In the past fortnight, more and more social media managers have shifted their focus to the outbreak of coronavirus in their strategy – whether it is about creating informative content to help their audience or being there in conversations so as to help them cope up in this phase of isolation across the globe.
When it comes to tackling online conversations and keeping up the brand image during crises such as COVID, it is important to adjust the communication approach and bend your goals.
According to a recent update, Facebook reported a 70% increase in traffic related to COVID-19 on 24th March 2020. And most of this traffic wasn’t scrolling through the News Feed or posting photos but Facebook’s messaging apps.
With things rapidly changing worldwide, offline and online; here are a few things you must look at:
Social Listening – more important that it has ever been
Have you set up tools to understand what your audience is talking about or are you relying on your manual search skills? Whichever it may be, it is important to listen. Once you know what the audience is talking, you can implement that learning in shifting your focus and re-strategising your social media content.
According to IZEA, 66% of social media users believe their social media usage habit will increase in the event they are confined to their home due to the Coronavirus.
Review your Scheduled content
Plan your content way ahead of time? You might want to relook at what you had scheduled for the upcoming days. Review your content. Make sure they are appropriate to post in light of this pandemic. Often there is a fine line between being funny and bringing the right humour. Does your content engage the audience now that everyone is at home? Is your content scheduled for the correct hour of the day?
Pause content related to:
- An event
- Ads leading to sale of non-essential services and products
- In-store traffic
- Content that shows gathering
Consider Live Streaming – only if it IS for your brand
In the wake of COVID, live streaming has once again become a favorite of many brands to spread the word out – be it regular updates about the spread of pandemic or staying connected with the audience via lateral content – keeping them company in quarantine with content they like to consume.
But, don’t go overboard with it.
Several influencers and brands are currently going live on their profiles; whether it is to share a recipe they tried or simply to talk how they are spending their day indoors under lockdown. There is a huge pool of content being generated by several accounts on a daily basis – but is there an audience for that?
Ask yourself. Is it for your brand? If yes, how can you be different? If no, move on to doing something which your audience relates to you the most.
According to a research reported by TechCrunch, Facebook has seen a surge of 37% in usage between March 14-24.
Be empathetic
Last but not the least, it is important to remain transparent and be your real self during a crisis. If you are a brand that responds to your audience sympathetically, they will be able to resonate with them even after the crisis is over. It is the key to retaining loyalty and trust.
Don’t capitalize on the crisis, avoid bragging and mind your tone.
While we are not sure how long will all this go on for, it is important to remain vigilant and be a helpful resource.