“Staying active on social media should remain a priority,” says Jane Pavia-Davis, managing director at Vista Public Relations, responding to the news that social media usage, screen time and online storytelling have all increased significantly during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Industry analyst Kantar has reported that usage of Facebook, Instagram and Whats App have seen a 40% increase. Instagram specialist Later has reported that average screen time is now five hours and 40 minutes a day, an increase of almost 20%. Influencer marketing platform Klear has reported a 15% increase in stories posted and a 21% increase in story views, with 80% of influencers reporting a higher level of engagement from their followers.
“Staying connected, coming together and belonging to a community have never felt more important than they do today,” says Jane. “The impact of social distancing will pervade much longer than the restrictions and in these unprecedented times of change and uncertainty, social media has risen to the challenge.”
She continued: “With consumers spending more time online, to socialise and purchase, now is the ideal time for brands to connect and support. Have you stayed connected to your friends online and become closer to the ones who need you? Why would a trusted brand behave any differently?”
“While many businesses exercise caution during a crisis and have cut costs accordingly, staying active on social media should remain a priority. Now is not the time to retreat. Brands that are there for their followers during their time of need, will win out. This is an opportunity to grow a larger, more loyal audience.”
Over the last few weeks, the team at Vista has worked with its clients to increase digital content and social media posts, by as much as 40%. It has been engaging influencers, tuning planned posts accordingly and utilising stories to respond to the ever-changing restrictions.
With that in mind, here is Jane’s top 10 on how to keep socially active in a crisis.
- Be human and relatable, look to your brand values to find your voice.
- Don’t shy away from the circumstances. Show your followers that you are aware of their needs, their fears, their frustrations. Listen to them, bring support and solidarity.
- Be empathetic, without patronising. Read your posts back aloud. Would you feel patronised if you read it?
- Provide entertainment and escape. According to One Poll, two-thirds of UK adults want to see upbeat and positive stories.
- Imagery must be real and relevant. You don’t need a grand hashtag campaign or bespoke content. You may have limited resources, so use your existing imagery but in a different context. Are you an outdoors brand? Explore ways to bring the outdoors in, help to make great plans to escape once the lockdown eases, remember exploring fondly, share your ‘best moments’, provoke discussion.
- Don’t fixate or dwell on the situation. Instagram experts encourage you to ‘be part of the solution, rather than the problem’.
- Don’t repurpose global content. Yes Covid-19 is a global challenge, but what is happening locally is acutely relevant and all but local content will seem lazy and blasé to your follower’s needs.
- Work with influencers. More than ever, they know how to talk about your products in an authentic way and their followers are listening more than ever.
- It’s still ok to support sales! Toy and entertainment brands are seeing record sales. Fashion and beauty fixes are giving us all a little lift, home maintenance demand is off the scale! Include retailer tags, links to buy, product specifications, fun facts. If you can deliver to your consumer, you are a brand in need right now.
- Above all – do not retreat. Do not abandon your loyal followers and customers in their time of need. Because in the green shoots of recovery, they may respond in kind.
“We’re working to ensure that when consumers are turning to their phones for news, support, friendship, entertainment and shopping, our clients are present with content that will engage, inspire and support,” said Jane. “Time and again research shows that businesses that invest during a downturn, perform better during a recovery. We’re with our clients every step of the way.”
