As COVID-19 spreads through our feeds (along with fake news ideas that Vitamin D will prevent the virus and that boiled garlic water is a cure 🤷♀️), we’ve witnessed an increased level of pandemic chatter circulating through our news, digital and social media channels. Uncertainty is having a real-world impact, and this affects the digital ecosystem where we consume and rationalise content. To help avoid any serious social media brand faux pas during this critical time, we’ve collated some of the top tips we are implementing across all of the brands with whom we partner. We hope these are useful to you and help you and your brand navigate challenging times.
1. Now is not the time to go quiet.
What are the chances that most of your customers are sitting home right now and feeling worried about a plethora of scenarios? Pretty ⬆️.One of the key things as a brand on social is to add value, and you have the opportunity to do this in a moment where all eyes are on newsfeeds. Focus on brand awareness and growing your social voice during this time, though please be wary, this has to come from a place of adding value and helping your community, not selling. Brainstorm ways that your content can cut through the noise in the most authentic way for your brand and add value to your audience. You could focus on hacks, implement engagement mechanics on posts or develop thought leadership pieces whenever possible to give your followers a chance to engage with your brand at a time where internet connection is what is bringing us all together. Think smart, and think of what you could publish in this moment that may momentarily make your communities day a little bit better, more informed, happier, and generally more awesome
2. Check the list, check your plan, check it twice.
Please (and we cannot stress this enough) check all of your content! Make sure that your content is sensitive and tells a story that is relevant to these wild times and to your audience. If you’re a planner and have content scheduled in advance (yay you!), it’s worth revisiting this every few days to ensure that what you’re posting remains sensitive to the social landscape and is purposeful, while also staying topical and relevant. Ways to action this would be to consider tweaking copy or shifting content around to suit the nature of the current climate and conversation by delivering real value, acting responsibly and doing right by your community.
3. Stay Credible.
Your fans don’t need you to implement the Harvard Reference System into your copy, but if you’re seeding out hacks or tips that directly relate to health or wellness, ensure that your content is sourced and credible. While this content is great for building trust between your brand and your fans and adding value, it also solidifies your position as a thought leader in the social space, increasing your brand affinity and keeping you top of mind over the next few months.*
*L&A 2020, Pls Stay Credible, L&A Social Media, Sydney, Australia.
4. Leverage social listening.
You should be doing this already, but taking some time out each day to monitor your community is vital during this time. Listen, and if there is an opportunity, engage and manage the community conversation. This will give you a better gauge of how your customers, employees, and community is feeling. On top of that, sift through comments to find insight on what they would like to see from you as a brand and how to address any needs and concerns they currently have. Social listening doesn’t just stop there – feel empowered by reading up on how others are responding on digital platforms. Check out a recent release from Facebook 👉 https://about.fb.
5. Be agile.
It’s a content jungle out there! News is shifting quickly and people are consuming content at the quickest rate we’ve ever seen – which means it’s also changing! A way you can remain agile is by being proactive with your content and keeping your brand front of mind. Why not leverage trends that you start to see emerge that directly relate to your business or add value and increased engagement to your socials by implementing FAQ’s for your product/service? Ultimately, remain sensitive and transparent with any internal practices or initiatives that you are implementing to show your community you are proactive in how you are responding to the current situation.
It’s an interesting time for brands and consumers alike and the one thing we can all agree on is that we’re all connected by social media right now. It’s a perfect time to use this as an opportunity to stay active and implement flexible content & fast-responses and add solid value to a currently chaotic world.
Stay social ✌️
– – – – – – – –
Kristy is a compassionate, fearless team lead, obsessed with the art of baking. With experience in fashion and interior design, she loves the ocean and will never say no to a good bowl of pasta.
