restrictions are lifted – bringing with it new opportunities for creativity. Every cloud.
Be firm but fair on deadlines
This, of course, is a time for understanding. We all need to be mindful of the issues that team members may be having at home, and flexibility over normal working hours is essential. But deadlines still need to be met. Strong and clear leadership via the over-communication approach mentioned above should help to anchor staff members in normality. When the outside world feels unfamiliar, work can be a great way of grounding people and normalising their day-to-day lives. Be firm but fair about what you want the team to achieve, and they’ll love you for it.
Run two newsrooms: Covid and non-Covid content
At the time of writing, none of our clients are comfortable with running content that isn’t Covid-related. But even Covid content needs to be very carefully considered and ditched if it has the slightest scent of opportunism. Bear in mind that this won’t be the only issue forever, so get a bank of content ready to go for when the picture changes. For our team that has meant running two newsrooms – progressing planned content in the background while getting a whole new set of stories up and running.
