We can be distant but still social – staying connected is now more important than ever!
Due to Covid-19 situation, social media has seen an increase of almost 50% in engagement, with views for Instagram Live and Facebook Live doubling in only seven days. Just because people are more present than ever, doesn't mean that you should overwhelm them with your products and services. Use this time to take your business to the next level, deepen your relationship with the audience and increase brand affinity. No one is an expert in marketing business during a global pandemic – #weareallinthistogether.
Here are some tips on how to behave on social media during crisis:
Don't ignore the situation – listen, learn, acknowledge
Communication nowadays should surpass plain facts and figures. You need to be sensitive to people’s fears and worries on a human, emotional level. Add the context and make your brand more 'humane' in the eyes of the community.
Be present and keep posting
Everyone is struggling to market or sell products or services right now, focus on sharing content that aligns with your brand values instead. Write longer captions and provide more context. And don't forget to actively communicate with your audience. Ask questions, respond to theirs and strengthen your connections!
Put yourself in other's shoes, relate and understand
Be aware that some of your followers might be sick, some have lost their jobs, others are caring for a family member or juggling between working efficiently from home and being good parents. Not everyone is in a position to spend money right now, but people are still conscious that supporting others means plenty more can keep their jobs. When offering your products, make sure to express yourself in a tone of voice that suits the situation. Instead of a hard sell, show how it can help, improve or simply light up one's life during this crisis.
Educate and provide value
With people having extra time in their days and being able to gain access to knowledge, and even learn some proper skills, through a few clicks on their phones, tablets, and computers, the role of the educator is being redefined. Turn your channel into a valuable resource for your followers. Instead of driving traffic, focus on engagement. Create engaging videos, carousel posts, or microblog posts in captions – instead of the usual swipe ups or links in bio.
Grow your brand or ask for help
If your business is in a strong position and you're not going to break the bank any time soon, this is the time to create content that will raise awareness. Set up efficient workflows, simplify your processes, invest in growing your brand, start new social channels or upgrade the existing ones, run a praiseworthy influencer campaign. Sitting down and scheduling a week’s worth of content at once will allow you to spend more time actually running your business. Now is the time to work on polishing your product, so you can save time and money once everything goes back to 'normal'. If you are not as lucky, don't be afraid to use social media to ask for help. Share your struggles, be honest and people will notice. Think outside the box and see how you can approach your marketing from another perspective. Ask questions, collect opinions and see where you can find new values.
If you remember to ask yourself 'How can I make a difference?' daily, when posting on social media, placing ads, signing/closing collaborations and working on the future marketing strategy, you will be ahead of the game.