In this time of great and unpredictable change across all aspects of our lives, communicating in the right way is essential. The figures are already showing that isolation and social-distancing has driven an increase in social media usage. Unsurprisingly, online connectivity has become even more crucial during this time of decreased ‘real world’ connectivity.
However, it is by no means business as usual. Pre-planned content may have to be scrapped as it suddenly is irrelevant or just doesn’t strike the right tone. As a brand, you will need to be agile and adjust your Social Media strategy to meet the new status quo.
Here are some quick-fire recommendations on how you can make it work and remain relevant and useful to your community:
Quality, Not Quantity – people will be spending a lot more time on their phones than normal, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they want to see more posts from you. This is a time for quality, not quantity.. Longer-form content may suddenly be more relevant as consumers find themselves with more time on their hands. Make sure each post is super relevant to your audience: this could be tips on working from home, kitchen ‘how to’ videos for those who are using the time to upskill, or simply how self-care while in isolation. The golden rule is to ensure the content is something your audience can take away with them, and remember where they heard it!
Be Sensitive – in a similar vein, posts cannot be gratuitous. The worst thing you can do as a brand is appear to be taking advantage of, or being insensitive to, the situation. If you’re talking about your business operationally, be it staff welfare, supply chain or additional safety measures, it’s important to understand your customers are looking for reassurance that your brand is acting responsibly and that they can still buy from you safely. Make sure you give it to them, whilst making clear you are following the correct procedure.
Encourage Expression & Community – Social Media has always been a creative outlet, but with people cooped up indoors, this is truer than ever. Keep the conversation going: encourage your audience to tag you, and make sure you are engaging with them if they do. For Food & Drink brands, think about setting your audience cooking challenges using your products, or give it a personal touch by showing off what your own staff members have been doing with a product. If you’re a restaurant, bar or café that’s been forced to shut, think about getting your talented chef to do some Instagram live ‘cookalongs’ or share videos of their home cooking in order to maintain brand loyalty and keep customers engaged.vWe’ve seen some famous chefs like Massimo Bottura already doing this with success in the last few weeks. Not only does it share important skills at this time but it really helps keep morale up amongst your community, and that won’t be forgotten.
Be True to Your Values – Now is the time to share the positive values at the heart of your brand. Be honest, human, transparent and humble – we are all trying to navigate through this unprecedented time and do the best for our customers and the people around us in as caring and responsible way as possible. Support altruistic measures if you are able to and it’s relevant. Showcase the people within your team and the positive initiatives you are doing as a brand.
Ultimately, there is no rulebook for the situation we find ourselves in and as things change, it’s important to continue to evolve your communications across social media.
Be bold and be creative. Use this as an opportunity to strengthen customer relations. Engage with your audience on a personal level and remember – we are all in this together.
Got a question? Want to sense-check something in your communications strategy with our Digital team? We are offering complimentary consultations to our community at this time. Email emily@palm-pr.com.We would love to hear from you!