Things you should know about marketing on social media during the pandemic!

Overwhelmingly, some of the questions being asked by businesses at this time include: should I be posting on social media now? Does it make sense to post if my business is closed or affected by the pandemic? Should I even be marketing or advertising – after all, things are rough due to COVID!

The answer is a resounding yes! You can’t afford to stop posting or selling but at the same time, you can’t risk coming across as tone-deaf in your approach to marketing online; there are many persons who are still being affected by COVID-19 whether it be health or job wise. A little sensitivity goes a long way, but the fact remains that more people are spending time online so there is a unique opportunity to strengthen your relationship with your customers/audience, stay connected and reinforce what your brand/business stands for.

1. Your customers need value

• Turn your social media pages, especially Instagram, into a valuable resource for your customer base. You should prioritise engagement by educating them whether it be through carousel posts, your captions or videos which are excellent for sharing information, as opposed to continuously promoting ‘Swipe up’ or ‘DM us’ to get them to purchase. Being transparent can go a long way e.g. “ It feels strange promoting something new right now, but” – that introduction shows them that you care. It doesn’t mean you have to stop trying to sell but your captions should be well written and provide context.

2. Create nostalgia and offer inspiration

• If you’re in the travel, tourism or hospitality field, this is definitely a route you can take. With so many people wishing they can travel to their favourite destination or just hop on a plane and get away from lockdown, now is the perfect time to remind them of how much fun they had when they last visited, even tease them with new experiences or better yet create a social media campaign around the most popular experiences at your destination, hotel or tour company.

Just a few months ago, I conducted a training session with hoteliers and restauranteurs in Bequia and I am pleased to see many of them becoming more creative especially the Bequia Beach Hotel- a quick scan through their social media pages and you feel like you’re missing out by not being here! Take a page from Airbnb whose social media content is predominantly focused on inspiration; they share images of stunning locations to inspire fans, increase brand awareness as well as engagement. So, hoteliers, restauranteurs, why not help potential visitors plan their next trip right now!

Next time, I will go through how your content should be influenced by your business situation.

Candice Sealey is the Founder & Principal Marketing & Public Relations consultant at Ignite! a Full-service Marketing & PR Consultancy that helps businesses engage and connect with the right people through traditional and digital Marketing, media services and design solutions. Follow us on FB & IG @igniteresults
Email: igniteresults@gmail.com