8 Tips to Nail Your Social Media Posts During Covid-19
The Covid-19 virus is not just infecting health but also our social lifestyle and things are not going according to plan. So we have decided to cover some tips that will help your business have a great impact on social media in this pandemic.
Life right now feels like it has landed on to the sets of Jumanji. Something microscopic emerged in one part of the world, and suddenly, the world came to a screeching halt.
Unreal times we are facing!
When we talk about Covid-19, our conversations no longer only surrounds health and hygiene. Its impact on the economy is also massive. Many businesses are either struggling or totally out of work these days.
The founder of Stella & Dot, Jessica Herrin, rightly said, “You must see failure as the beginning or middle, but never as an end!”
A few days back, my friend who owns an antique jewelry store called me. She was distressed about the fact that it would take her months or even years to cope with the loss.
I calmed her and gave her some advice on how she can manage to recover some losses during the pandemic. My advice to her was to shift all her focus on her social media presence.
I explained how, as an expert on antiques, she could offer so much valuable information and aesthetically appealing visuals to the netizens regarding jewels and heirlooms.
Social Media; The Silver Lining for Brands in the Time of a Pandemic
Your brick and mortar store may be shut down till God knows when. Still, you can continue your business online via social platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, and even Whatsapp.
According to a survey by Kantar, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram saw more than a 40% increase in usage since the Covid-19 outbreak.
Unless you are selling essentials like food, clothing, cleaning supplies, it is given that your business will be negatively affected by the Covid-19.
However, instead of feeling hopeless, you need to up your social media game to stay in the race. You may not get the usual sales, but providing value to the customers with a sensitive and thoughtful approach will surely increase your brand value.
They are spending a lot of their time these days scrolling social media, so take advantage of that!
Read the following tips to find out how you can design social media posts that are appropriate in the current situation and also help you carry out your business.
Ensure the Content is to the Point and Easy to Read
First of all, begin with a clear-headed approach to what the mindset of your audience is.
To an extent, we all are perplexed, panicked, uncertain, and on the lookout for some reassurance. No one is in the mood to read jargon, and highly complicated philosophy, especially while they are scrolling social apps for fun.
Whatever you post, keep it light and engaging. That kind of content will help your audience during these uncertain times. Do not speak about any controversy or a trendy topic, nor shame the public on their response to social distancing.
Keep your posts related to your business. Add a simplistic tone to your words, and don’t make the audience put in a lot of thinking.
Engage Followers with Interactive Polls and Questions
Remember, until you are back in action, your marketing strategy should be redirected from being promotional to the purpose of retaining customers.
Use your social media platforms to engage with your audience. Create polls and ask them fun questions about how they are living their lives being cooped up at home or what fun activity they have indulged in during the lockdown.
You can get a lot of engagements with these interactive polls and questions.
Do Live Videos as Frequently as Possible
Ever since the live videos started on Facebook and Instagram, they became immensely popular among users.
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Live videos are so much better to get candid with your followers and show them valuable content. For both these reasons, live sessions are increasingly being used by businesses as a part of their social media strategy.
An example of live video strategy is Sabra, a food and beverage company that is collaborating with various chefs on Instagram. They regularly do Instagram live on their channel to teach fun recipes as a part of their “Hummus at home” initiative.
Post in Series Advising on the Current Situation
According to a survey by Kantar, 77% of the participants want the brand to tell how they can be helpful in this new scenario, while 70% wished to hear a reassuring tone from brands on social media.
The above responses lead us to realize how important it is to post about how we all are distressed by the pandemic, and what measures should be taken to combat the virus.
So, what can be a better way to project yourself as a caring brand than to give people an idea about the employee safety measures you have implemented at your workplace?
Post about whether your company is following the work from home strategy, or following SOPs laid out by health authorities.
Other than that, give your viewers tips and advice on staying safe and healthy. Make them feel at ease by writing captions in a very consoling tone.
Reach Out to the Right Influencers
There are several content creators and celebrities who can bring a lot of audience and sales to your business if you plan out a wise influencer marketing strategy.
According to Mediakix, influencer marketing has soared to become a $5-10 billion industry over the last five years. Influencers are people with a high social media following. Their posts get immense traction and engagements, and their followers trust them.
You, as a brand, can use this following, engagements, and trust for marketing your service or product. Connect with the right influencer in your niche, and see the positive impact it can bring.
Recently, Nike’s “The living room cup” campaign, which they did in collaboration with Christiano Ronaldo, became very popular. It was a fitness challenge which people could do by doing the maximum number of the core crusher exercise while being at home.
Post Content that Reduces the Pain Points of Customers
As the pandemic is unfolding, customers are facing numerous hindrances. They are locked in their homes. Not being able to meet their relatives or go out shopping has made them apprehensive.
What you can do as a brand, is to post valuable content that provides them with a solution to this problem.
For instance, if you run an online leather jacket store, you can post a video tutorial on how people can take their measurements at home to buy a well-fitting jacket. Perhaps, you can post it on your YouTube channel and Facebook page as well.
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In normal circumstances, your customers would have gone to a store, checked out numerous jackets for size and fitting, and then buy one. However, they can’t do that in the lockdown. So your video tutorial could help them order the right size of jacket online.
Even if you are running a small baking page on Instagram, you can share a lot of tips on baking and review baking essentials. Or a hair salon can post videos on how to do a DIY haircut at home.
These kinds of posts will add value to the life of your targeted audience.
Use Relevant Hashtags on all Your Posts
Hashtags do wonders in terms of broader reach, targeting ideal clients, and increasing followers. Understanding and using them appropriately will give an edge to your social media strategy.
If you use situational hashtags like #stayhomestaysafe, #safehands, #quarantineandchill, or #mypandemicsurvivalplan to your relevant posts, it will draw the audience that is specifically looking for the applicable content.
It will establish you as a brand that cares for what is going on all over the world and is taking part to make it better.
Avoid Sharing Critical News
One fact is that most news sources nowadays are not credible. The other reality is that not many people rely on social media platforms for trustworthy news. So why take the risk?
The coronavirus is a highly sensitive issue, and we still don’t know much about this novel virus. Fake news circulating about the matter is even more widespread than the virus itself.
Therefore, sharing any kind of news that may not be correct can land you unwanted backlash and controversy. Instead, you can share a post to encourage your followers to do the same and avoid sharing any fake news.
Parting Thoughts
If your brand was not active on social platforms before the pandemic, now is the time to hop on the bandwagon. Create a strategy regarding what to post using the tips mentioned in the blog.
In this way, you can not only increase your brand value but can also be a source of positivity in the lives of your distressed customers.