7 Creative Ways To Leverage Your Brand’s Social Media Marketing During COVID-19

Marketing your brand in the middle of the COVID-19 outbreak? Since the global pandemic has caused a huge chunk of the population to get stuck in their homes, looking for ways to stay informed, entertained, and inspired, there’s one channel you should be using to its greatest extent. 

Social media. 

Why Strengthen Your Social Media Marketing During COVID-19

The rise in social media consumption

More and more people are turning to social media to keep them connected, entertained, and informed while they’re staying at home. Facebook, for example, saw a 70% increase in usage of all of its app in March. Tiktok and Snapchat, which are sources of fun and entertaining distraction, also saw an increase in usage. 

It’s a perfect venue for keeping your customers in touch with your business.  

The rise in demand for online content 

In the quest of killing time, getting informed and up-to-date, and entertaining themselves during the lockdown, everyone’s turning to digital content. Aside from communicating with their distant loved ones, users spend more time watching and sharing compelling YouTube videos, memes, inspiring posts, and informative news articles and blogs. 

Small efforts, big results

While this global pandemic forced marketers to assess their digital campaigns, social media marketing is one of the few digital marketing strategies that shouldn’t be put on hold. 

Social media engagement is crucial to building a brand and engaging customers. It doesn’t require much effort, money, and resources. All you have to do is to understand the demand of the hour and create content that there’s a need for. 

Check out these 7 tips to keep in mind when using social media to promote and grow your brand amid the COVID-19 outbreak. 

How To Leverage Social Media Marketing During COVID-19

1. Forget ROI, think of engagement 

We get it-you’re running a business and you need to make money to thrive. But now isn’t the best time to focus on boosting your sales. Remember: we’re living in times where your consumers’ spending is limited to the essentials. 

Now, however, is the best time to focus on how you can engage with your audience, build your online following, and put out content that’s needed. 

Think about clicks, likes, comments, and shares – these can be your measures of success while people are not as willing to buy. 

2. Get to know your audience…again

If you’ve been marketing your brand for a while now, you may be confident to say that you know your audience very well. But do you actually understand them in their current state? 

Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. What are they thinking and feeling now? Are they currently working from home? Are they trying to stay fit and healthy during the quarantine? Are they in dire need of food delivery services to satisfy their cravings? Find new opportunities to share your brand in different ways that are in line with the needs of your customers today. 

3. Create helpful, inspiring COVID-19-themed content

Leverage your social media profiles by sharing engaging pieces of content that are intended to educate, raise awareness, entertain, and keep your customers safe while they are on quarantine. It can be in the form of video, infographic, photo, or blog. It can be informative and helpful; positive and inspiring; or funny and entertaining. 

You may even bring people together while staying apart with online events and fun activities. 

4. Use influencers

Want to step up your online marketing? You may reach out to influencers. They are social media personalities who can influence the buying decisions of your consumers, even in difficult times like these. They are budget-friendly and effective partners. 

5. Explore different types of content

Content is needed right now, so step up your game by providing different kinds of creative content that aim to engage with your audience. 

Not sure where to start? Here are some of the best methods you can use: 

• Use memes and humor (but be wary of the context)
• Be Facebook and Instagram stories. 
• Use video (tutorials, how-tos, reviews). It doesn’t have to be professionally-made – it can be a video taken at home by an internal expert or influencer. 
• Try platforms for engagement (like polls)
• Host an online event (like a live concert)
• Post infographics
• Think about user-generated content

Let your brand’s core values set the tone on how you’re going to speak to your audience. 

While they won’t directly influence your customer’s spending, these creative posts will help you stand out, stay in touch, and be a valuable source of entertainment, information, and inspiration for your audience. 

6. Address your customer’s concerns

Don’t forget customer service in the middle of the crisis. A digital marketing agency in Dublin suggests providing answers to your customers’ FAQ, including queries whether or not you’re open if you’re stocking certain products, and how your item can be delivered. 

Don’t forget to inform your audience about your brand’s COVID-19 response plan, such as contactless payments, disinfection of your property, and more. 

7. Keep a light, positive tone

Be human. Avoid sending robotic, heartless messages during a health crisis. Instead, insert a human touch to your materials without being insensitive and offensive. We all need to see messages of hope and generosity in the midst of uncertainty and a state of panic. 

Author Bio: Carmina Natividad is one of the resident writers for SPRINT DIGITAL Agency Dublin, a firm offering an extensive range of digital marketing and website services to businesses across UK, Ireland, and Continental Europe. She enjoys sharing her insights about blogging, web design, SEO, and other forms of digital marketing.