COVID-19 has highlighted a significant challenge with public communications. People are relying on their local government’s messaging more than ever for accurate and trusted updates on the pandemics effect in their area. From informative notifications ranging from health and safety reminders, city/town services, facility closures, new procedures, and protocols, to State of Emergency Announcements, how are you communicating best with your citizens in during this ever-changing time?
To keep everyone informed, a mass notification tool, can provide you with the ability to easily disseminate information quickly and accurately to your citizens or employees. This allows you the ability to focus on your job and the other challenges caused by the pandemic, while knowing your recipients are receiving reliable information.
1. Be a Trusted Source
Keeping residents informed with the latest updates as well as health and safety reminders enables you to provide reliable information from a trusted source, in-order to reduce the spread of misinformation, and encourages citizens to act responsibly to safely contain the virus.
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2. Enrich Your Message
Consistent and relevant messages that include informational graphics or images, PDFs, fact sheets, or links to resources, such as the Public Health Agency of Canada, offer value to your community by providing them with the information they need to make the best decisions for them and their families.Â
Plus, messages that include visuals capture attention and increase engagement rates drastically.
3. Communicate Information Quickly
Pre-designed enriched templates help you get information out easily without errors. Within these templates you can easily customize or revise the message based on new updates or information.
Reaching your citizens where they want to receive information increases their likelihood to engage with it. With multi-channel delivery, including email, SMS, mobile app, voice call to landlines and social media, your enriched message concerning COVID-19 will be delivered rapidly to your community.Â
5. Communicate with Groups Internally
Provide relevant communications to groups within your organization. Some communications may only need to be provided to senior managers and some to the whole organization regarding your COVID-19 company response, back to work and/or building re-entry plans. Utilize the pre-made templates and send out a custom message to your targeted group within a couple of clicks. Revise this message easily if new or updated information becomes available.
6. Support Your Community
Tough times can bring people together, and your community can rise together. One community with a helping hand has reached out to their citizens in search of assistance with a shortage of food hampers during the COVID-19 crisis. Â The unexpected financial hardship of COVID-19 has left many families previously unfamiliar with food assistance programs, in need. By contacting constituents directly with key information about the application process the program was made more accessible and increased food donations.
