If there’s one thing New Zealanders have learned, it’s that COVID-19 is persistent. 2020 has been a year that tells us marketers must be prepared to keep their message flowing no matter what’s happening in the world – because we truly don’t know what’s around the corner.
When faced with uncertainty in business, it may seem logical to take energy away from social media in order to help keep other elements of the business afloat. However, as realtors are wont to say, “You can’t sell a secret!” Social media is a company’s direct line to its customers, and a fantastic opportunity to keep spreading your message even in times of tumult. This could be key to keeping business flowing.
These three companies have shown that there are plenty of ways to use social media to supercharge a brand even during lockdown.
Cardinal Spirits
From the early days of America’s lockdowns, Cardinal Spirits (a distillery) started to post the specific amount of items it needed to ship on a particular day to stay afloat while its tasting room was closed. This was so its community of 11,000-plus Instagram followers could see exactly how to help the business they loved.
Each day when Cardinal Spirits met its target, it would post in a Story to tell people they had succeeded, and encouraged them to support another local business that particular day.
- Why was it great? Cardinal Spirits helped its followers feel like a critical part of the business, doing their part to keep it going. As a result, the business hit its targets almost every day.
Old Town Books
Expecting sales to suffer due to America’s stay-home orders, Old Town Books store owner Ally Kirkpatrick turned to Facebook to make her brand more than just a place to buy books – but a place of community and learning.
She hosted online book clubs, author Q&As, and even virtual story times. The store also ran pay-what-you-can writing classes and a GoFundMe, both as alternate sources of income.
- Why was it great? Old Town Books made itself a part of the writing and reading communities with its virtual events. These kept its community engaged, brought in new traffic, and offered customers a way to directly help the business beyond simply buying books.
Savlon India
Savlon India – a company that makes hand sanitiser – was well positioned, market wise, when the pandemic started picking up. While this is not an example of a company facing a customer shortage, it’s a perfect example of how a brand can use its social media platform to educate and make customers feel at ease. Other businesses, perhaps those that are struggling, can easily follow the example.
Back in February, Savlon ran a Q&A with its Facebook followers, hosting a panel of experts to answer key questions about the then-new (at least for nations outside of China) virus. Ever since, it has regularly posted advice on the topic, including how to make your own face mask and how to keep children engaged at home.
- Why was it great? Savlon saw an opportunity not just to sell products, but to help customers feel more at ease in a stressful situation. By becoming a source of expert advice, they were able to build fantastic engagement on their profile in the past few months.
Conclusion
Businesses facing pandemic lockdowns, or simply reduced customer demand as a result of a changed economy, shouldn’t abandon social media as it is a powerful tool for educating, engaging and driving revenue.
Marketers must ask themselves: What advice can we offer customers? What activities and events could we host? How can we become an active member of our community?
With the answers to these questions in hand, social posts write themselves.
