How to Break Through the Noise & Build Trust with Your Audience with Arielle Patrick, Chief Communications Officer at Ariel Investments

If you had never experienced a crisis or issue as a business owner before, this past year has likely given you more practice than you could have ever wanted. That said, navigating the unexpected is an important lesson for all business owners, from Fortune 500 companies to startups and solopreneurs.

We had the opportunity to catch up with Arielle Patrick, a communications executive based in New York who has spent her career advising large corporations on how to build trust with their customers and key stakeholders, no matter what obstacles arise. Her expertise can also apply to small businesses owners who need to continue building relationships with their customers in the midst of an ongoing pandemic and throughout challenges and events.

Read on below to get her tips on how to stand out as a brand in our current landscape. She also touches on how to build a crisis management playbook in case of the unpredicted. Hint: your brand values are essential.

We are thrilled to share your expertise with our audience. Let’s start with your top communications tips for small business owners looking to reach their audiences in the midst of the shifting media landscape and ongoing pandemic.

 AP: No matter the size of your business, it’s important to know that it’s nearly impossible to cut through the noise in the media when our society has bigger problems such as the pandemic and other major national crises. I suggest that business owners think less about using the press as a conduit to tell their story, and instead prioritize reaching current and prospective clients and customers directly through digital media and thoughtful content. This allows you to connect with your customers in an authentic and accurate way, without having to rely on a journalist’s interpretation of your story. More importantly, it is much more efficient and impactful.

It’s also important to think about whether or not what you have to say is truly unique and actually adding value to your stakeholders. Generally, I see companies pitching stories that are regurgitations of what has already been said in the market. What your current and prospective customers want to know is that you have a different point of view. The more you can use your channels to create your own content and share your perspectives – the more you are able to establish yourself as a thought leader. This is what your customer wants to see: transparency and new dialogues. This builds the credibility of the brand.

If you’re a small team or solopreneur, how do you add credibility and humanity to your brand outside of yourself as the founder?

AP: I strongly recommend that companies focus on externally showcasing the people that make up their business. Highlight your employees and teammates in your content. Give them a voice. If you’re a one-woman or one-man-show, turn this concept on its head and feature your loyal customers on your social media platforms. This is a great way to represent the diversity and richness of the world that we live in. It’s important to rely on third parties to be champions of your business – whether they are employees or current customers – to tell your story on your behalf. No one cares about a founder who continues to talk about themselves. People believe in brands when they see that the people behind it -- or who buy it -- believe in it too. This is especially true for Gen Z and Gen Y. The new generation bases their purchasing decisions on the integrity of companies. They put their money in enterprises who share their core values.

In your recent feature in The New York Times, you mention that at your old job you would create playbooks for companies to have on file, and noted that companies who don’t have this in place are delusional. We’ve seen crisis after crisis over the past year. How would you advise a small business owner or small team, without a corporate budget, to prepare for an inevitable crisis or issue?

AP: Whether you are a big or small company, you need to have a crisis playbook in place for various scenarios. This will serve as your guide for how to respond to unexpected issues. The best place to start is with your core values. As a business owner, ask yourself what standards lead the work you do and help you to serve your customers. Maybe it’s putting employees first. Maybe it’s consumer privacy. No matter the crisis, your public statement in the aftermath should tap into your core values first and foremost. The worst thing you could do is Google precedents and replicate what other companies have said in similar situations. This doesn’t come across as authentic… and in many cases, those other responses weren’t handled correctly. Remember that in a crisis response there is no fluidity in what is right and wrong. How you react should be true, and reflect your corporate culture and what you believe in.

Is there anything you would advise for or against when it comes to communicating with customers via social media or newsletter during a crisis/issue?

AP: These days people expect leaders (big and small) to stand for what they believe in. This also means being honest about where you or your business have fallen short or have failed stakeholders. Gen Z and Gen Y care about corporate responsibility more than any other generation. As a business owner, you have a responsibility to make your values known to your customers. However, it’s equally crucial to be mindful of where your weak spots are. Whether you’re speaking out about diversity or sustainability, there’s nothing wrong with saying “we can do better” or “we’re working on this.” Your customers are savvy and will know if you are saying something that isn’t authentic or true to your history. If you have goals to improve – state those clearly and tell your audiences exactly what next steps you’ll be taking, over what time period, to achieve this.

You are also an angel investor and have a pulse on market trends. What trends are you most excited about?

AP: I’m most excited about B2B companies that help large corporate enterprises do better by their stakeholders. For example, I am an investor in Welnys, a woman-owned B2B company that works with huge businesses like PayPal to provide top-tier wellness solutions for their employees. There are so many B2C startup companies out there for millennials that pop up every day. Most of those will eventually fail. The real opportunity and capital for start-ups is to do business with large corporates that have the scale to make an impact. I’m excited to see more emerging B2B businesses that provide solutions to big businesses that have the resources to enact real change in corporate America and society at large.

Thank you, Arielle, for sharing your expertise with us. To read more about Arielle and her inspiring career, don’t miss her recent profile feature in The New York Times.

*Photo Credit Krista Schlueter for The New York Times