Social Media in the Time of Coronavirus
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We sure are living in some strange, uncertain, and scary times. I don’t profess to be an expert in navigating life in the time of coronavirus, but I wanted to at least offer some of my thoughts on how to handle social media during this weird era. In the past couple weeks, I’ve seen some thoughtful posts, some entertaining ones, and some truly cringey ones. It’s no easy feat to figure out what to post on social media right now, but here are some guidelines that I’m trying to keep top of mind as I craft social content for my clients.
Review your scheduled posts.
If you’re a planner like me, COVID-19 has really thrown you for a loop. For my passion project, I Heart ROC, I plan our Instagram takeovers and conduct our interviews one to two months in advance. I love being proactive. Right now, though, I’m reconsidering all my content plans for both I Heart ROC, my business, and my clients. Anyone managing social media needs to pause and reevaluate the content they’re publishing. A Twitter user suggested imagining each of your posts sandwiched in between updates about coronavirus; if your post seems insensitive or tone deaf in that context, then you need to scrap it. I think that’s great advice.
Good advice right here
Keep it clear, concise, and compassionate.
When I read this guidance from nonprofit social media expert Julia C. Campbell, I was like “YES! THIS! 🙌” Now is not the time to be vague or rambling. Social media users are looking for straightforward, easy-to-understand messaging that doesn’t beat around the bush. The most important factor here is compassion. We’re living through an unprecedented time. People are frightened, confused, and anxious. Make sure you’re taking their mental state into consideration when you write a post directed at them. Don’t be angry, condescending, or rude. Let’s have a little empathy for each other. Make sure your copy is compassionate.
Be transparent.
Transparency is so important right now. I’ve heard some folks say they don’t want to post anything about coronavirus, not even precautions their business is taking, because they “don’t feel it’s necessary” or “don’t want to scare anyone.” I found that perplexing. People are craving honesty and truth right now. Even knowing that your local hardware store is sanitizing the shelves hourly can be comforting! Tell people what your organization is doing to continue their work, to be cautious, or why you’ve thought about it carefully and are closing temporarily. That transparency is way more valuable than silence.
Build community.
While your impulse may be to back off of social media right now, it’s actually a prime time to build community among your followers. It’s also a time when it might be more beneficial for a brand to be human. Be real. People are craving connection right now as we’re all practicing social/physical distancing, self-quarantined in our own homes.
I’ve seen an abundance of fun community initiatives popping up from brands and individuals alike. Now is a great time to go live on Facebook or Instagram--especially because people are eager for entertainment and distraction! There are so many fun things you can do when you go live, depending on your business. You could teach a cooking class or drawing lesson, sing a song, read a poem--any number of things. You could even do a Q&A with your followers! It’s a great way to add value for people and it’s a low cost to you--just a bit of time and effort.
Right now, Facebook groups are another smart move for building community. This is especially true since in recent years, Facebook has moved away from business pages to more personal content, causing organic reach to drop on business pages. That’s not the case for groups, though. Depending on your industry, your business can create a Facebook group that serves as a vibrant hub for like-minded people to connect. This could be something like “Rochester NY Ice Cream Fanatics” or “Roc Small Business Owners.” You’re bringing people together with a common purpose (and no, the purpose isn’t selling something). It’s another way of adding value for your audience.
@wendymac, illustrator of Samin Nosrat’s cookbook, Salt Fat Acid Heat, is offering live drawing classes for children at 10am PST on weekdays.
Pin COVID-19 updates to your Instagram Highlights.
The Highlights section on Instagram is the perfect spot to save relevant information that your audience may need to access frequently. Usually I encourage businesses to use this for FAQs about their hours, parking, etc., but right now, it’s a good idea to have a pinned highlight dedicated to your response to COVID-19. Coronavirus is impacting just about every business right now, and having that information clearly conveyed in an easily accessible spot is helpful to your followers. The example below shows how Ugly Duck Coffee kept their customers up to date prior to closing temporarily.
Ask for online reviews.
Now is a great time to ask for online reviews from your audience. People are looking for ways to help small businesses, and this is an easy win. Ask your followers to review you on Google or Facebook. It just takes a few minutes for them to write and it helps your business in the long run.
This post from Jeff Knauss of Digital Hyve inspired this piece of advice.
It’s okay for nonprofits to fundraise right now.
I’ve heard a lot of concerns from nonprofit fundraisers about “Will it look like we’re capitalizing on a pandemic to raise money?” If your nonprofit is truly seeing an impact from COVID-19, then it is 100% fine to “use COVID” to raise money. This is your reality! Nonprofits are often strapped for funds, and with fundraisers being canceled and postponed left and right due to coronavirus, that’s more true than ever. Be honest about your new reality. Share what you’re doing for your cause right now. Craft a compelling, emotional message about why coronavirus has impacted your nonprofit’s needs, share it, and go right ahead and ask for funds. People want to help in any way they can right now, and you’ll see that when the donations start to come in. Check out my interview with Paige Engard from Lollypop Farm for more on Facebook fundraising.
Don’t use this crisis to sell stuff.
On the flip side, if you’re a for-profit company, now is not the time to hawk your stuff. Put a pause on marketing emails. Don’t launch an “innovative” new texting campaign to your customers. And definitely don’t start an ad campaign making light of social distancing to sell wine. I’m drinking a bit more wine than usual, but that doesn’t mean a Facebook ad promoting a wine delivery subscription isn’t in poor taste (like the one pictured below). Cringe.
Instead of trying to sell things to people who are experiencing layoffs, try some of the aforementioned tips. Try building community, entertaining and educating your audience, and adding value. During this coronavirus pandemic, it’s simply not about you. It’s about all of us, helping one another from afar and getting through this together.
Have you seen any fantastic social media posts during COVID-19? Or cringey ones? Share them with me! Just tweet me at @servemethesky.
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