Between sending important push notifications and plain old good news, knowing how much to send of what can be a communications challenge.
We suggest using push notifications for weekly summaries of important information, to remind people they can come to you for this information, but not sending too many pushes that may upset those who are struggling with today’s reality.
And let’s remember that there are still good things going on! Let’s not forget to share some of that and bring a smile to people’s faces in this time of need. People are looking for solutions, and they will want to hear from you about the things their town is doing to keep everyone safe and help keep their businesses open.
Depending on your needs and the community – you know your own residents best – you may want to develop a content schedule to make this a little easier for you. Perhaps on Mondays, you send out some positivity – Mondays are already tough as is, especially now! And perhaps on Wednesdays, you provide your coronavirus updates. Of course, it can get more complex than this, and you can break from this schedule as necessary, but having a starting point could help keep the balance while keeping your community informed.
Your messaging can extend between different communication channels including email, app push notifications, and social media posts. These can all link them to the App where they can find more of the information they are looking for – all together in one place.
There is a lot of solidarity and community support initiatives you can be promoting through these communications as well. For example, you may promote creating a social distancing scavenger hunt, where people place things in their yards or windows for people to find on their safely distanced walks! People can take pictures and post them to your Facebook page which is pulled into the App. You’re promoting community and exercise, both especially important at this time.
It’s a time to be innovative, and many people are saying that we’ll never be the same after this passes. We look forward to seeing what you’re doing. Please share your communications and initiatives in the comments below!
Stay safe out there – looking forward to seeing you around in your downtown on the other side of this.
