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How Should You Adjust Your Social Media Strategy During the COVID-19 Crisis?

If there was ever a time for businesses to be flocking to social media to manage their brand voice, reassure candidates and prospects they have everything under control and, most importantly, be a part of the community…this is it.

As your business navigates the next 60 to 90 days on social media, it’s incredibly important to humanize your brand voice. The world doesn’t need more sales pitches. More direct “BUY NOW” links with forced emojis.

The world is still unsure of what’s to come. As social media users are scrolling on Facebook or Twitter, the LAST thing they want to share right now is a blatant sales pitch.

Now, that’s not to say you can’t thrive given these circumstances. You can. But, doing so requires incredible attention to detail and mindfulness of what others are feeling and experiencing.

How to Manage Social Media Company Pages During a Pandemic

Listen First. Talk Second.

Spending five minutes on any social platform right now will show you something obvious: The world is collectively talking about COVID-19. Uncertainty, optimism, skepticism, whatever it might be – as you look at social media as a user and not a marketer, it’s evident that this pandemic has everyone chatting.

Listen first. Talk second.

No one likes to go to a party and hang out with that friend or family member who is exclusively “me” focused, right? Don’t be that guy. Instead, be the person who listens. As customers reach out with messages, understand they are concerned and respond to them with empathy and optimism.

When scrolling through the newsfeed on Twitter, join the conversation in the local community. If your county executive is posting updates, share your thoughts on the matter and show your community that you’re in this with them.

Reach Inbox 0

Facebook messenger…the graveyard of leads.

“I’m too busy to answer those” must be a thing of the past. Given the uncertainty of the situations we’re all in, you need to be active and listening when individuals reach out through this platform.

Answer questions as they come in and elevate them to the right individual on your internal team if necessary. Ignoring them is not an option.

Be Mindful of the Reader

With millions getting their news and information about COVID-19 from social platforms like Twitter, you need to think critically about WHY social media exists. Every post has a purpose, and before you share your WHAT (the “stuff” you post on social media), you need to fundamentally understand your WHY.

By being mindful of the reader and understanding their WHY (why they are on social media at all hours of the day), you can be sure to align your message to meet them.

Share Local News and Information

Hypothetically, let’s say your company is a startup. With less than one year in business, you’re the new kid in town. Some people think you’re cool and want to hang out; some people think you’re different and want to stay away; and many more already have their pocket of friends and don’t even know you exist.

Now is the perfect time to double down on platforms like Twitter and Facebook to show the community that you are one of them.

Post or share local news updates to show you are just as committed to the regional footprint as they are.

…Now let’s say you’re not the new kid in town. With 20 years in business, most people know who you are, and, because of that, they have an opinion of you.

What if you used this time to double down on being human, sharing local news and information to show the community the ways you give back? What if you use this as an opportunity to reposition your brand as one that listens and responds to customers’ needs? What if you used social media to show, through case studies and testimonials, that after 20 years you’re still solving business problems and/or improving people’s lives?

Share Resources from Your Website

If you’ve been consistently blogging on your website, use this time to share content on your social channels that educates and informs the reader.

Be mindful of the tone and context of each article! In this post, we explain how to scrutinize your content to communicate with empathy and tact.

Go Live for an AMA (Ask Me Anything)

Live video is exploding on social media right now. Everywhere you look, another band or singer/songwriter is sharing a live acoustic session from a studio or couch. Local news is cross-posting their live feeds from TV over to social platforms for maximum visibility and reach.

How can your business apply this tactic?

Set a weekly Ask Me Anything (AMA for you Redditors out there) where you go live from your home office on Facebook or Twitter and let customers or prospects ask you questions.

Be the expert your community is looking for and answer their questions as they arise.

Putting It All Together

While there is no “perfect” social media management plan during this pandemic, implement just one idea this week is a step in the right direction.

How can BARQAR help?

If there’s anything we can do to assist you, please give us a call. We’re here to provide the advice, resources and support you need to get through these challenging times – and capitalize on the brighter days ahead.

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