Social media is proving to be a valuable tool in helping people stay connected during a period of lockdown, including businesses who are using social media to keep their customers informed.

While it may seem like a challenging time to market your business, it is important to maintain the connections you have with your online audience. Doing so will put your business in a strong position to start marketing to your customer base again when the time comes. Equally, if you are able to trade in some capacity during this time then social media provides you with an excellent way to communicate the message with your audience.

We understand that, as a business, you may be unsure of how to navigate social media and manage your online presence under current circumstances, which is why we have compiled our top tips to help you in the coming weeks and months.

Keep your message clear

Carefully consider what messages you wish to share on social media. This is an important part of protecting your brand’s reputation, as well as continuing to serve your audience through your online communications.

Appropriate messaging will vary for different businesses but here are a few things you might consider:

• Thanking and celebrating the efforts of your staff;
• Share good news stories from within/outside of your organisation;
• Make it clear what you/your products/services are able to offer;
• General information about your company and the products or services.

It’s important to continue to raise brand awareness online as this will make it easier for you to resume normal marketing activities when the time comes.

If you are unsure of what your key messages should be, please feel to get in touch as our team will be able to help you identify and craft the right messages for your business.

Have a clear internal social media policy in place

It is vital that everyone who contributes to your social media presence is on the same page, to ensure that your messaging stays consistent and your brand image is upheld.

If you have an existing social media policy then it would be sensible to review and update it as necessary. If you don’t already have such a policy then now is a good time to create one.

Key considerations include:

• Tone of voice;
• Which messages should be the focus of your social media content;
• Are there any messages or types of content that should not be shared?;
• Easy access to answers to frequently asked questions, so that your customer service team can respond quickly and appropriately to messages received on social media.

Develop your future social media strategy

Companies will be keen to ensure that they can hit the ground running and attract new business when the pandemic is over. Rather than waiting until that time arrives, start preparing now so that your business is well positioned. This could include, for example:

• Creating new content to be used in the future;
• Exploring new social media platforms;
• Auditing existing social media profiles – up to date and on brand;
• Updating your hashtag strategy;
• Exploring growth strategies to increase your social media following.

Go Publicity is experienced in managing and advising on successful social media marketing campaigns and we are currently working with our clients to help them navigate the current situation and prepare for the future. If your company could benefit from our expert advice and support, then please do not hesitate to get in touch.