COVID 19 Social Media Check list

Focus on the immediate needs of the customers and target audience first.

Pause on campaigns and content you had prepared before the pandemic and take a look at the bigger picture. Ask yourself what social media means to your business in a time of global crisis. Instead of focusing on gaining customers shift your focus on customer retention and support. Don’t fill advertisement content on your social media. You can do a task that is not directly customer facing.

If you can help other people or businesses cope with the pandemic make sure to do so, during this time.

You might have been already doing something like remote working or working from home and you can help others know how to do it from your experience. Offer those tips and classes. Do a Q&A.

Make sure to keep the customers informed.

In case your work schedules will affect them or if there will be anything that will impact their daily interaction with your business, let them know. Any major thing happening should be communicating. Now that there is no much activity in the offices, it might be the best time to do more customer care and offer additional information about tasks you handle. Let the audience know you better.

As you implement measures to keep everyone safe, reach out to your customers and audience via social media and email to let them know what is expected of them and you when at your place of work. E.g. non-cash payments, use of hand sanitizers, washing of hands, and social distancing. You are following the governments directives and you should let the customers know.

Keep in touch with your team.

Schedule conference calls for work and also personal issues. Hear from the team members about their experiences with Covid-19. The support is very much needed.

Reassure customers that you’ll continue to serve them.

Reassure them they will not lack what they need. Businesses holding large gatherings have been shut down in most areas to help stop the spread of the virus, and to ensure customers continue to whatever they need, businesses like hotels are offering take away and drive-through. A lot of people are depending on you, find a way to offer the services in a safe manner. As long as you don’t close. Make those home deliveries happen (If you didn’t offer it, start delivering to your clients).

Be a part of the solution, show that you care.

Help by supporting the front-line team dealing with the virus. Offer free products and services, give them priority, and also give discounts to them. Just be a part of solving the issue.

What to post during Covid-19? How to market during covid-19?
Although marketing is important during this time when more people are online. Ensure to be mindful of your audience suffering anxiety and sensitivity. The pandemic has forced people to remain in their houses longer than before and this could affect some people's mental and physical well-being.

So, how should you address marketing during Covid-19?

In your content, acknowledge that the coronavirus is real and it has changed the norm and you are aware of the impact it has had on your audience/public. After acknowledging and showing that you listen, let them know you are dedicated to taking care of your employees and their families (most people lost their jobs). This you can do by offering a discount on your products. Something for the public and for the employees too.  

Offer organic value in your posts.

Before you direct people to your website, first work on increasing engagement with your audience by sharing more information and helpful tips via carousel posts (creative way to get more content into a smaller space), videos, and captions. Offer video tutorials to your audience.

Keep your social media active and updated all the time.

Don’t stay quiet, keep posting on social media, promote your business in the posts and ensure to offer in a detailed manner how your operations are safe for employees and the clients.

Remember to be empathetic in your posts.

You can’t post about Covid-19 all the time, but ensure to be sensitive of the situation the public is facing. Post with the public in mind. Ask yourself how someone facing a different reality than yourself will interpret your message.

Keep your audience in the loop.

Let your audience know when you are struggling and need help. If you know a way your audience can help support your business, let them know. Small businesses struggle the most during crisis, and could use the audiences’ help to remain in business. Ask for help with a cause you feel you can’t manage to support on your own. Many people will be more than happy to be a part of a noble cause.  

The Best Time To Post On Social Media During Covid-19

Most businesses already knew what to post and the best times to post on social media by the beginning of the year. However, so much have changed in the past few months due to the coronavirus. People’s interests, attitude, availability, and priorities have changed. The peak days to post have changed, whether it was on a Monday, Wednesday or during the weekends.

The best time to post have changed as well. If engagement with the audience was high while they are going to work at 7am or after work at 5pm, that has changed as working hours change and more people begin working from home. The early morning and late evening increased activity is no longer a consistent pattern. People have more time and also their waking up and sleeping times have changed.

You should know that activity in the morning hours has changed and people are coming in online a bit late than before. More people are coming in online from 9am onwards. Whereas a specific time can be given for each social media platform, it is important to have in mind that customers are unique and their activity online is too. The best way to approach this is learning from past engagement and determine your brands best time to update on social media.

Also, content sharing by brands have changed. Brands are trying to be sensitive during these times, and wont post just anything, a factor that has impacted the frequency of posting. However, for some brands, like those in the health sector, their posts have gone up significantly. This because the brands have more significant information to offer related to Covid-19 and their posts are very beneficial to the public. So, they are much needed.

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