With government advice changing daily, many businesses are concerned about how the Coronavirus pandemic will affect them.
At a time when misinformation, fear and panic are rife on social media, it’s more important than ever to keep communication with your audiences open and be that voice of reassurance.
Stay in contact
Many people have already begun to self-isolate or work from home, and this number is due to increase in the coming weeks. Now is the time to post, reminding them that you’re still here.
Social media is a brilliant method of contact at this time. There are lots of people online looking for information (or even a distraction) and so you can reach loyal and new customers easily. Keeping them posted on any business updates including procedures, opening hours or orders will be made easier using social. There’s no need to appear desperate or disingenuous – just keep things practical and positive!
You don’t want to go quiet on your channels, as this will be detected by the algorithms and may make your posts reach less people. Regular posting at this time, even it’s just to check in or spread a bit of positivity, will keep you in people’s minds and at the top of their feeds. When things return to normal, this engaged audience will still be there, ready to use your service or buy your products!
Engage with your audiences
There’s also been a huge push on social to support local businesses during this time. Communities are coming together to look after one another and this includes making products, services or spaces available to others. Don’t feel awkward about pushing a marketing message – people are engaging with small businesses at the moment.
With loads more people on social media throughout the day, your posts will be seen and engaged with more. Now’s your chance to be creative and spread positivity.
Making it social
Social media is already providing people with opportunities to stay connected and look after one other. In a time where people have to say inside, it’s even more social than usual as people are relying on it to stay in contact with colleagues, friends and loved ones.
On that note, we want to remind people who are self-isolating or working from home to look after their mental and physical health. It’s especially important if you can’t leave the house to:
- Stay active – whether it’s stretching or doing yoga, fitting in a mini-workout or driving somewhere remote to walk the dog!
- Keep a balance – set up a workspace and let in lots of natural light, take regular breaks, stay hydrated and eat a good meal.
- Socialise often – send people messages, arrange a video call or pick up the phone and remember to check in on others who might be feeling isolated.
We’re pleased to report that the #stayhomechallenge hashtag was trending this week. Originally kicked off by self-isolating football stars like Theo Walcott and Benjamin Mendy, the idea was to come up with some fun challenges for each other whilst encouraging fans to follow government advice. The hashtag is now packed with people sharing funny videos and messages with one another.
In light of this, we want to know your challenges and ideas for keeping busy when you’re at home! Join in the conversation by tagging our socials and remember to use the hashtag #stayhomechallenge:
Finally, many brands are turning to us for support at this difficult time, as they use social media as a key communication tool to navigate their way through the national crisis, keeping their customers informed and where possible, to keep as many sales coming in as they can.
We are here for those brands and can take on new clients at this time on a ‘no contract’ basis – simply call the office on 01202 985022 for a friendly chat with our experienced team as to how we can help your business through this time.
We’re also currently offering 50% off our virtual social media workshops, so if you need a hand with your social media, contact us today and we can arrange these!
