Communication in a Time of Crisis: Sales and Marketing Email Templates
During the current crisis, how can you make your customer communications effective, balancing business objectives with empathy, authenticity, and value for the recipient?
Download the full resource to get X empowering crisis email examples or start with our top 5 crisis email examples by scrolling below.
Why it works:
Canva is a design app, and its customers use the app to create social posts. While this has absolutely nothing to do with the health industry, Canva built an email that not only helps stop the spread of misinformation: it builds a sense of community with their users as they ask for help to share facts instead of fake news.
On top of that, this email and its message help customers feel useful as they become part of an effort to share facts online. And in a time when we all feel a bit helpless, feeling useful is a powerful motivator.
The end result: Canva’s community is strengthened, they’re contributing to the sharing of coronavirus facts (not fiction), and they’re getting people to use their product.
How to do it:
Build a sense of community by acknowledging we’re all in this together
Find ways to work with your customers and prospects in this difficult time
Copied!
30 minutes
Help spread facts: The impact of the new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, is being felt all over the world. With lots of information being rolled out, it’s important to receive and share accurate information, so that you can take the necessary steps to keep yourself and those around you safe. We believe we are better when we work together. That’s why we have designed a range of social media posts and poster templates to help our community share accurate information from the World Health Organization. #stopthespread with these handy tips. Follow these tips from the World Health Organization to keep yourself safe and help contain the spread of the virus. 1. Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. 2. Avoid touching your face, eyes, mouth, and nose. 3. Avoid contact with people who are vulnerable. And if you can’t, wear a mask. 4. Cover your cough with the bend of your elbow. 5. Disinfect surfaces you regularly use. 6. If you feel unwell, stay at home and call your healthcare provider. 7. Only share information from trusted sources.
Why it works:
This is a very candid, human approach to addressing the COVID-19 crisis. The founder of Slidebean approaches you in a very transparent way, acknowledging his own fears and concerns.
But this isn’t just another generic ‘We’re here for you’ email. Caya dives into good news, focuses on the future, and provides real value for the reader right now. This email isn’t trying to sell you anything. That said, I’m sure it will result in new sales for Slidebean because they’re doing more than just saying they’re here to help: they’re actually providing that help right here, right now.
How to do it:
Be transparent in your communication
Add a personal touch
Empathize with your customers and prospect
Don’t just say ‘we’re here for you’: prove it by providing real value
Copied!
30 minutes
Help spread facts: The impact of the new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, is being felt all over the world. With lots of information being rolled out, it’s important to receive and share accurate information, so that you can take the necessary steps to keep yourself and those around you safe. We believe we are better when we work together. That’s why we have designed a range of social media posts and poster templates to help our community share accurate information from the World Health Organization. #stopthespread with these handy tips. Follow these tips from the World Health Organization to keep yourself safe and help contain the spread of the virus. 1. Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. 2. Avoid touching your face, eyes, mouth, and nose. 3. Avoid contact with people who are vulnerable. And if you can’t, wear a mask. 4. Cover your cough with the bend of your elbow. 5. Disinfect surfaces you regularly use. 6. If you feel unwell, stay at home and call your healthcare provider. 7. Only share information from trusted sources.
Why it works:
CEvery business is experiencing changes during this time, but not all of them are clearly communicating those changes to their customers. That’s why this email from Airbnb stands out: the changes are explained clearly, and both hosts and guests have their questions answered. At the same time, they also provide a link where people can go for the latest updates on the situation.
This email also provides the right amount of empathy while staying on-topic. If you need to communicate changes to your customers, it’s important to be clear and stay on-topic.
How to do it:
Use clear, simple language to explain changes to your business or operations
Use bold headings and bullet points to mark important information
Copied!
30 minutes
Help spread facts: The impact of the new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, is being felt all over the world. With lots of information being rolled out, it’s important to receive and share accurate information, so that you can take the necessary steps to keep yourself and those around you safe. We believe we are better when we work together. That’s why we have designed a range of social media posts and poster templates to help our community share accurate information from the World Health Organization. #stopthespread with these handy tips. Follow these tips from the World Health Organization to keep yourself safe and help contain the spread of the virus. 1. Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. 2. Avoid touching your face, eyes, mouth, and nose. 3. Avoid contact with people who are vulnerable. And if you can’t, wear a mask. 4. Cover your cough with the bend of your elbow. 5. Disinfect surfaces you regularly use. 6. If you feel unwell, stay at home and call your healthcare provider. 7. Only share information from trusted sources.
Why it works:
This email from GoDaddy fulfills a real and current need for their customers. GoDaddy is a hosting service used by many entrepreneurs and small business owners. So, this email clearly addresses their core audience and gives them what they need.
Right now, this audience needs help and advice. They need to find creative ways to keep going despite the downturn. And although this is not the core solution that GoDaddy sells, they have created a space where their customers can go for information and advice. More than that, they’ve set up a community for small businesses to learn from each other and survive this crisis.
During this crisis, pushing their main product isn’t going to win GoDaddy any brownie points with their audience. That’s why this email works so well: it’s aligned to the real needs of their customers.
How to do it:
Figure out the current needs of your customers and prospects during this pandemic
Find ways to provide for those needs, even if that means putting less focus on your product right nows
Copied!
30 minutes
Help spread facts: The impact of the new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, is being felt all over the world. With lots of information being rolled out, it’s important to receive and share accurate information, so that you can take the necessary steps to keep yourself and those around you safe. We believe we are better when we work together. That’s why we have designed a range of social media posts and poster templates to help our community share accurate information from the World Health Organization. #stopthespread with these handy tips. Follow these tips from the World Health Organization to keep yourself safe and help contain the spread of the virus. 1. Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. 2. Avoid touching your face, eyes, mouth, and nose. 3. Avoid contact with people who are vulnerable. And if you can’t, wear a mask. 4. Cover your cough with the bend of your elbow. 5. Disinfect surfaces you regularly use. 6. If you feel unwell, stay at home and call your healthcare provider. 7. Only share information from trusted sources.
Why it works:
This email also addresses a relevant need for Noom’s customer base, but not the need you might automatically think about.
Noom is a health and weight loss app that helps its customers develop healthy habits. But instead of focusing on weight loss and dieting, this email is focused on the mental health needs of their customers.
This unusual approach makes Noom’s email stand out from the crowd. Also, since the app is built around a community of people working towards a common goal (weight loss), the subject line is sweet and makes users feel like they’re part of something bigger.
How to do it:
Don’t forget about the less obvious needs of your customers
Develop empathy and provide relevant help
Remember that your product isn’t the star of this show: your customers are
Copied!
30 minutes
Help spread facts: The impact of the new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, is being felt all over the world. With lots of information being rolled out, it’s important to receive and share accurate information, so that you can take the necessary steps to keep yourself and those around you safe. We believe we are better when we work together. That’s why we have designed a range of social media posts and poster templates to help our community share accurate information from the World Health Organization. #stopthespread with these handy tips. Follow these tips from the World Health Organization to keep yourself safe and help contain the spread of the virus. 1. Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. 2. Avoid touching your face, eyes, mouth, and nose. 3. Avoid contact with people who are vulnerable. And if you can’t, wear a mask. 4. Cover your cough with the bend of your elbow. 5. Disinfect surfaces you regularly use. 6. If you feel unwell, stay at home and call your healthcare provider. 7. Only share information from trusted sources.
