Struggling to keep your business social media account active during lockdown? Read on for key insights on engaging and growing your audience.

Social media is crucial for advertising your business, updating and informing about upcoming events, responding to customer queries, and improving consumer engagement. But when you have worked hard to build momentum with consumer engagement, how do you continue when the world’s events have been paused? During the pandemic and throughout countless lockdowns, when every day seems identical and your business may not even be trading, here are 5 easy things you can do to keep your social media account fresh. 

1. Don’t Be Afraid To Discuss Lockdown’s ‘New Normal’

Covid-19 has consumed all our lives, and consequently offers good material to relate to a universal audience. It is a unique time in which the whole world can share similar experiences. Everyone has been tested by changes over the past year and has experienced daily challenges. Addressing shared troubles can be a big comfort. It also helps to remind your audience that there is a real person behind your business. This can help to build a relationship with readers and drive engagement.

How To Utilise This On Social Media To Help Your Business

It enables you to connect to your audience at a time when they are craving support. You can also use it to be sensitive. Explain to your audience why you are still promoting your business while many are struggling. 

2. Post About Your Interests And Those Of Your Clientele

If your business is stagnant during lockdown, an effective way to build engagement is to make posts relating to your area of business and your audience’s interests. Consider your clientele’s interests, research, and listen to them. Learn about what posts they value and what they don’t. For example, if you’re a fitness company, post about workouts you’ve discovered, or a hiking route that is a ‘must-see’. 

Branch out from promoting single products and instead focus on your brand image.

3. Explore User-Generated Content Possibilities With Your Business Social Media

Another effective way to drive consumer engagement is through encouraging user-generated content. This tends to be effective any time but possibly more so in light of the pandemic when consumers are searching for lockdown activities. 

How This Can Help Your Business Social Media Accounts

User-generated content promotes your business and builds consumer relationships through entertainment. Consumers enjoy participating and your business becomes increasingly personalised. The move to social media has put consumers in a position of power where consumers listen to consumers. So, now is the time to engage and listen to them, form long-term relationships and turn them into powerful brand-ambassadors. This can include competitions, such as posting funny videos that best represent consumers’ lockdown experience or posting a photo of their new lockdown hobby.

4. Experiment With How To Present Your Business Social Media Content

With this extra time, now is the time to experiment not only with what content your users prefer, but also what media they respond best to. Find new ways to promote your brand and test out new media. Try out videos, texts, blogs, Instagram, Pinterest, photos, or even TikTok, and see what works best. This could include videos touring your site, putting a face to the brand or giving tips and advice in areas of interest through videos or blogs. See here for more advice on creating engaging posts.

Explore new media and study the analytics to create a better social media strategy going forward.

5. Analyse Your Results

It is essential to analyse your metrics, exploring what works, what doesn’t and why. Take this time to look at the analytics provided by your social media accounts, such as Facebook for Business, do A/B testing and optimise the quality of future posts to drive engagement. Furthermore, use this information to adapt your wider social media plan. This may inspire you to organise and update your social media strategy in other ways.

Now is the time to revamp and boost your social media strategy. You may be unable to access your physical workplace but now is not the time to relax. Don’t let your hard-earned social engagement be wasted. Marketers have a unique opportunity to engage with consumers. According to Simon Kemp’s report 43% of users between 16 to 64 report spending more time on social media due to Covid-19. Your target market has become increasingly available and is begging to be engaged during a time of loneliness, boredom and fear. If you make it your job to reach out, you may well be on the route to social media success! 

Sources

Kemp, S., 2020. Digital 2020: July Global Statshot. [Online] 
Available at: https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2020-july-global-statshot
[Accessed 5 May 2021].