Social Media During a Pandemic

The pandemic has changed the way we work and communicate with one another. Some industries have been working from home, others are deemed essential, and everyone is spending more time on social media. Add on nationwide protests and constant coronavirus updates and we are more tethered to our screens than ever before. Engaging with your audience is critical during these unprecedented times.

YES, YOUR AUDIENCE IS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

An average of 80% of people follow at least one business on Instagram, and 60% discover new products while scrolling through the platform. On Facebook, one-third of users engage with brands regularly. Because of this, at least 80% of business owners just like you are using platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for marketing and building communities.

LISTEN AND RESPOND TO YOUR AUDIENCE

Before you post to social media, it’s vital to understand your audience’s needs and focus on sharing relevant content. Right now, your customers are dealing with a health crisis, an unstable economy, racial injustice, and protests. Your messaging should confirm that your business is listening, taking action, while validating your customer’s experience. Building empathy, community, and trust should be a top priority. Social listening provides a better view of what your audience is talking about and what kind of information they need from you. Research and monitor the hashtags and keywords your customers are using on each platform and create corresponding content. If your online audience is attending protests, you might consider posting helpful content that illustrates how they can stay safe while marching. Or, share links on how to support Black-owned businesses. If your company makes a charitable donation, share this information on your platform, and encourage audience members to contribute as well. Another example, if your company has moved its business online as opposed to the office, be sure to let your audience know how they can best reach you and mitigate stress caused by the transition. Likewise, if your company is bringing employees back to the office, let your audience know how you are ensuring everyone’s safety by sharing your return-to-work best practices on social media.

WE ARE LIVING IN A SOCIAL MEDIA-CENTRIC ERA

We wake up to buzzing notifications and go to bed thinking about what we’ll post tomorrow.

  Social media is a game, and everyone is playing. 

If you’re looking to grow your business, build an online community, or survive in the marketplace, your marketing assets should extend across multiple social media platforms. It all goes back to connecting with your target audience where they are—and these days, that’s online.

YOU CAN IMPLEMENT SOCIAL MEDIA INTO YOUR BUSINESS STRATEGY WITH LITTLE COST AND EXPERIENCE HIGH RETURNS

Business-to-business marketing requires a lengthy, complicated process to convert prospects into customers, and many with this business model tend to avoid social media altogether. Yet, social networking is a great tool to build relationships and generate new leads, find influencers, measure competition, and help analyze ROI. LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook are the leading platforms for B2B social networking, where URLs can be embedded, and formal content is standard. Social media not only helps to boost your marketing strategy, but it can also give you an edge against competitors who steer clear of it.

If you have a business-to-consumer model, social media marketing can increase your reach in just a day if you’re lucky enough to have a post go viral. But even without viral posts, having an established brand across social platforms is crucial for exposure. By investing in Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, you can reach new audiences and potential customers. These platforms revolve around visually appealing content with informal, fun, trendy messages—which is excellent news for marketers who push material out every day. Using this repetition to build brand recognition is cost-effective as well. In contrast to running a traditional marketing campaign, social media is free to use, always available, and has inexpensive advertising costs. Another significant benefit is the ease of engagement with audiences. By creating content they want to see and receiving emotionally-charged responses, you can form a relationship. After all, consumers are more receptive to businesses who engage with them, and that show authenticity. If they see real people behind the scenes, you and your product can be trusted.

ENGAGE WITH YOUR PARTNERS AND EMPLOYEES

As you begin to incorporate this online medium into your marketing plan, you can make the process smoother by leveraging the power of employee engagement. Your sales may not take off at first, and quality content takes time to develop. Your enormous social media following can’t be achieved in a single day. Give your team of employees a toolkit or general directions to follow your business page, share posts, and always “like” posted content. If you have any partner companies, it doesn’t hurt to ask them to share content as well. This partnership requires very little time or sacrifice from anyone involved, and brand advocates will help lessen the heavy lifting as you begin your social media marketing quest.

HOW IS YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY PROGRESSING?

If you’re struggling to adapt to the online market, can’t seem to gain traction or get the results you want, or if you don’t know how to incorporate social media into your business plan, check out our strategic marketing services. We’re here to help drive your marketing, business development, and strategic initiatives while supporting you every step of the way.