There’s a lot of people publishing advice right now. Here’s some I have read that I think are worth your time.
With the impact of the coronavirus on the business world, I’ve shifted a lot of my content to sharing relevant material in LinkedIn posts. I did this because I know people are swamped and don’t need to spend time with an extra click of the mouse in their days. If you’d like to connect, you can find me here, but I thought I would also compile a small list of the most useful things I’ve read recently here.
COVID-19 Related
No Template: PR for the Opening
This is a great perspective piece for Canadian companies looking at their communications plans for reopening. An important take-away for me: "The closing in March was like a light switch. Reopening is more like a dimmer switch. It will be slow, imprecise and uneven."
The Current Crisis Demands More External Communication
This piece argues to keep some level of external communication activities alive and I agree with the perspective. It's really easy for organizations to turn all attention inward - and they absolutely should focus a substantial amount of communications effort on employees - but being strategic about your external communications campaigns can pay dividends when economic conditions improve.
Why Longform Content No Longer Performs
The age of information overload was put into overdrive with COVID-19. Be more impactful by getting to the point.
How Sincerity is Better than a Generic Response During a Global Crisis
While many PR professionals are neck-deep (or more) managing the immediate communication needs of their clients and employers, there is an opportunity to tell the story of how companies are coping. The third point in the story hits on that concept nicely, suggesting you position a spokesperson with some advice on staying afloat during uncertain times.
During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Buzzwords are Getting a Workout
The most important bit of advice in this piece for me: Read your writing out loud. In a rush, this can be an important step that gets forgotten before hitting the "Post" button.
General
How Speakers Can Eliminate ‘um,’ ‘er,’ and Other Tics
While there are tips to help eliminate filler words (um, uh, er...) in your speeches, interviews, and presentations, the important bit for me is to remember the following: "If you are constantly worried about the way you sound while presenting or giving a speech, it can prevent you from making a genuine connection with your audience." As the piece states, you want to reduce - not eliminate - the filler. It will help ensure you sound more human, eh?