There are very few things I hate more than emails but meetings are one of them.

I know we all need to have the occasional meeting to discuss project specifics or brainstorm new ideas — and this really isn’t an issue.

The problem arises when you’re constantly being pulled into countless (and pointless) meetings, where everyone sits around talking about doing stuff but nothing of substance gets agreed or there are no real action points follow.

With this in mind, I’ve put together a few pointers that should hopefully make your meetings more productive, even without your co-workers knowing.

Take meeting notes

Have pen and paper to hand, take notes, but don’t waste your time doodling.

Summarize key points being shared and also write down actions points for yourself.

If you want to go one step further and you’re working remotely, get yourself a whiteboard .

Think of your whiteboard as your safe space — quite literally a blank canvas — where you can jot down your own agenda, ideas, thoughts, and concerns.

My advice would be to write down everything you need to get off your chest once the meeting is called and then use your whiteboard to take notes and write down thoughts as the meeting progresses.

Having a visual representation of your agenda, your talking points, your views, and action points will help you focus during the meeting and should make your thought process a lot smoother so you won’t feel like you’re wasting your time.

Your time is yours

Do you do your best work in the morning or are you considerably more productive at the end of the day?

There’s really no right or wrong answer but it’s important to think about how meetings can impact your workflow and if possible try and make them work around your schedule.

Be open with your team and who knows you may even be surprised by how many people think the same way you do.

If you want to go the extra mile, block out chunks of time in your shared calendar so that colleagues know not to book meetings during those times.

You could even block out specific days so that you only have meetings on the same day or days every week.

Become a problem solver

When a meeting is suggested, assess the need for it.

Think about the issue at hand, what the causes are, what the potential solutions look like, and what key stakeholders should be involved in this process.

Is it actually necessary to set aside a set amount of time to discuss this or could a discussion on Slack or email ultimately resolve the issue?

Be prepared

There’s nothing more frustrating than going into a meeting and realizing that no one’s done the legwork — so don’t be one of those people.

The person who calls the meeting should prepare an agenda — if there isn’t one, ask for one.

Gather your thoughts and think about what key issues you’d like addressed and how.

You can — and should — multitask

My next point is perhaps a little controversial, but I’m a big advocate of doing work in the background while the meeting goes on, if that’s at all possible.

Say you’re joining a weekly team meeting that usually lasts an hour and you have to sit through everyone’s status updates. By all means listen, but also use your time wisely if you’re working remotely and if you can, type away in the background.

You’d be surprised how many emails you can get through or how many proposals you can write while also still listening to what your colleagues are saying and actually taking it in (and it’s sure as hell a lot better than mindlessly scrolling through social media). Just make sure you mute yourself and turn your camera off so as to avoid distracting others.

This isn’t about being dismissive or inconsiderate of others’ time — if anything, it should mean you can actively participate in discussions without losing steam on your other tasks and projects.

Move around

If you work from home you already have a huge advantage over your peers working in offices as you’re not restricted to a desk, or a room.

So, why not join a meeting from your garden (if you have one?) or tune in from your sofa?

You can literally use the excuse of the meeting to move around your household and break up the monotony of your day.

You will, of course, have to make sure that your internet connection and sound don’t suffer as a consequence.

Realistically, meetings aren’t likely to go away any time soon and as annoying as they can be it really is in your power (and interest) to make them work for you.

How do you keep meetings on track? What mistakes should others avoid? Share your expertise and insights with our readers .

What a loyal customer really wants (hint: it’s not discounts)

It used to be that the number one way for brands to garner customer loyalty was with discount codes and special offers. Generally speaking, the more customers spent at a retailer or e-commerce brand, the more rewards they could get.

While rewards programs that offer perks such as free items or cash back can be effective, it seems that almost every retailer has adopted this type of loyalty program in one form or another. This means that these loyalty programs start to blur together in the eyes of the customer.

Today’s consumers expect more from brands. Rather than trying to be everything to everybody, they expect brands to build an identity that appeals to the specific values and interests of niche groups.

When it comes to rewards programs, the most successful brands aren’t just offering discounts and coupons, they are also offering experiential rewards that create a sense of community amongst customers.

Why you can’t buy today’s customers

Using discounts and special offers to build a loyal customer base can be a double-edged sword for brands. While such programs can encourage repeat purchases and increase the lifetime value per customer, they can also result in unexpected setbacks.

According to research by Thomas S. Robertson and Paula Courtney of the University of Pennsylvania and WisePlum:

A poor service experience cannot be compensated for with a discount or coupon. Loyalty program members have high expectations, which can make any disruptions or setbacks more frustrating than they would otherwise be.

Customers that are just sticking with you for the discounts aren’t loyal customers, they’re repeat customers. The difference is that loyal customers won’t ditch your brand after an inevitable delay or check-out glitch occurs.

By definition, loyalty is about having a non-transactional allegiance with a person or cause. But just how can you build that kind of true customer loyalty?

Develop a strong brand identity

Many of today’s most successful companies seek to create a sense of community around their brand. But to do this, you need to define ‘who’ your brand is. Rather than looking at your brand like a thing, treat it like a character in a novel.

Just like each person has multiple aspects of their personalities, brands will often draw from two or three archetypes to define their unique identity. In marketing, there are 12 brand archetypes : Innocent, Sage, Explorer, Outlaw, Magician, Hero, Lover, Jester, Everyman, Caregiver, Ruler, and Creator.

For example, the Sage archetype is linked with having an understanding of the world and a desire to share knowledge with others. As such, this archetype is often used by news outlets, universities and even Google. Alternatively, the Outlaw archetype is viewed as an agent of change that isn’t afraid to break free of conventions or fight authority — think brands like Virgin or Harley-Davidson.

When building a strong brand identity, companies should look at themselves — and their target audience — in view of these archetypes. Determining where they fit in is key to forming an appealing persona that will guide the brand voice and other elements that help foster a sense of community.

Put it into practice

Once you’ve developed a strong brand identity, you need to use it to personalize each aspect of your customer journey, from the way you market your brand to the way you handle shipping and returns.

One key way you can express your brand identity is through the type of rewards program you put in place. Instead of offering your regular customers a coupon for 20% off their next purchase, offer them a unique experience based on your brand persona.

According to no-code embedded finance tool, Hydrogen, unlike transactional rewards, experiential rewards can be, “exclusive access to events or products, personalized items, or special outings.”

With multiple control criteria, Hydrogen allows businesses to create rewards programs that go beyond simple discounts, allowing program members to use their reward points toward activities as diverse as attending their favorite band’s concert to winning a once in a lifetime travel experience.

For example, if you’re an athleisure brand, rather than offering a summer discount, why not offer free sessions at a local yoga studio? Restaurant owners could give loyal customers the opportunity to try a new menu item before it gets placed on the public menu. A travel company could offer a giveaway to a customer’s dream destination.

The point is to think about your brand identity and values. What type of reward would fit your brand’s character, and in turn your target customers?

Experiences are far more memorable — and more valued — than a discount. In fact, research from Eventbrite found that among millennials, 78% say they would rather spend their money on experiences than products. Experiences feel more personal, and presenting multiple reward options that customers can choose from will help them feel empowered by the loyalty program.

Perhaps most importantly, experiential rewards are inherently social and shareable. When customers are given the opportunity to attend an exclusive product launch, they’re going to share that experience online with friends and family — something that can help attract new customers. Interacting with other like-minded rewards members can further strengthen a sense of community around the brand. Positive experiences associated with the brand make it an integrated part of their lives, encouraging lasting loyalty.

Experiential rewards can create this same sense of community among your like-minded customer base. As you come to better understand the values and interests of your target audience, you can reward them with meaningful experiences that will be far more memorable than just another discount.

PR and marketing tips for companies in the COVID-19 era

The coronavirus has transformed the way we live, love, work, and do business. The way you conduct your public relations both externally and internally as a company during this time is vitally important for your reputation. As a respectable brand you can’t just continue business as usual.

We’re living in a pandemic and everything you ever did before should be handled differently now, including your PR and marketing efforts. Brands are made up of human beings, and as such, we must act responsibly and compassionately. So here are a few basic tips to guide you in how you should handle your PR and marketing efforts during this time of crisis.

Utilize your social media and blog presence more than ever

Locked up at home, people are unsurprisingly glued to their computers and smartphones more than ever. Not only that, but they’re feeling alone, uncertain, and scared. This is why it’s so important to engage continuously with your customers via social media and other online channels, while also making sure that you cater to their needs rather than your own.

This means avoiding the posting of product features or funding news, which many people will probably not be receptive to right now. Instead, use your social media and blogs to address what’s happening in the world and think of what knowledge or expertise you have as an organization that could be helpful for your audience at this unprecedented moment in history. For example, if you’re a medical startup, share advice with your audience on how they can stay fit and healthy. If you’re a payment platform, share information on how people can save money during the coronavirus pandemic, and so on.

Likewise, it’s also important to publicly address all relevant and ongoing issues you may be facing as a brand because of the coronavirus outbreak. So if you’ve had to layoff people, cancel orders, or whatever it may be, address such news honestly and openly. Customers will trust and respect you more for it, and they’ll be more willing to engage with whatever COVID-19-related content or advice you want to share with them.

Adapt your announcements

As a smart PR person, you should look at the news you have coming up in the pipeline and see how you can adapt your announcements to be more in tune with the issues and needs created by the coronavirus outbreak. The type of announcements you deliver as a brand across your various channels need to be sympathetic, compassionate, and sensitive to how people may be feeling during this difficult period. In many cases, they also need to be seen to be helping with the coronavirus effort , such as with Nike’s “Play inside, play for the world” ads and Coca Cola’s “Staying apart is the best way to stay united” billboards.

Another effective adaptation strategy involves discounts and special offers on relevant products or services. Many people are obviously feeling the pinch financially at the moment, but if they see a brand willing to help them out with access to products that can help them during a lockdown, they may end up feeling greater loyalty towards it.

Focus on thought leadership

A global pandemic obviously isn’t the best time for conventional PR and marketing, or for product launches. So without the usual press releases or announcements, one of the best and most effective ways you can stay in the public eye is by focusing on thought leadership.

Regardless of whether this is on your own blog or as a guest on a news website, well-researched and well-written thought leadership pieces serve to get your brand out there, even when you may not actually have anything new at that moment to sell. And now is the time to be writing thought leadership pieces, because with most of the developed world locked down at home, there’s a greater appetite for insightful articles and content that can help illuminate how we move forward from this challenging period.

Even in normal times, thought leadership is effective. According to Survey Monkey’s 2020 thought leadership report , 66% of marketers consider thought leadership a “top priority” for their PR, with 71% reporting that it has resulted in an increase in web traffic, 62% reporting an increase in lead generations, and 56% reporting more media mentions. As such, it will pay to invest the downtime ushered in by the coronavirus outbreak in thought leadership. Because if it’s done well, it can provide you with much more interest and business down the line.

Change your messaging

Now that the coronavirus has changed the world, it’s vital that you change your messaging. Whenever communicating externally, think carefully about the words and language you’re using, regardless of whether you’re writing on LinkedIn, in a newsletter, on Twitter, in a press release, or on a blog. People are panicking about their jobs, their kids, their parents, and their own health. So irrespective of your own feelings, your messaging needs to be tailored to such concerns.

In practice, this means acknowledging what people are feeling. For example, despite being one of the few companies to perform better due to the coronavirus pandemic, Netflix opened its recent letter to shareholders with the paragraph, “In our 20+ year history, we have never seen a future more uncertain or unsettling …  What’s clear is the escalating human cost in terms of lost lives and lost jobs, with tens of millions of people now out of work.”

The rest of Netflix’s letter continued to talk at an unusually human level for what is essentially a financial statement. The company realizes that the eyes of the world are turned towards it, so it adapted its messaging to resonate with the prevailing mood. This is what you’ll have to do in your own messaging, regardless of the format or the level at which you’re communicating.

Send a letter from your CEO to clients

While the coronavirus may get in the way of conventional advertising, one way of preserving further connection with your clients is for your CEO to write a letter to them. Not only will this serve to maintain contact with your customers, but at a time of global crisis, it will provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of your clients’ needs, experiences, and expectations. It will also allow your company to show what it’s doing or will be doing to help people during this period.

Even if you can’t directly help your clients manage the ongoing crisis, writing such a letter will assist in its own way. On the one hand, it will be a comfort to your customers, letting them know that they aren’t alone. On the other, it will show them that you’re not simply a company or a brand, but rather a part of their community, confronting many of the same experiences and problems that they do.

And aside from simply writing a letter to your customers, you can make this letter an open one. This is something that companies such as Tide and Syngenta have already done, posting open letters on their websites for existing and also potential customers to see.

Help the community

When much of th e world needs help, the best way to make a name for yourself is to help people. Yes, there may be a reduced appetite for your products at this moment in time, but there has been an explosion in the demand for aid and assistance. So now’s the time to take the opportunity to help your community in whatever way you can as a company.

While such help will vary depending on the kind of business, it might involve sharing some of your profit with charities or organizations that are on the frontline of helping fight the coronavirus and its wider effects. Or it might involve starting your own campaign or initiative to tackle some aspect of the coronavirus pandemic.

For example, Unilever donated £50 million (about €56.9 million) in late March to a £100 million campaign to get people to wash their hands and disinfect surfaces more regularly. Similarly, L’Oréal, Reckitt Benckiser, and Essity were three of several brands to join  the “Shop Responsibly” campaign in the UK, which urged people to shop more conscientiously during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is the kind of thing your company could be doing instead of conventional PR and marketing. Even if it’s on a smaller scale, contributing in some way to efforts lessening the impact of the coronavirus will succeed in creating positive associations for your brand. It may not be financially rewarding in the short term, but will likely pay off in the post-COVID future.

Planning for a post-COVID future

Ultimately, it’s the post-COVID future you should keep in mind when updating your PR and marketing plans. Sooner or later, the coronavirus pandemic will end, therefore you need to think how the extra time you have now can be best spent. Reevaluate your objectives and strategies, outline what you want to achieve once the crisis is over. This is the best time for planning. In this manner, you’ll be more likely to hit the ground running when everything returns to relative normality.

And yes, while the coronavirus pandemic is likely to hit most businesses negatively, the best way to adapt your PR and marketing strategy is to view it as an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to connect with your clients and the public in new uncharted ways, to prove that you’re more than just a company. Use this period to show a different, more humane side of your brand’s personality, because we are all going to need to rebuild together and now is the perfect time to start.