We’re currently in the throes of an unprecedented transformation in the way we work. The COVID-19 pandemic has around a third of the world’s population under some form or the other of lockdown, and strict rules of social distancing and self-isolation for the vulnerable are expected to continue worldwide for the next several months at least.
Essentially, that means that the basics of marketing and sales as we know it – personal interaction, close contact, events and group engagement – are on hold until further notice.
That, however, does not mean your marketing and sales efforts should pause. Indeed, given that we’re staring a looming recession in the eye, tightening budgets must be balanced against the need to have leads in the funnel for the first Quarters of the new financial year.
Digital communication has always been cheaper and more targeted than traditional communication, while offering much better methods to measure results and ROI. In today’s brave new world, digital is also, arguably, the only way you can reach out to your audiences.
So in today’s article, let’s focus on how you can optimise your social media presence.
1. Stay Online
For about 10 years now, social media marketing has been a marketing essential, not a luxury; something that most businesses, small and large, have embraced. Under our current extraordinary circumstances, however, businesses tend to put a pause on all non-essential (read: non-sales) marketing expense.
During these lockdown days, staying in touch with clients and prospects is near impossible except through organic social media. Office landlines are obviously non-accessible, and with the world increasingly living on social media in any case, the chances of queries via Messenger are high.
Ensure that you post relevant news – operating hours, services still on offer, measures you are taking to ensure staff and customer safety – and prepare your team to respond to queries on the same subjects as well.
For example, as a Healthcare provider, our client Appasamy Hospitals put out statutory communication regarding elective procedures at the hospital. Mot Juste is now working with the team on a series of COVID-19 Myth vs Fact posts.
2. Situation-Relevant Content
Take a proactive step forward to tailor your content to the unique situation. Don’t continue with regularly scheduled content – there’s not a great deal of point speaking of summer offers at a closed retail outlet or wishing students for their cancelled board exams! Nor is there any purpose in pretending the pandemic doesn’t exist.
Another client, a snow theme park located in Chennai and Mumbai, Snow Kingdom is prioritising relevant COVID-19 news and updates, especially speaking of how we can all work together to reduce the pandemic’s spread.
VGP Marine Kingdom, India’s first and largest aquarium, carries a strong brand message of ecological conservation. They were the first to notice that the pandemic-associated lockdowns have brought with them a silver lining – the clearing up of the global environment. Their messaging remains tightly focused on the environment and how audiences can do their part in improving the environment during the lockdown and beyond.
Entertainment destinations have of course been hit badly by the pandemic, but positive messaging helps keep internal and patron morale high!
3. Get Visual
We already knew that 59% of executives say that they would rather watch a video than read text and that mobile video consumption was expected to rise by 100% every year even before COVID-19. What’s more, as people spend more time at home, some working from home and some waiting for offices to reopen, their digital media consumption is skyrocketing… and video proportionately.
For instance, one of our clients, CFA Society India, has moved entirely from physical engagement to a series of webinars and pre-recorded videos on a range of relevant topics.
We ourselves put out a short video the other day for our primary brand message in these difficult times: Now’s the time to communicate more, not less, because while we need to be physically apart, it’s all the more important that we stay emotionally together.
FAQS
Q1: How do you keep your social media presence relevant during a business disruption or crisis?
The three key approaches are: staying consistently active online with updated operational information, switching to situation-relevant content that acknowledges the current reality, and incorporating visual formats like videos and webinars to meet rising digital consumption.
Q2: Why should businesses continue social media marketing even during slowdowns or crises?
Digital communication is cheaper, more targeted, and more measurable than traditional channels. During periods when in-person interaction is off the table, social media becomes the primary way to stay visible to clients and prospects.
Q3: What is situation-relevant content and why does it matter on social media?
Situation-relevant content means adapting your messaging to reflect the current environment rather than continuing with pre-planned content that feels out of touch. Ignoring major events your audience is experiencing makes a brand seem disconnected and tone-deaf.
Q4: What types of posts should a business prioritise during unusual or crisis periods?
Businesses should prioritise updates on operating hours, services still available, safety measures, and content that is directly useful to their audience in the given context – replacing any regularly scheduled content that no longer feels appropriate.
Q5: Why is video content particularly effective for social media engagement?
Video is consumed faster and retained longer than text. As digital media consumption rises – especially during periods when audiences spend more time at home – video content, webinars, and pre-recorded sessions see significantly stronger reach and engagement than static posts.