6 Proven Ways to Use Social Media during a Crisis
Social Media + Coronavirus: Everything You Need to Know
For many businesses, social distancing is a worst-case scenario. Customers may not be able to find you in person, but you should be equipped to get through it with the help of social media. You might not be able to interface customers, but you can absolutely still reach them and engage them with your brand!
It’s important to reassure customers of your presence and provide updates on how you are adapting to the situation, especially when people are isolated at home and spending even more time social networking. (There’s nothing worse than going to a restaurant’s IG page and not being able to find out if they are offering take-out or visiting your salon’s page and now knowing when they plan on re-booking appointments.) As a PR expert, let me leave with you this one tip: make it easy for your customers! I know it can be a challenge to balance social media with everything else on your plate, but I promise that it’s important — and worth it!
Don’t let the idea of social media management amid COVID-19 overwhelm you. Take some deep breaths, grab your matcha, and get ready to hit the ground running. Here are 6 proven ways to utilize social media during this pandemic.
1 Stay top of mind.
It’s important to keep your social media profiles alive at this time on all relevant platforms. When people are social distancing and self-isolating, they need to feel a sense of community and belonging. By keeping your brand active and engaging your consumers through social media, you can promote greater positivity and build stronger connections with them.
What does that look like during coronavirus? In many cases, it looks like a pivot. DJ D-Nice launched Instagram live sessions from his apartment. The result? He went from 200K to 1.9M followers in a matter of weeks. A local florist started offering virtual floral arrangement workshops - engaging with her current followers and cultivating new ones.
2 Expand beyond your typical content.
I bet D-Nice never would have thought to DJ on Instagram live before coronavirus — but it was a wildly successful social media strategy. So….what are YOU going to do differently? With more time to focus on your marketing strategy, now could be the perfect time to step outside of your comfort zone and attempt the content you’ve brainstormed about but never had the opportunity to execute.
Excite your customers and pique their interest in your brand’s new efforts! People want to be informed, inspired, and entertained during these times. This is your chance to revamp your social media content and build brand awareness.
3 Don’t ignore the elephant in the room.
At this point, everyone is on edge and wants to be reassured. Going on with life “as usual” isn’t relatable — and even comes off as relatively tone-deaf. Customers want to know that their concerns are understood and what you are doing to prevent worsening the current situation. They also want you to lighten the tone and lead with empathy.
A clothing retailer leaned into the current reality with captions like “Perfect for staring out the window” and “Because now you bake.” They also shared how many masks they’ve made and sent to the front lines.
Your content doesn’t need to be fully focused on coronavirus, but you should be transparent and inform customers of what you are doing differently during the pandemic. Are you open? Have you changed your hours? Are you supporting our community? How are you catering to customers' needs? More on that in my next tip...
4 Solve problems.
Solving problems entails interacting with your customers. Increasing customer service through multiple channels of social networking allows your brand to solve problems and build valuable relationships. People want to know that your brand is dependable during trying times.
What does that look like? A boutique can share #OOTD posts with work from home outfits. A salon can share the best hairstyles to hide grown out roots. A food blogger can share pantry-organizing hacks or family-style recipes. The list goes on! If you have any other creative ideas for business owners, be sure to share them in the comments section below.
5 Be a leader.
Remember that leaders show up even in times of hardship. You can lead through social media by encouraging the preventative measures everyone should be incorporating into their lives. Encourage quarantines and social distancing on top of your own measures to prevent spreading COVID-19. Reach out to your community and promote positive updates, news, or simply words of encouragement.
6 Clear misconceptions and alleviate concerns.
More than ever, people are dependent on social media and the internet, especially for news and updates on COVID-19. Keep this in mind when going about social media posts! Ask yourself: what do I want to instill in my community? How can I provide positivity? And if you’re sharing updates about your hours, consider making a new highlight section on IG and pinning those posts on Instagram and Twitter so that it’s easy for customers to stay informed and support you.
The world as we know it has changed — and people are in panic mode. You can use social media to bring a sense of calm and reassurance to your customers, not only to benefit your brand image but more importantly, to benefit the community. We’re all in this together!
If worrying about social media strategy now (or ever) is overwhelming for you, consider hiring a freelancer or a consultant to help take the burden off of you. If you can afford it, using an external contractor is a great way to support other small businesses and freelancers, and it will allow you to spend time focusing on other aspects of your business.
You may already have an employee managing your social media, but that isn’t their speciality. During this time of added stress, outsourcing that work to an expert makes life way easier and takes that project away from employees who could better use their time or resources in other ways to build your business. Or consider investing in an online course for them if they truly want to master social media for business.
Small businesses supporting other small businesses? There’s nothing better!
