5 ways to adapt your social media strategy for COVID-19
We are certainly in uncharted territory as the country, and the world, faces the challenges wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ways in which we live and work have changed, perhaps forever, but one thing that remains constant is the need to communicate, and channels for communication have never been more varied.
Social media has become one of the most important tools for disseminating news and sharing commentary on world events; chances are your social channels are getting more attention than usual as millions of us log in to our feeds to keep up to date on the latest updates. So, with more eyes on your brand, how can you ensure that your communications are relevant and appropriate for the current time?
5 tips to ensure your brand’s social media communications are suited to the realities of the COVID-19 era:
1. Business, but not as usual: With most UK businesses now working from home, it’s inevitable that there will be changes and challenges as we seek to adapt to our new ways of working. Throughout this time, it’s important to communicate to your audience that you are still available and still actively working to support their needs. Though your working environments may be vastly different, to a large degree it must be business as usual. But if you are facing challenges, whether technological or human resourcing, be open and set expectations via regular posts on your social media channel(s) rather than going quiet and letting your followers wonder what’s going on.
2. Check the schedule: Many brands schedule posts months in advance, which can be extremely useful for organising campaigns and managing time, but once scheduled, messages can be easily forgotten. Many a company has been caught out by a poorly timed post, with content that is no longer relevant or worse, insensitive. In our industry, it’s particularly important to check which products have been scheduled for the social media spotlight, as they may have to be adapted, or exclusions applied due to the pandemic. Highlighting products that are no longer fit for purpose, or attendance at events that are no longer taking place, will go a long way to damaging customer trust.
3. Let’s get digital: From opera to exercise and everything in between, we’re seeing more and more social activities going online, enabling brands to engage with their audiences in a new, socially distant way. With many of our industry’s busiest events from Airmic to BIBA now cancelled, this is the time to explore new and innovative ways of taking your expertise online. LinkedIn has released a new ‘Events’ tool that enables events to be set up on the platform, creating digital communities who can connect with each other online in place of a “live” conference. So, if you were heading to BIBA to showcase your latest offering, a LinkedIn event might just be a great alternative for you.
4. Celebrate success: Throughout this difficult time, social media has been great at sharing small stories of compassion and kindness, examples of how the population is coming together to support each other. Through social media, businesses have an opportunity to demonstrate their humanity and highlight the good they do for their communities, whether it’s allowing staff time to volunteer for the NHS or developing new solutions to support their customers. Corporate social responsibility has long been important for brands to demonstrate commitment to their people and communities, but right now it’s more important than ever.
5. Bring the fun: This is a good time to weave some positive or fun posts in with the BAU and bring some light-hearted content to your followers. Whether it’s your team sharing a drink over Zoom at the end of a long week, a round-up of your employee’s furry new colleagues, or a team challenge designed to keep morale up, as long as it’s well-balanced and doesn’t overshadow the serious stuff, these type of posts can be a great way to boost engagement (and morale).
To find out how Full Circle and our PR+ approach can help you develop and implement your social media strategy, please contact us at info@fullcirclecomms.co.uk