The S&P downgrade and ongoing volatility in the markets has left investors feeling anxious and looking for answers. The following are a few best practice recommendations that can help financial service firms improve their market crisis communications with prospective investors and clients:
Get out in front of the crisis – It is important to respond quickly and provide messaging that not only addresses general market fears but also serves to educate investors about the situation at hand.
Post informative homepage imagery – Colorful promotional imagery is an effective way to transmit brief messages and link to additional online resources. To maximize visibility, images should be placed in a prominent location on the homepage, the most easily accessible and heavily trafficked portion of the website.
Incorporate videos and FAQs into your strategy – Although articles and commentary are informative, they tend to be dull reads and, in some cases, difficult for novice investors to understand. Communicating via engaging videos and straightforward, succinct FAQ pages helps to maintain an investor’s attention and reach a broader audience.
Prepare your advisors and customer service representatives – When a financial crisis hits, many investors will require more than online messaging to quell their fears. It is important that client‐facing individuals such as advisors and customer service representatives have the knowledge and understanding to effectively discuss matters with anxious clients. Arming advisors and reps with literature and other educational resources will help them to better meet customer needs.
The S&P downgrade and ongoing volatility in the markets has left investors feeling anxious and looking for answers. The following are a few best practice recommendations that can help financial service firms improve their market crisis communications with prospective investors and clients: