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Most small business owners are now looking for new ways to stay within sight of their audiences and make an impact, but have realised that it isn’t an easy proposition in the current pandemic landscape. As a business owner, you might have begun receiving a large number of LinkedIn Inmail articles, Facebook posts and emails related to advertising relevancy during the current pandemic.

Certain advertising outlets are also stating that things will never be the same again in the advertising and marketing world. Others are opening that advertising has become a potent tool with unprecedented national lockdowns, the WFH culture and social distancing norms in view.

A New Approach

While it is necessary to focus on advertising, it is also crucial to make sure that you change your approach towards this aspect of your business. You still need to continue focusing on efficiency and that the conversation should be more about delivering positive results with the use of an overarching strategy. So exactly how can you shift the focus of your advertising campaign to best suit the global situation that we are facing currently?

Which strategies should you utilise to make sure that your digital campaigns provide audiences with meaningful content over the next few months? When it comes to advertising, it is all about delivering relevancy, and that’s how it will always be. Relevancy at the moment centres on the pandemic, but some marketers tend to overdo this aspect which may not always go down well with online audiences. When you are delivering relevancy, you also need to make sure that you are not leaning excessively into the pandemic.

Why Social Media Marketing Has Become Very Relevant Today

Modern-day businesses have been engaging digitally with their consumers for a very long time now. However, this is true now more than ever because an increasing number of people are at home and using their mobile devices and computers more than ever. These aspects make it the ideal time to use different social media platforms to reach wider audiences and create stronger brand awareness, driving customers to your business website.

Physical Distancing Versus Social Distancing

Across Australia, people are practising social distancing in different ways. However, it only means that you have to distance yourself physically from other people. It doesn’t mean that you don’t have to be sociable. In fact, because of the wide use of social media, people are now increasingly being seen online and socialising with friends and others more than they did before the COVID- 19 situation. The only difference is that they are currently doing this via social platforms.

Since March of this year, movement restrictions combined with lockdown and theories of infection have pushed an increasing number of people on to social media and other digital platforms. Many people prefer using social media because they find it to be a safe space to interact, find entertainment inspiration and distraction without any risks of contracting the infection. There has been a notable rise in social media usage not just in Australia but across the world in comparison to the same time last year, making it an incredibly popular digital activity today.

With a larger number of people moving on to various social media platforms, they have been discovering brands and entertainers that they hadn’t noticed before. With these trends in view, many marketers are now looking at opportunities for boosting engagement and creating a positive business impact. In the current landscape, as the new normal evolves with each passing day, these aspects are gaining importance.

Changing Times Demand Different Social Media Best Practices

The novel coronavirus entered Australia and almost instantly altered everyday life as we know it. When faced with this kind of a situation, it sets us thinking about various things. Our advertising strategies and practices need to be thought-out correctly so that they are impactful, empathetic without being dismal yet relevant. Now that we know why it is necessary to focus on maintaining consistency on social media marketing, let us look at some strategies that you can consider for various social media campaigns:

A Creative Approach To Boost Engagement

While users are consuming more digital content, they are also spending more time creating it compared to earlier. Many people find that they have more time on their hands since they are working out of home. It is why they are turning to creativity apps and other avenues to deal with boredom. Social media users are getting creative and uploading videos and content as well as photographs and additional information on platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and more.

With consumers exploring their creativity, this is the right time for you as a business to ramp up your creativity as well. Using experimental marketing content, styles, and formats can help you reach these audiences that are looking for something different and refreshing. So if you were considering trying something unique and edgy and wondering how your consumers would react, this is the time to float the idea. Focus on innovating camera angles, concepts, and imagery to adopt a fresh approach.

While you are doing this, keep in mind that consumers also enjoy creating things themselves. If your marketing strategy centres on something which will encourage and enable your audiences to actualise their ideas and create content, it is a far better way compared to showcasing any creative concepts that you might have.
For instance, you can always upload posts which encourage creativity and interaction in your audiences. If your audience can participate in some way while reacting to your marketing campaigns, it can help you make a better impact.

Audiences are Looking for Comfort and a Connection

Since people are stuck at home, they are desperately looking for ways and means to connect with others and overcome their isolation. Just as people are more attracted to online games and interactive tools, media consumption that provides a shared experience is another manifestation. So if you are a marketer wanting to gain some traction in the current landscape, you should look for ways to create new communities and strengthen them through niche segmentation and dedicated branding groups.

Generate content that provides comfort to people and makes them feel that they aren’t alone in the current difficult situation. While doing this, also make sure that the content is shareable and encourages discussion so that your audiences can connect with each other in a better way around it. Consider doubling down on various community engagement events such as:

• Moderated Twitter chat
• Influencer-hosted Twitter chat
• Themed posts in your company’s Facebook group

Following these strategies can give your online community a space where they can share experiences and discuss your services or products and how they use them. Develop hashtags which encourage people to share their experiences and images of them using your product. It is an excellent way to promote creativity, as well as a sense of togetherness simultaneously. Make sure that you connect your product or services to existing hashtags and look for ways of piggybacking on massive activity that larger online communities are participating in.

Maintain Authentic Positivity Online

During difficult times, it is natural for people to seek inspirational and uplifting content. Everyone today knows the risks of infection and the dangers of COVID-19. They are tired of hearing about washing hands, sanitisation, social distancing and what the negative impact of the pandemic is. So while you can talk about these aspects and health, steer clear of explicitly mentioning COVID-19 and the coronavirus.

Since this is becoming a concern in the digital space today, Facebook has begun to crack down on many ads and posts which make claims about the coronavirus. If you do want to mention COVID-19, you mustn’t make yourself look like an expert on this particular topic. Misinformation & new information are clogging the internet, and it is best to stay away from adding to the noise. You do not have to bring in the pandemic issue to understand the way the coronavirus is altering how people communicate with each other.

Consumers today have changed their behaviour and outlook, and they are looking for something that will cheer them up. So try to post things that have a more positive vibe. The general idea is to generate a good and lively feeling and make inspiring content. Your brand needs to support inspiration and positivity and show how you are making things better for your consumers and giving back to the community. Use cheerful music for videos, post content that has light and positive colours and themes which indicate a sense of future possibilities and hope.

The Pandemic Has Altered the Dynamics

As mentioned earlier, social restrictions and fears of infection have brought about a significant number of changes to how consumers interact through social media. So everything that you post should be more creative and interactive. If you can pull this off, you will likely see improvements in brand sentiment and customer engagement despite the challenging marketing environment.

For customized web design services and template sites, CRM automation, and results-driven digital marketing strategies, call Digital Canteen on 02-9025-4304. Discuss your project details, and we will get your project started as quickly as you want.

Thanks for reading,
Digital Canteen Team
02-9025-4304