Select Your Communication Media
How you communicate is just as important as what you communicate. Different people process information better on some platforms better than others, so it’s important to ensure your communication efforts surrounding the coronavirus span several different types of media to give all residents the opportunity to see and receive the information.
Common communication media includes:
Email service provider
Social media
Community website
Resident portal
Text/SMS messaging
Automated or personal phone calls
Print materials
Not all these media are required. It’s best that your community uses more than one to reach a variety of audiences, which is why the identification of your audiences is important.
By looking at the type of audiences you have in your community, you’ll be able to get a better idea of the right media mix to use to reach the most residents in your community.
After identifying your audiences, you may decide you don’t need to make phone calls or have no need for a Facebook group to inform homeowners in your community. This will save you time and keep you focused on the media that has the most impact.
Create a Calendar
Information surrounding the coronavirus updates quickly and news may change from week to week, but your team should still create a communication calendar to help organize what will be communicated when and which media will be involved.
Organize your communication calendar by week and identify 1 to 2 topics you would like to communicate to residents that week. This could be news surrounding reopening amenities, cleaning procedures in the common areas, or new social distancing guidelines for staff and residents.
Limit the amount of information you communicate each week to ensure that residents are receiving focused communication covering those 1 or 2 pieces of news. As stated above, news surrounding COVID-19 moves quickly, so build a little wiggle room into the communication calendar to address any urgent updates to residents.
However, some boards may share too much information too quickly and it’s easy to inadvertently include information that is inaccurate or outdated. Before sharing any breaking news, make sure the researcher on the communication team verifies the information.
Stay Consistent with Your Existing HOA Communications Policy
Your community likely already has an HOA communication policy in place when sending information out to residents. When creating any alerts or updates to the residents surrounding COVID-19, ensure that what you’re developing stays true to the policy created before the pandemic began.
Ultimately, the best practices outlined above will assist in developing just about any HOA communication strategy, but it’s exceptionally important right now as your residents need to be continually updated about the coronavirus and its effect on the community.
How Your Association Board Can Improve Communication
FirstService Residential - Capital Improvements A Primer for Board Members
Communication is critical to the success of your community association. Is your board doing everything it can to communicate effectively with residents, including:
* Applying the right strategies to keep residents informed
* Enabling the community to stay connected by making the most of technology
* Ensuring residents’ safety with a comprehensive emergency communication plan