associationFOCUS | Volume 8, Issue 1

Have this tool ready to blanket concerns from prospects. Win their trust and online utilization volume will follow. Sure, many of us are “kick the tires” businesses, but the process starts online and that trend will only increase in the future. For Employees: A Motivational Team Message We’ve all seen the famous, stiff-upper-lip British message that exhorts readers to “Keep Calm and Carry On.” It was produced to motivate the English population to stay strong in spirit during what became “The Blitz” bombings of London during World War II. Given the war we are currently engaged in with an insidious viral enemy, we offer a version of that message for small business employees, many of whom may be sequestered at home: Stay Connected and Carry Through. The first part of the message is obvious — we all have to stay connected through our wealth of digital tools in order to continue doing our jobs and serving our customers. Write a gentle reminder that, despite the change in work environment, performance expectations remain high and, now more than ever, it is important to “carry through” on all work respon- sibilities. It ain’t a snow day, kids … there’s real work to be done. A simple messaging device can serve to galvanize employee spirit and focus on the tasks at hand. There are many creative directions to fit the unique culture of any business. Whatever your team’s rallying cry may be, it is valuable to have a succinct motivational message that can bring people together as a united force determined to overcome a common, formidable challenge. Remember the Alamo. Three More Crisis Communication Absolutes 1. A centralized communication hub (landing page/dark site): It’s vital that all of your outreach efforts are presented separately from your standard web content so people can quickly find only association's information conveyed within the crisis context and time - frame — specifically, what your current policies and practices are, and how to connect. 2. Ongoing and up-to-date messages (e-mail, social media, etc.): Don’t make customers and community members come to you; continue the outreach and gain new social media and email followers by providing regular, relevant communication. 3. Focus your advertising efforts (digital adver - tising, OOT, pre-roll video, etc.) Make sure that your messages are showing up where the audiences are during the shelter-at-home mandates—online. Budgets are tight, so make sure your media spends are tracked with analytics to ensure ROI. Michael C. Keenan is the president and CEO of Keenan-Nagle Advertising, Inc. Based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, with an integrated team of creative, media, web, analytics and client service professionals, the Keenan-Nagle firm has been in continuous service since 1954 and is the longest-serving advertising/marketing agency in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley region. For more facts, visit www.KeenanNagle,com or call 610-797-7100. Given the war we are currently engaged in with an insidious viral enemy, we offer a version of that message for small business employees, many of whom may be sequestered at home: Stay Connected and Carry Through. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 16 | association FOCUS