Why Silence Is Not The Answer During Tough News Cycles
This past weekend was tough. Protests following the death of George Floyd and lack of arrests has caused an uprising that is long overdue, but as someone who runs a business or brand, how did you show up?
As a white woman, I experienced analysis paralysis at what was the best way to join the conversation. I went quiet for a while, taking in all that was going on, analyzing how and in what way to show up for people of color, debating on if I share another meme if that would really “do anything,” and finally decided that my perspective has power and to simply share in a heart-centered, meaningful way.
I donated to Campaign Zero, shared positive developments like police officers joining in conversation with protesters and raised other’s efforts to show how to be an ally. Especially with sensitive issues, it can be difficult to understand how you can support or engage with what’s going on while eliminating the worry of alienating followers and clients.
In reality though, your clients are experiencing a similar wave of emotions too, and empowering brands who have the courage to show up in their feeds either provide content that alleviates the stress around a situation or gives guidance at how to support the cause. We’ve already seen this in 2020 with how some brands have excelled by providing value during COVID-19 by hosting free services or virtual meet-ups, pivoting their businesses to provide value in a virtual way, or jumping into donations or PPE creation. We remember those brands because it shows that their drive is more than making money but to also provide to the greater good for their followers and clients.
Now how can you be that brand? How can you eliminate the fear of posting about difficult news and developments in the country? Here are three questions to ask yourself when you aren’t sure how to show up during a tough news cycle:
How does the news affect your audience?
As with any type of content creation, think about your audience! How are they being affected by the news? In the case of the Black Lives Matter protests, there might be stress, a concern that they have unconscious bias, paralysis at how they can support, or a lack of knowledge of events and organizations involved. By knowing who your audience is, you can begin to understand what things are worth sharing and what your audience needs. This is where continuing to get hyper focused on serving your audience will create value.
How can your content uniquely alleviate the problems surrounding the issues?
Especially when you know the problems your audience may be experiencing, content creation becomes easier. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, brands developed mental resilience services like free morning meditations, IG Live workouts, and webinars about working from home.
“You learn from your audience, just like they learn from you. ”
How can you do that now? Stress is a common denominator in all of this – how can you alleviate it? If you are well-educated on the events or are in a community that could educate better on the issues, could you share that knowledge? At times you may not need to create something from scratch. Instead, raise up other voices and content creators by sharing and writing in appreciation for them or adding your genuine perspective. Of course, the risk feels high that the way you engage in the conversation may be wrong, but be open to constructive criticism as that is what showing up is about. You learn from your audience, just like they learn from you.
Is it time to get political?
The news cycle has been volatile for some time now, but 2020 has taken the cake with the ups and downs everyone has been experiencing. With each issue though, you should ask yourself is it time to be political? It may not be for certain topics like endorsing political candidates, but it may be for others like racial equality. It should be an ongoing practice. In most cases, compassion is a trait that all consumers can agree on. In the current case, are you for or against “police brutality?” If that’s an absolute no, then you are for Black Lives Matter. Change is always going to be happening in our society, and sharing your voice to educate, motivate, or raise the mission of others is unlikely to hurt you. Instead, it can open up new conversations with your audience.
Silence is not the answer, and jumping in without understanding also isn’t. Reflect on how you can serve your audience and contribute to the conversation in a heart-centered way.