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10 Ways Public Health Communicators Are Mobilizing Around COVID-19

It’s amazing.

National, state and local public health scientists are toiling to understand all aspects of the Coronavirus pandemic. Epidemiologists, economists, statisticians, medical experts and ethicists are meeting daily to understand how the stay-at-home order might be lifted. Bio-engineers are rapidly advancing testing. And public health communicators are simplifying and communicating these very complex topics.

It’s working.

Public trust in institutions is high, a recent poll published in Scientific American found, with eight in 10 Americans (79%) rating the performance of public health officials as either excellent or good. A national consumer poll by marketing firm ReviveHealth found that public health officials are the most trusted source of information about COVID-19.

Americans understand the need to stay at home, and most are changing their daily behaviors. 

Here are ten ways public health communicators have effectively responding to the COVID-19 crisis.

1.      Providing daily information: They are doing a great job communicating fresh, local and specific data, insights and news on a regular cadence. This is good: polls show U.S. adults want daily information about the pandemic. 

2.      Using Facebook, Facebook live, Twitter and Instagram: Kudos to PIOs for pushing out branded “Stay home, stay safe” messages, graphics, content and short videos. Some are even monitoring the social media conversations that come from those posts and responding to questions.

3.     Building new website sections: PIOs have rapidly built multiple new website pages to more fully explain public health orders, facts, travel advisories and more.

4.      Being on hand for press coverage: The news media is covering the pandemic 24/7, and PIOs are serving as a critical source of unbiased, scientifically based information. It’s not easy to pull together press conferences day after day.

5.      Telling people what they can do: The public needs to feel a sense of control during a crisis. Smartly, public health communicators are giving us things we can do, like walk, exercise, and bond over Zoom.

6.      Being a role model: PIOs are putting their leaders into press conferences, masks on. Experts are speaking personally about what social distancing looks like in their families and neighborhoods.

7.      Expressing empathy:  PIOs remember this is an economic, financial, social, public health and health care systems crisis. They are expressing empathy for our many hurts. 

8.      Admitting limits of understanding and effectiveness: They are admitting that there is a lot we don’t know about this virus. They’re putting their recommendations in context.

9.      Pushing the conversation forward: Some PIOs are encouraging end-of-life discussions with family members as well as issues of health equity. Thank you for your courage. 

 10.  Discussing mental health and self-care. Many of us are grieving the loss of family members, freedom, a feeling of safety, normalcy and trust. Thank you for providing resources and recommendations on this important topic. This will become even more important as the pandemic wears on.

Posted on Author RachelCategories Content Marketing, Healthcare Marketing, Storytelling

White Papers: A Powerful Tool to Bring Customers to You

Are you using white papers as part of your business-to-business marketing and communications strategy? Do you know how to write one? How to promote it?

A white paper is a persuasive essay that uses facts and logic to help people understand an issue, solve a problem or make a decision. They are not designed to directly sell your product. Rather, they help you connect with potential customers, educate them and gain their trust.

We recently completed white papers for the following clients:

* Swisslog Healthcare, a maker of pharmacy automation equipment
* Huron Consulting
* CyrusOne, a data center REIT

How do you write a white paper?

1. Define your goal: Do you want to attract attention at the top of the sales funnel? Arm your sales people with arguments and proof points? Show potential customers how your product has helped others become successful? Educate journalists or bloggers? Or do you need a white paper that helps “clinch” the sale at the bottom of the funnel?

2. Pick an editorial construct: Your persuasive essay might be one of the classic formats – problem/solution, issue backgrounder, case study or numbered list.  Your marketing goal will influence the format.

3. Hire a professional team: Sure, this sounds self-serving, but most marketing directors can’t devote 20+hours to researching an issue, interviewing subject matter experts, writing and rewriting. (Full disclosure: I have more than 6 years of experience as a newspaper reporter and 10 years as a freelance writer). Don’t forget putting a copy-editor and graphic designer on your team, too.

4. Promote, promote, promote: Once your white paper is done, give it a prominent home on your website. Send it out via e-newsletter, post it on social media and print it, too. What about making it into a podcast, or posting it as images on Pinterest?

5. Measure! Track how many leads you got from your white paper, and from which channels. Talk to your sales people, and see how it helped.

Want to brainstorm white paper topics for your business? Email me.

Posted on Author RachelCategories Healthcare Marketing, Storytelling

How to Write the Perfect One-Pager

Female writer typing using laptop keyboard at her workplace in the morning. Woman writing blogs online, side view close-up picture

We taught attendees at the Colorado Non-Profit Association’s annual meeting how to concept, research and write an issue advocacy piece.

The presentation was part of the policy and advocacy track, and attendees were seeking to learn how to use communications for advocacy, funding and media relations.

One-pagers start with a key message-driven headline, then use narrative, data, photos, and testimonials to create a compelling case. They end in a well-designed, easy-to-digest, single-sided document.

Why boil it down to one page?

The Honorable Lois Court, who served for eight years in the Colorado House of Representatives, told me: “Access to information is not our problem. Everyone in the world wants to give us information. The problem is absorbability.”

We believe that while communicators have many tools in their workbench, nothing forces them to simplify and clarify their message as much as the one-pager. The writing, editing and polishing that goes into this most “perfect” of documents pays dividends across all communications pieces.