Social Media Do's and Don’ts During a Pandemic

Now more than ever, social media usage is through the roof, people are hungry for useful or entertaining content more than ever. This leads customers to turn to their screens when isolated indoors. Statistics like a 40% increased usage of platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram proves that users are looking to stay in-touch with family and friends. As a company, are you supposed to respond or stay silent?

What is good to say and what is not? These can be tough questions for companies during these uncertain times. So here are some tips on how brands should communicate through a global pandemic.

Do

1) Make your content relevant and accurate

Do make sure to re-visit your scheduled campaigns and scheduled posts of pre-

covid nature. Staying relevant and up-to-date at a time like this is key in making

or breaking your quality of communication. If you’re looking to launch a new

venture or project – revise your launch to find the right approach and the right

time

2) Humanize your brand

Put the individual first. Use this time to connect to your customers and clients by

offering any help you can, asking how their business are going and making

worthy referrals. Another creative way to connect is to share stories of how your

employees are coping and bonding, what they’re doing to stay productive at

home or how they’re juggling their kids and jobs. Prioritize your relationship with

your stakeholders, they’ll remember who reached out to them during tough

times.

3) Show empathy & adapt your tone

During testing times, customers are seeking empathy in the world around them.

Refrain from using humor as it is mainly up to interpretation and can be deemed

offensive. We also suggest you hit the pause button on any previously

automated emails or social posts and take a second look at any previously

scheduled content for tone and appropriateness. Perhaps some of your

customers have lost their jobs, are in a panic or afraid for a loved one.

4) Reflect on the role you can play during this crisis

Based on the nature of your business, reflect to think how you can help those

suffering during these tough times. Is your company providing any important

public services people should hear about? Can you offer something for free or at

a discount that would be useful? Great examples of this have been; making or

donating masks and providing accommodation to front line workers. Any helping hand you provide will not only help your corporate social responsibility, but will leave a remarkable memory as a brand as well.

5) Communicate to your new customers

Customer demands change based on lifestyle – you may have acquired a lot of

new customers that still need to be transformed into sales. Don’t forget about

the core operations and functions of your business.

1) Be tone-deaf in the COVID-19 context

Definitely don’t ignore the facts, instead be transparent and proactive. If every

brand out there is discussing ways to support, pivot or survive this pandemic, you should be too. Communicating as if nothing has happened, is certainly a mistake.

2) Turn the pandemic into a capitalization opportunity

Capitalizing on a worldwide crisis, would be about the worst thing a brand can

do. This is not an opportunity for a big sale or self-promotion – aside from the

fact that most people are being money-cautious, their priorities lay elsewhere for the meantime. Take this time to unite with your customers and show them

empathy. Publicly acknowledging that is it a weird time to promote a product is

not a bad thing.

3) Share fake news or unverified information

Spreading any sort of misinformation can cause great panic among your

customers. Before stating the facts, make sure they are most up to date and

from a reliable source.

4) Avoid promoting activities that are dangerous

It would be highly counter-productive to post images of people gathering or

traveling abroad in a time that that is not encouraged. Keep your customers

focused on things they can do and ways to stay positive instead. Look ahead, not

behind.

5) Auto-schedule too far in advance

Planning ahead is fantastic – in a stable environment. Lately, the world around us

is changing drastically, rapidly. Spending a lot of time planning out your posts

and publications for two months from now would not be good idea. Instead,

listen and watch what’s happening around you and respond accordingly, that

way you can ensure you are relevant to your database.