How to Connect With Your Customers During COVID-19Optimal Messaging for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn!

As the world continues to practice social distancing, COVID-19 continues to disrupt and impact the way we’re able to do business.

Things are moving at lightning speed, and it’s hard for businesses to know what to post on social media right now and what the correct social media messaging mix should really be.

Here’s a guide to help streamline your efforts:

Facebook & Instagram
Facebook’s recommendations cover Instagram as well. With a demographic ranging from 18-40 years of age (Instagram) and 40-65+ (on Facebook), these social networks encourage you to create content that is both informative, entertaining, and original.

1- Be Engaging

Spark authentic shares and discussion in the comments of your posts.

• Respond to comments on your posts to create a sense of community
• Comment on other people’s content so more users can interact with you
• Call on partners to help spread your message by re-sharing your content

2- Be Relevant

Capture people’s attention by posting about relevant topics they are seeking out.

• Use hashtags in your feed and Stories
• Optimize for search with clear titles, descriptions, and tags.
• Tag appropriate people and locations to reach the most relevant audience.

3- Be Original

Create unique and original content.

• Avoid posting duplicate content from others that you had no real role in creating.

4- Be Consistent

Build trust and guide your community to regularly return to your page.

• Post or go live frequently at a recurring time to bring users together. They will start to look forward to your content and conversations, as it will help them decompress from the news.
• Share updates between bigger moments and experiment with different formats like photos, videos, GIFs, and notes to keep people connected and inspire positive conversation.

5- Be Retentive

Share high-quality and 3+ minute-long videos to drive longer views of over 1 minute.

• Create long-form videos for IGTV or on Facebook, which may qualify for Facebook Watch.

For their full list of recommendations, you can find Facebook’s guide here.

Twitter
Twitter has outlined 4 main points for communicating in the time of COVID-19, which are:

1- Be Sure to Inform
Update your followers on any actions your company is taking to help during the pandemic.

2- Always Connect
Engaging in conversation on partner and follower posts, as well as posting your own content with a call to action, is a great way to stay connected to your network. Regular social listening and active commenting are both incredibly important ways to act as a resource during this time.

3- Try to Entertain
Share fun, lighthearted content to serve as a distraction from the news.

You can also get creative with your followers! For example, Pinterest asked users to Tweet them photos of their pantries so the company could send them recipes to try using the ingredients they have.

4- Be Helpful
Let your followers know that you’re here for them during this time. Ask if there’s anything they need. Simply engaging with your followers and answering any and all incoming questions and inquiries is a great way to be there for them, virtually.

These parameters serve as a gut check for your messaging. Does your tweet fit into one of these categories? If not, it’s best to leave it out at this time. For examples of each pointer,  you can find Twitter’s guide here.

LinkedIn
Whether you utilize the platform for your company, yourself, or both, LinkedIn suggests sharing your company stories and perspectives. The 4  avenues they suggest emphasizing are:

1- Post About Your Experiences…
Offering your personal stories, even on your brand page, can inspire and help others. Wondering what to share? Let your audience know what your new workday looks like, discuss a topic that’s important to you, or offer tips on what you’re doing right now to feel better.

2- Discover and comment on conversations that are most relevant to you…
Aside from posting your own content, a great way to offer insight is by commenting on posts that resonate with you. Searching hashtags is a fast and effective way to do this.

3- Be yourself and offer your unique perspective…
Some of the most successful posts on LinkedIn come from professionals who show appreciation for their team or share words of encouragement. This is a great opportunity to acknowledge your team members by sharing examples of the great work they are doing.

4- Stay informed with trusted news and share your own thoughts…
News about the coronavirus is constantly emerging, and we’re all looking for the latest and most accurate information. Following the latest news and simply sharing articles to your feed is a great way to engage in the conversation and inform your community.

Note: We recommend sharing COVID-19 related news on your professional page vs. your brand page unless it’s directly related to an initiative your business is taking to help the community during this time.

For their full list of recommendations, you can find LinkedIn’s guide here.

Remember, your brand’s voice is more important now than ever. Serve as a thought leader in your industry by following these guidelines, and, in turn, make each day a little bit brighter for everyone.

Questions, thoughts or comments? Call, DM or email me at sbellem@bbrookstone.com.