As the world struggles to protect our health, sanity, and economic livelihood, marketing strategies aren’t foremost in many minds. If you work in the communication field, though, you might disagree.
Social media marketers and brand strategists have been bombarded with information on how their roles can help companies minimize losses and reassure customers. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat and others have produced a ton of resources meant to help brands navigate the new digital landscape. Here’s a recap of some of their best advice.
Shifting Your Strategy
Snapchat has the best take on how overall marketing goals must change. "Rather than using a global crisis as an opportunity to promote your brand, [you need to] craft thoughtful messages and create valuable experiences for [audiences]. These best practices are true for any time, but should be particularly top of mind during uncertain times like this. As our community looks for guidance, perspective, and resources, brands can adjust their campaign messaging to support [audiences] when they need it most.”
They encourage brands to shift their strategy from:
• Product Benefit to Consumer Benefit
• Hard Selling to Offering Utility
During the pandemic, knowing how your brand adds value to a community is the single most important concept to understand. Never risk your long-term brand reputation for short-term cash returns. Focus on people (not product) and add value where you can. Consider webinars, livestreams or other deliverables that your audience can benefit from.
• Calls For Action to Brand Equity
• Broad Messaging to Empathetic Messaging
Empathy is a skill that can be used not only to understand what your audience is particularly concerned about, but to help you figure out how to better respond to those needs. It is impossible for most brands to hide from or ignore COVID-19, but it’s important to engage in coronavirus conversations authentically as not to take advantage of a bad situation.
New Content Ideas
As Twitter notes, making these strategy adjustments is “not about looking at what others are doing and copying. It’s about understanding the unique role your brand plays in people’s lives, how that has changed, and how your brand can help or be useful during this crisis. It’s also about looking for opportunities to lead by example, and do the right thing, where it makes sense for your business.”
If appropriate for your brand, all of the major social platforms agree that levity and distraction from the news cycle is something most audiences can appreciate at the moment. Of course, when doing so it’s important to be thoughtful about your brand’s tone of voice. Now is not the time to be snarky, or sarcastic. Even when being humorous, content should be empathic and understanding.
More of Snapchat’s suggestions:
• Help spread positivity by giving [audiences] something to smile about
• Gamifying your brand messaging can help entertain and engage [audiences] at length
• Lift the community up by spreading awareness of local causes
• [Demonstrate] ways your brand can bring family and friends (old and new) together virtually
At the moment, brands are seeing success with the following content:
• DIY has never been more alive than it is right now. Create DIY content to keep [audiences] feeling creative and occupied.
• For now, meetings take place digitally. Give [audiences] tips and tricks for how to maneuver their new work environments and routines.
• [Audiences] are looking for inspiration and guidance for their at-home workouts. Tout how you can help them maintain their fitness goals from home.
• Providing ways for [audiences] to find moments of zen throughout the day can go a long way.
• Parents all over the world have become homeschool teachers by default. Lend a helping hand and suggest activities and products to help them in their new parenting roles.
• Consider how your audience needs have shifted with more time at home. Demonstrate your brand’s value proposition such as seamless ordering and delivery directly from your app and website.
Facebook and Instagram lives are increasingly popular as people have more time to spend consuming video content. The platform recommends that when brands take their pages live they:
• Host a Q&A with your followers
• Go Live with someone in your audience and interview them
• Showcase and explain your products or services
• Teach your audience how to do something
• Create a Live series that broadcasts on a regular day/time schedule
Customer Service & Support
COVID-19 is impacting most business and customers. Providing direct support via social media has rarely been as important as it is now. While Twitter still offers 1:1 interaction between brands and customers, Facebook has quickly improved tools they have available to help streamline the customer support process.
Messaging
Facebook’s messaging tips encourage brands to:
• Let customers know how they can contact you to place orders
• Encourage customers to shop online
• Share that your business is open to receiving support
• Encourage customers to buy gift cards from your business
• Express gratitude for your community
Users can work some of these points into automated responses for Facebook direct messages. You can set up auto-responses here, and consider the following prompts, if applicable:
Hi, thanks for your message. Our retail store is closed but we are still taking orders online! Send us a message or check out our website.
Thank you for your message. We’ve made a move to online appointments while our office is closed. Please email us or leave a message to make a virtual appointment.
We're not currently taking new orders, but if you have questions on an existing order feel free to send us a message here.
On Instagram, brands can save Quick Replies to efficiently answer frequently asked questions.
Snapchat notes that certain emojis have taken on new meanings as it relates to COVID-19. When composing posts or reading messages from customers, be aware of the following:
Social Distancing = ↔️
Coughing = 🗣️
Social Isolation = 😷
Hand Sanitizer = 👋
Coronavirus = 🦠
Quarantine Day = 🏠
Postponed or Canceled = ❌
Promotions and Donations
Facebook is also promoting a new gift cards listing where users can find and buy digital gift cards for their favorite local businesses. The gift cards must be registered through a partner site like Square or Kabbage and then added to Facebook here.
Brands can add donate buttons to a variety of places on both Facebook and Instagram, including on an organization’s Instagram profile, Facebook page, Facebook post or video, Instagram Stories via a sticker option, and even on a live broadcast. If you’re interested in raising money, visit facebook.com/fundraisers more information.
As the coronavirus continues to shift the ways brands interact with their audiences and as the social platforms we use everyday come together to assist with these fast-moving changes, we’ll continue to update this page.