How to Use Social Media to Promote Your Business Post COVID 19

Due to the onset of the global pandemic, our daily routines got affected overnight. Most of our work lives shifted to online mode. In this time of social distancing, more and more working professionals from all genres are seeking information from online content, rendering social media as one of the most important tools for connection and communication. While operating business from a distance, staying connected is of foremost importance, to stay virtually in touch with the clients, and your audience.

The coronavirus outbreak has resulted in an increase of almost 40% of media consumption on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

While navigating social media during this Global pandemic, the most popular circulating question is, “What should we post on social media right now?”

With so much uncertainty during the world-wide crisis, consumers are looking for more answers than ever. They are looking for relevant and helpful answers from trustworthy brands. Hence, now brands should build trust by creating content to meet the answers to their consumer's questions. 

Start conversations to get conversion later

Your followers and the target audience are spending more time on social media now. Hence, it is a golden opportunity for you to build relationships with your customers and induce brand trust among them. You have to accept the fact that now consumers have limited their expenses only to essentials. Therefore, if your brand does not deal with essential items, then expecting steady conversion is unfair. Rather start conversations with them in the Inbox and make connections. In social isolation, people are craving for human interaction.

Acknowledge the crisis and adjust your social media calendar accordingly

An ignorant tone in your social media posts and pretensions of ‘All is well’ will sound inauthentic. Let your followers know that your brand is also acknowledging the new normal. Many businesses have already planned the Social media calendar for 2020 and started canceling and revamping their strategies once the Coronavirus hit the industries.

Many Gyms that typically promoted sign-ups for their gym memberships on social media have changed their strategy and now they are focusing more on free offers on daily workout tips for their online followers. During this ongoing crisis, these promotional posts help build trust among their present and future Gym members.

Many business owners are playing safe by simply stating their concern about their employees and they are promoting the sales on social sites to help their employees keep their jobs.

The epic rise of video and live-streaming

Multimedia content tends to generate more public interest and get relevant traffic in the forms of more views, likes, and shares than other forms of content. Even 80% of the online shoppers rely upon videos to research about a product before placing them in the cart. Hence, if you want to engage with your audience and get into their heads, you cannot ignore incorporating more videos in your social media marketing strategy. Depending on your niche, a short 2 minutes DIY-style video may work as a trump card to connect with your target audience.

“This is not the season to be quiet; this is a season to communicate”- Jenna Kutcher, an Instagram expert.

In self-isolation, many individuals in the United States and Europe are seeking home entertainment that results in the increased popularity of video streaming. Instagram and Facebook live use has doubled up in the pandemic. You can also try out the live-streaming trend by going live on Facebook and Instagram.  For instance, you can hold a live Q&A session for real-time interaction with your customers. 

A physician from the New York Emergency room reached out to a Facebook group of 20,000 colleagues asking advice on how to tackle the COVID-19 outbreak.

In another instance, the social media team of An American multinational manufacturer and marketer of branded consumer foods is using a live video session to interview their vice president of consumer insights on consumer behavior in this outbreak.

One of the world’s largest Pizza chains took this live video streaming to another height when they organized a recruitment session,' We're Hiring' on Zoom. Their franchises were urging people who lost their job due to worldwide lockdown, to apply for work with the chain. Their advertisement team uses all these Zoom footage in creating a legit commercial to prove to the consumers that they are always there for them in the crisis.

Influential User Generated Content (UGC)

According to a recent survey, around 84% of consumers think user-generated content is more convincing than brand content. 

The buyers always check the reviews posted by the users before buying any product. When an unpaid contributor creates, promotes, and shares the brand’s content like website pages, images, corporate blogs, testimonials, and social media posts, then we can label the content as UGC.  

For example, a famous online furniture store has started an Instagram UGC campaign where the customers post their home setups which they have bought online from them using their brand hashtags. That furniture store reposted those UGC attaching a link so that users can buy those same items showcased in a real customer’s home.

Show compassion in your promotional post

Social media marketing always needs to align with current affairs and global scenarios. As COVID 19 is turning everyone’s life topsy-turvy in different ways, remember to show compassion and empathy to your followers.

So, the question is, “How to communicate empathy as well as promote your business in this sensitive time?

Do not mention the pandemic explicitly in all your posts. That would be very depressing. Rather, consider the tone in the caption and the content you are sharing in social media.

A famous fashion brand is uploading photos of their products with matching masks to integrate the ongoing situation. They post it with a caption that reflects both fashion and safety. Online retail stores, which stick to the captions like “Don’t miss out”, and “Grab the last chance”, are now skipping hackneyed captions of their last day sale or end of season sale. They now share more important information (discount codes) and messages (stay-at-home essentials) while promoting their products.

Spread a sense of hope in your social posts & Support the community

United we stand to defeat the vulnerable condition! Come together to extend your support to the front line workers and the daily bread earners. Post some motivational content for them whose contribution is indispensable to control the pandemic.

Earlier this month, a renowned soft drink company devoted its entire twitter feed to the needy.  They decided to conduct promotional activities and highlight the non-profit partners in their Twitter feed.

The need of the customers is constantly evolving. Only zeroing on innovative & creative content for social media posts will not help always to get connected with your audience. Social media marketing must meet both ends like revamping content creation to boost online businesses as well as meeting your target customer’s requirements with distributing effective and engaging content. You need to identify what motivates your customers to promote your brand’s content and how you can convince and engage with them to post user-generated content.

What are the other social media marketing trends you follow during  COVID 19 pandemic? Share your views with the Sun Dew Solutions team. If you are looking for a more comprehensive social media marketing strategy customized to your specific need, feel free to

Email us or talk to us at +91-98367-81929. 

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