Do you own a business? Then you may be dealing with the hard blows of COVID-19. The struggle is real and affecting every business around the world. But such desperate times do not call for impulsive decisions. Putting a stop to all of your business operations may do more harm than good. Be more strategic instead.
Shift your focus to aspects that can be advantageous to you like social media marketing. It can be your foolproof way of staying relevant in the market. But the present state of a pandemic may ask for some unprecedented changes in your existing marketing strategies. Your audience now has a different mindset. What you think worked before may not work today.
So how do you mold your social media to fit the current environment? How do you reach out to your audience? And how do you keep your business afloat using social media? Read along to find the answer to all your questions.
Increase your Social Media Presence
Lockdowns around the world lowered social interactions and movement outside our homes. But on the other hand, people’s time and engagement on the internet boomed with as much as a 70 percent increase since the pandemic.
Social interaction is now virtual and all social media platforms are busy with active users. You can take advantage of this situation by increasing your business’s social media presence.
Whether to kill time, gather information or distract oneself, the demand for online content has increased due to COVID-19. With a rise in consumption, there needs to be a rise in supply too. So don’t leave your social media handles deserted.
All you have to do is be consistent with your content. Understand your audience. Do thorough research about the search intents and what has changed since the outbreak so you can mold your content accordingly.
Focus more on Building Brand Awareness
COVID-19 has inevitably lowered the conversions of many brands. But this does not mean that you should use all your sources to uplift the falling conversion rate.
Until everything gets back to normal, you will face a decrease in sales as people are spending only on essentials. So move over to another important aspect- brand awareness.
With most businesses shutting down, it is more than likely that your CPM, CPC, CPA and CPV will decrease. This can be good news for you as you can now increase your reach within a budget. But lowered costs alone can’t be your saving grace.
You have to fit your content into the situation. Make it more informative. Tell your audience about how your products can benefit them during and after the pandemic. Also, keep your audience updated on your future plans or deals. Do not forget to present it to your audience with COVID-19 in mind.
It is also a great time to test out new campaign ideas and advertisements. This will let you know how it performs and also be helpful in gathering new leads. So do not give up on promotional content.
Though conversions have been down due to COVID-19, there are people engaging in online purchases. But more than purchases, promotional content increases brand awareness by making people aware of the wide range of choices you offer.
So change your social media strategies to focus on brand awareness and keep a balance of all mentioned content.
Make your Content Interactive
The global pandemic has created a huge boom for interactive content. Since people cannot travel, go to the park or hang out with friends, interactive content has become their escape.
In fact, most industries that rely on travel or visits from people have started making content that gives people the idea of traveling. American Museum of Natural History in New York and the National Aquarium in Baltimore are some examples.
You can use the interaction between your content and your audience to boost your brand’s image and engagement. Start campaigns that let your audience express their thoughts. For example, taking polls gives the audience the feeling that they are being heard.
This develops your brand’s connection with them. You can also set up quizzes related to your services and give your consumers something to engage in.
Another good example of interactive content is live videos. You can collaborate with other brands or influencers and get them to go live on your brand’s social media.
Also, let them answer questions or reply to comments in real-time. This will act as both brand awareness and entertainment for the audience. If you do not have the budget, do not hesitate to repurpose your old content. Go through all your old ideas and give them more value and relevance to the present times.
Even while using social media as a marketing platform, do not use the pandemic as an excuse for profit. Do not be entirely indifferent to what is going on around you. Make sure that you show your empathy through your content. This way you can connect with your audience better.
Explore New Platforms and Features
If you haven’t yet branched out to other social media platforms, it is time that you do it. Social media is where all the eyes are and where all the content is being consumed.
So keep a tab on the popular platforms and try to sweep into its audience. Tik Tok has been all over the internet lately. If your brand can create its presence on Tik Tok, it will be a big step towards success.
Apart from moving to new social media platforms, explore new features. Instagram stories are a quick and easy way to put out information and create hype. Since these stories are short, a lot of your audience will spend the time to go through it.
And possibly keep engaging with your brand. Do not ignore the hashtags and photo tags. They can be a great tool to make your content more easily discoverable.
Use Influencer Marketing
As the economy is crashing, the cost of everything is lowering even in the marketing sector. Many influencers are also making their costs more flexible to get brands to work with them despite a financial crunch.
The influencers would also like to increase their presence and social impact in the current crisis. Their tie-up with your brand can be a win-win situation for both parties.
So consider using influencer marketing right now. People are looking for content to kill their boredom and ease their mindset. You can use the power of influential people to connect and engage your audience with your content. You can create more relevant content and all the while increase awareness of your brand.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for ways to ensure that your business keeps thriving even in difficult times, consider using social media. The situation will pass soon and it will be much easier to be back in business if you maintain contact with your audience.
Everything you do now may not give you instant results but you will reap the benefits in the future. So take advantage of social media to make this time as productive as possible.
Leave a Reply