Optimum’s Guide to Digital Communications
These are very difficult times. The recent events and rise of the COVID-19 virus on a global scale have brought challenges to us in ways that were unimaginable, and it is difficult to predict how long this situation will continue. Optimum believes that digital formats such as virtual meetings and video presentations will play an integral part in helping to communicate to key stakeholders in the coming months.
Digital Events
A number of industry conferences are now scheduled to deliver the event digitally where the event will continue with all 1:1 partnering sessions, panels discussion, presentations and media meetings, delivered by pre-recorded webinars or conference calls. Partnering systems will provide “digital rooms” allowing investors and company executives to connect via videoconferencing.
We have outlined below ideas that can help communicate your news or presence by digital routes.
Developing and updating content for digital communications
Website: Ensure the website is up-to-date with latest presentation, factsheet and relevant content is easy to find
Presentation: Your presentations should be up-to-date and formatted within the correct brand guidelines.
A video presentation can be a short introductory ‘to camera’ films of around 2 minutes in length involving a simple animation and a voice-over narration (and subtitles) allowing the flexibility to produce different language versions.
A podcast is also a good way to get your message out, they are easy to create, highly engaging, increase traffic generation and improve public speaking skills.
Blogs: Develop content and thought leadership pieces as a blog piece on the Company’s website or a LinkedIn post that can be shared via the Company’s social media channels.
Infographics: A company factsheet containing infographics that can depict the technology, mechanism of action, pipeline or stats on disease incidence or market potential.
Hosting meetings digitally
Conference calls / video conferencing: The default option in the coming months instead of face-to -face meeting.
Webinars: An excellent way to host an R&D update or event with more in-depth story and messaging to a broad audience.
Virtual media or presentation training
For all of the above, it is vital the Company’s spokespeople polish their skills to suit speaking to a virtual audience where there is minimum interaction.
Media Opportunities
The cancellations of upcoming conferences is an opportunity to focus on contributing to as well as developing potential stories.
Planned features & op-eds: Use existing in-house literature to generate content that can be repurposed and pitch for op-eds, by-lines or other commentary pieces.
Maximise your communication activities across all social media channels
Given that the networking and interactive nature of conferences is hard to be achieved through a digital event format, social media will be paramount in engaging with your community.
Boost outreach on LinkedIn and Twitter to communicate existing news, blogs and events and drive traffic to your website where all content remains controlled. Follow some influencers, and see which hashtags resonate. Leverage online communities or start one!