Email Examples Sent By Brands During the Global Pandemic
The Coronavirus is changing the world as we know it. Our lives have changed drastically since the spread of the virus. We have to change our routines, our daily schedules, our freedom of movement has been restricted. And that affects our consumption and shopping habits. The products we once thought were important seem less important now. The things that we used to take for granted are all that we can think about right now.
Businesses know that these changes will affect their revenues immensely, positively or negatively. One thing for sure; you need to take a second look at your messaging, and update them if needed.
In this blog post, we will be presenting email examples sent by brands in the past few weeks about the pandemic. The emails will be categorized by the message:
- Reassuring customers about health measures in stores
- Updating office settings or store opening/closing hours
- “We Are Still Shipping!” Message
- Giving Advice
- “We are here for you” and “You’ve Got This” Messages
- Donate to Help Us Fight Coronavirus
At the end of the post, we will also give you a few pointers from email experts about how to communicate during a time of crisis, and what things you should be doing as an email marketer to help your business.
But before we jump in, you should go through these questions. This checklist will help you determine if you should send a coronavirus email or not.
Should you send a Coronavirus email?
In a time where almost every brand is sending out coronavirus emails, you should think twice before creating one for your brand:
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Is your offer changing?
Did the pandemic affect your store opening and closing time? Are you unable to provide a service or sell a product because of the virus? If any of these changes apply to you, then you might want to inform your customers about it. After all, it does affect them as well. They should know if and when they can acquire your products and services.
If however, you are running an online business, like an online app for example, where you don’t offer a tangible, physical product, and where your clients don’t have to come to a brick-and-mortar store to get access to your merchandise, then you probably should think twice before sending your email.
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Are you collecting funds to help fight the coronavirus?
If you are a not-for-profit organization or a corporate business that is collecting donations to help fight the virus then you should definitely send an email about this.
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Are you offering advice on how to maintain physical and mental health and adjust to the confinement and work from home situation?
Are you a health care specialist that can offer credible advice on how to survive the pandemic? Or are you curating content that you think can help elevate the stress that we are all facing every day? Do you think that your product can help your customers feel better and stay entertained indoors?
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Are you presenting any new information that your customers don’t know about?
This ties in pretty well with the first question. If your business is running as usual, and if your offer wasn’t affected by this global pandemic if you have no news to share with your customers, then why do you feel the need to send them a coronavirus email?
We are all monitoring the situation, and we are all scared. So if you don’t have anything new to bring to the table, maybe don’t send an email.
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Will your customers benefit from your email?
Again, if you want to send a coronavirus email just for the sake of sending a coronavirus email, then it’s probably not a good idea. Sending an email with a clear and meaningful message can go a long way. Especially in times like these, every inbox is full and cluttered with meaningless junk. Don’t associate your brand with that mindset.
Basically, you need to…
Consider your Industry and Offer
Just because we are all going through these difficult times as human beings together, doesn’t mean that every company is concerned. It’s good to acknowledge what is happening in the world and to keep in mind what your customers are going through. But it is as important to stay on brand and to communicate clear and meaningful messages that are coherent with your branding and offers.
Here are a few coronavirus email examples that different industries can send:
- Private universities can send emails to their students about online courses and other logistical measures.
- Retail shops can send emails informing their customers about new working hours and/or store disinfecting measures.
- Ecommerce shops can send emails to reassure customers that shipping and online shopping is still available.
- Non profits can send emails to ask for donations
- Health organizations can send emails to educate people on how to protect themselves and their loved ones.
- Ecommerce and retail businesses can send promotional emails for products that can help people adjust to the new lifestyle forced upon us.
- Online magazines and forums can send curated content that offers advice on how to stay sane and healthy during these testing times.
And the examples go on. The point is, before hitting send, re-read your email, and think about how it is relevant to your brand, to your product, and to your customer.
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Reassuring Customers about Health Measures in Stores
Email Subject Line: An Important Message from our CEO
Subject Line: COVID-19 Update
Email Subject Line: We’re in this together
Subject Line: We’re thinking of you
Email Subject Line: We’re Still Here For You
Subject Line: Our Stores Are Temporily Closed
Product Promotions
Email Subject Line: Essential Comfort For The Whole Family
Subject Line: Settle in With 30% Off
Email Subject Line: We’re Help Your Stay Active
We’re Here For You Messages
Email Subject Line: Hey Students.. You’ve Got This!
Giving Advice
Email Subject Line: Looking For Ways To Patsta-Time?
Subject Line: 8 Steps to set up a comfortable productive WFH space
Email Subject Line: We’re happy to help with your grocery shopping, pharmacy, and picking up mail
Subject Line: Keep Your Eyes Protected
We’re Still Shipping Emails
Email Subject Line: An important update and a big sale
Email Subject Line: Stuck at home? Get free shipping for the next weeks
Email Subject Line: For the times they are a-changin’ – Shop doors to close but online store stays open
Donate to Fight the Coronavirus
Email Subject Line: Honor the Brave
Email Subject Line: UNHCR
How to Send a Good & Empathetic Email in a Time Like This
These past few weeks have been hard on all of us. Personally, I have been struggling to keep myself from imagining the worst scenarios possible, and to not be afraid of the uncertainty and what might happen in the future. This pandemic has affected my behavior as a marketer, as a customer, and most importantly, as a person.
Keep that in mind when attempting to create and send a coronavirus email.
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Be empathetic
Usually, I would say: Put yourself in your customers’ shoes. But right now, the whole world is sharing this nightmare! So don’t be afraid to tap into your emotional side. You are talking to other human beings who are just as scared and uncomfortable as you. Use simple and kind words. Think of your email as a personal conversation with a friend.
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Don’t rush it
Take a look at our checklist that will help you determine if you should send a coronavirus email or not. If you are not offering new information or being useful to your customers, you don’t have to send an email. Don’t contribute to the inbox pollution, and only send emails when you are 100% certain that you should.
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Stay informed
Changes are happening fast. Make sure that the information and data you are including in your email is correct and credible- especially if you are offering medical or legal advice.
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Don’t send too many emails
Once you go through the checklist and decide to send an email to your subscribers, that should be enough. Don’t make a habit of sending this type of email, just because it paid off the first time. Every time you want to send a coronavirus email, go through the same decision-making process, and ask yourself: am I being useful or am I simply recycling the same information to “stay relevant”?
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Don’t be greedy or offensive
A lot of brands are offering discounts on different products at the moment, and that’s okay. But make sure not to cross a certain line. For example, don’t try to sell masks at a time where governments are struggling to protect medical staff with masks and gloves. Don’t try to make jokes about the virus outbreak. A lot of people will not appreciate it, especially those who have been directly affected by it.