Social Distancing Doesn't Necessarily Mean Stop Social Media!

As we enter at least another three weeks of lockdown in the UK, we’re all adjusting to social distancing and here at Social Soda, we’ve had to pivot campaigns, adjust content calendars and come up with new creative ideas to keep our client’s followers engaged.

Staying connected is now more important than ever, with people and businesses relying on social media to stay in touch with friends, catch up on breaking news, and be entertained.

In fact, Facebook and Instagram have seen an impressive 40% increase in usage since Covid-19, with views for Instagram Live and Facebook Live doubling in one week!

But just because people are spending more time on social media doesn’t necessarily mean its business-as-usual.

It’s understandable that many businesses will be feeling the economic impact of Covid-19, with many businesses choosing to lay low on their social media platforms, however those businesses that stay connected during these times are the ones that consumers are likely to remember when things eventually go back to normal.

You may not be able to post about products and services that you are currently offering (if business has froze and you’re not able to offer these products and services at present) but you can keep consumers engaged in various ways. Understandably, one of the main questions were getting asked is “what should I be posting on social media right now?” Read on for our hints and tips to keeping your business page alive, whilst everywhere else is on lockdown.

Listen & Acknowledge

Now is not the time to be quiet, your followers are spending more time online than ever before, so it does provide a unique opportunity to deepen your relationship with your audience and increase brand awareness.

However, it’s important to note that you can’t just be seen as running business-as-usual, as you may risk coming across as tone-deaf to an audience with heightened anxiety and sensitivities. Make followers aware of your situation. Publish updates as to what your business is doing to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic (i.e. staff woking from home, offering an online-only service with reduced warehouse staff etc.)

Let your followers know that you’re listening and acknowledge that you’re there for them. Use posts to ‘check in’, as whilst you may not be able to physically help them, just knowing that you’re ‘virtually’ there will be comforting to many consumers. Remember, some people will be self isolating alone and you’re post may be the only interaction they have with anyone that day.

Keep the Posts Coming

Your followers are spending more time online than ever before, and you want to stay connected to them! If you’re unable to market or sell your products or services right now, focus on sharing content that aligns with your brand values instead.

If you’re a restaurant currently closed, share recipe ideas with your followers to enjoy at home. If you’re a hair or beauty business that’s had to temporarily shut its doors, provide tips on how to keep on top of your grey hair or create a video on how to paint your nails - believe us, your customer will love you for this! Encourage followers to tag you in posts, which you can share with your wider audience. Now is the time to get that much needed User Generated Content!

Be Emphatic

You don’t have to mention Covid-19 explicitly in all of your content, but do take into consideration the tone of your communications and how it could be interpreted by people facing a different reality than you might be in. Remember, not everyone is sitting watching TikTok videos all day or Instagram Lives, some people are having to deal with illness themselves, the loss of a job, babysitting duties or in some sad cases, grief.

Get Creative

If you’ve procrastinated long enough on developing social media assets or learning how to edit videos, now is the time to learn! Set yourself goals to achieve, whilst business is on the quiet side, so when things go back to normal you have shiny new tools to bring with you. We would highly recommend taking this time to research creative apps and pulling together future content ideas.

We hope we’ve provided you with some valuable food for thought. And remember, this won’t last forever. Things will eventually return to normal and whilst we don’t know what the future holds, we can be certain that in the words of HRH The Queen, “We will be with our friends again, we will be with our families again, we will meet again.”

Here at Social Soda we hope you are all keeping well and staying safe.

If any businesses are wondering how they can make the most of their social media platforms during these unprecedented times, please get in touch! Our Head office is currently closed, however the team are still working from home, keeping the content going and our client’s pages well and truly alive! Contact Chloe at hello@socialsoda.co.uk