Covid-19 has changed the business game. While the fundamentals of doing business remain the same, adapting to the new normal is the key to survival for any business.
If your business has experienced a decline in profits, you must focus your marketing efforts on reaching out to customers online.
A sound social media marketing strategy devised by a trusted social media marketing agency can help your business build a presence across various social media channels where your potential customers hang out.
Key Role of Social Media Marketing:
Social media has become a primary source of information for many people worldwide, even overtaking the traditional media at several geographies.
With a reduction in ad budgets, the cost of advertising online also decreased for most industries during the pandemic.
There is an increase in the adoption of social media and online shopping post the Covid -era as more people prefer to stay safe indoors.
Studies have shown that there has been a 70% increase in usage of Facebook apps, and the increase in use is expected to continue once the restrictions are eased. There is an increase in internet usage by 1 hour per day.
Apart from usage, ad engagement has also increased by 15% during the pandemic.
The focus of brands is now moving to engage with audiences over social media. The social media marketing strategy needs to evolve, however, to keep up with the new normal.
How Business Owners Adopt SMM Strategies post Covid-19:
- Keep Your Audiences Informed- Don’t stop your communication with your audiences, even if you are closed for business. On the other hand, don’t assume that the audiences know you are open for business. Keep them updated with your organizations’ changes, open and close times, and other policy updates related to Covid-19.
- Be More Mindful Than Being Opportunistic- Using Hashtags related to tragedies to promote your content is a no-no. However, it pays to be a good-hearted brand. Coming out with BOGO offers or special sales to profit from the pandemic situation may be a turn-off for your customers. Instead, show your customers you care and are concerned for their well-being and design your social media marketing message around your brand values and purpose.
- Offer a Sense of Safety – With audiences getting anxious, optimism with some bit of caution can make the brand message more appealing. Give your customer reassurance about how to plan to continue functioning or open back soon.
- Back to Normal Stories- In the distressing times, hope-filled and resilience-based stories have worked well.
- Your Social Responsibility- This is the time to up the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) quotient of your brand by either making financial contributions towards the affected or providing pro-bono assistance or selfless public service messages. However, don’t brag about it. Be humble.
- Don’t Just Talk About Covid- Talking about the pandemic in your brand communication can be added to the information overload. Your customers may have repeatedly heard brands screaming similar copies and have become ‘immune’ or tone-deaf to them. Think out of the box and bring out refreshing content that gives them hope and excitement without ignoring the game’s changing rules. A bit of humor goes a long way.
- Focus on Mental health- The pandemic-related anxiety is palpable and has triggered a range of mental health issues in the populations. As a brand, being sensitive to the times and addressing the latent fears, the audiences’ anxiety can add to building brand loyalty in the long run.
- Break the Clutter- While most brands follow templated responses, these unprecedented times are also tempting to copy from competing brands. It’s essential to resist the temptation to follow the heart and stick to the brand purpose and voice and think of unique ways your brand can create value for the audiences. Light-hearted humor has worked for several brands.
How to Enhance Brand Presence with SMM:
- Empathize With Your Target Audience: Listen more to your audiences’ statements and reevaluate your social media strategy and message.
- Focus on User Generated Content: The social media conversations related to COVID have ranged from homeschooling, lockdown, social distancing, vaccine, helping others, quarantine, DIY, amongst other topics. The customer has more time to engage in conversations. Join the discussions and post-user-generated content that offers entertainment and boosts brand awareness.
- ROI is no More the King: Since the conversions may not happen at the moment, do not use ROI on your marketing efforts to gauge the performance. Focus More on engagement metrics than ROI.
Some Brand Example of SMM That Stand Out:
1) Ferrari and Bugatti- Showing Care Towards the Worst Affected Nation in Europe
Two popular Instagram and Facebook posts that garnered a lot of attention belonged to the €10 million donation announcement by Ferrari and sympathy post by Bugatti towards Italy’s citizens.
Source: Ferrar – Social Media
Source: Mercedes – Instagram Page
2) Heineken came up with a “Back to Normal” media copy that was well received by the audiences.
3) Showing that they care beyond profits, Mercedes Branz came up with a social post with a complimentary downloadable coloring book, encouraging audiences to keep their minds positively engaged.
Source: Mercedes – Instagram Page
4) The usual aggressive and confident brand copy of Jeep was replaced by a unique #StayAtHome Message
Source: Jeep – Instagram Page
5) Crocs ran a social media campaign where they donated shoes to healthcare workers and posted their images on Instagram.
Source: Crocs – Instagram Page
Final Thoughts
Devising a social media strategy during these unprecedented and uncertain times can be challenging.
With several moving parts and little clarity about the future, opting for professional social media services can help your business prevent fails and respond to the dynamic changes in the social media arena while building long-term relationships with your target group.
