We all know the power of social media as a tool for communication, but it’s easy to put these platforms on the back burner as we deal with the changing world around us. Account executive Nancy Collins-Burgess explains why it’s important to stay on top of your channels and how to make the most of them in the current climate.
Maintaining communication
It is widely accepted that social media is a great tool for communicating with your consumer – especially during this time of uncertainty. Amid these unprecedented circumstances, it can be difficult to judge how to appropriately manage your social channels, so we want to offer our advice on how you can make the most of your platforms.
Staying vocal
While some may see this time as an opportunity to take a step back from social and cut costs, it’s important that brands remain vocal and keep pushing out a consistent flow of activity across all social media platforms.
People are well aware that many businesses are struggling to stay afloat during this economic downturn, so you don’t want to give them a reason to suspect that your brand is one of these businesses.
By keeping active and issuing a regular stream of content, you’re reassuring your audience that it’s ‘business as usual’ and they can still trust your brand to deliver the goods or services they require. Even if you can’t deliver these goods or services at the moment, you want your audience to know that you plan on re-opening and they can rely on your platforms for regular updates on your activity.
Clarity is key
While some messages from the powers that be can feel open to interpretation, this confusion shouldn’t be reflected in your brand’s online presence. Making sure your messaging is clear and concise is essential to getting your voice heard on overcrowded social platforms.
If you are still operating, it’s important that you make sure your followers are aware of this and know about any changes in service. Being clear about how current circumstances are affecting your ways of working is essential as you don’t want these changes to reflect badly on your brand now and in the longer term.
Simon says
Although we often remind our clients that social media should not just be used as a sales tool (because no one wants to follow an account made up entirely of advertorial content) your social channels are effective and free marketing platforms that should be utilised.
This being said, one of the most important marketing mantras is to always include a call to action – and this should be applied to your sporadic promotional posts.
So, if you’re promoting a new product, tell people where to buy it. Or if you’re shouting about your services, let people know how to contact you to discuss them. There’s a reason #linkinbio is one of the most popular hashtags on Instagram!
Keeping up with the times
While it may be tempting to focus entirely on your brand and churn out scheduled content, it’s important to be reactive to recent events. Consider sensitivities that come with changing times – like avoiding images of people hugging or shaking hands during the pandemic – and make sure you address major events and news updates, so your consumer base knows you’re engaged with the world around you.
This doesn’t mean that you should actively promote your personal views across your channels, but it does mean that you shouldn’t passively ignore the current climate. For example, you should recognise that retail units will soon be allowed to reopen but not publicly rebuke the prime minister for making this decision.
Remain positive
Our final piece of advice is to remain positive. The country has been through a lot already this year and it’s incredibly difficult to avoid negative new stories in the press. So, although it seems like we are in the depths of despair, keep your tone light and upbeat on social media to keep your followers engaged.
While we completely appreciate that you may have to take a more sombre approach to topical posts, it’s important that on the whole, your messaging remains positive.
If you’d like support with social media management or content creation, get in touch with the team today.
