5 Tips for Maintaining Brand Presence During COVID-19
In uncertain times like these, it can be difficult to know what type of content to post on your company’s social channels. Having never lived through a pandemic before, how do we know what type of content will resonate with our audience right now? Should we post something lighthearted to encourage our followers? Or a wellness tip to help them make the most of working from home? Social media can be a constantly moving target, made even more so during a global health crisis. So we’re here to help steer you in the right direction with these five tips. And whatever you do, do not stop posting altogether or you risk ruining the trust you’ve worked so hard to build with your followers.
1. Pause Scheduled Posts
If you continue to run your regularly-scheduled social media posts or email campaigns, you’ll risk coming across as insensitive. We know how much time and effort goes into every campaign and we’ll be the first to commiserate with you about how unfair it is, but now is just not the time to blast out messages about your upcoming sale on jeans.
2. Post Manually in Real-Time
Previously-scheduled posts also have a way of hitting at the absolute worst time during a crisis. With news of the pandemic constantly shifting and evolving, we never know when the next big headline will break and so we don’t want our post about the best rooftop pools in town to go live right as the city declares a stay at home order. So take a good look at your editorial calendar and make sure you’re pausing posts that may come across as out-of-touch to your audience and manually posting content whenever possible. This also shows your audience that you’re on the pulse of what’s going on now and this builds trust that you’ll be on top of what’s current later on.
3. Show Your Audience You Care
A local restaurant sent out an email today with the subject line, “We can be there, even when you can't be here.” I was struck by how sincere this sentiment felt and immediately wanted to order take out from them. Other companies have decidedly taken a break from their regularly-scheduled email newsletters to instead send notes of encouragement and hope as well, so your audience may be looking to get this type of message from you too. And even though many others have already sent these types of emails, no one has said it in your way, in your voice, and from your point of view. There are likely many people out there who need to hear from you, so don’t think twice about sending an empathetic note. Which leads perfectly into our next tip.
4. Be Authentic
If you are a small business, you’re likely facing some sort of hardship or uncertainty during this time. Why not be honest with your audience about it? Take Present & Correct, a boutique stationery store, for example. They recently sent out the following note to their customers:
Talk about authentic and relatable—we should all take notes. This is the time to build some real connection and loyalty by genuinely sharing what we are all experiencing.
5. Create Digital Meet-Ups
As conferences slated for March, April, and May began to cancel and postpone their events, interest in virtual events began to spike. Why not capitalize on this by creating ways for your audience to connect virtually with you, your content, and each other?
Maintaining brand presence during this time will not only build a deeper sense of trust with your audience, but it will also set you up to emerge from the pandemic stronger than ever and with a more loyal following. We’ve helped many businesses like yours form solid brand strategies and most importantly, we understand what you’re going through because we are also a small business that is navigating these uncharted waters.
Reach out to us at info@clovercollective.com for a consultation on how you can elevate your brand now and prepare for life post-pandemic.
