Keeping your brand active during COVID-19

As we adjust to our temporary new normal, COVID-19 has challenged us all. You can look at the impact of the Coronavirus in one of two ways, a glass half full, or a glass half empty. You can either build your business around a crisis or let the crisis break your business down.

Over the weeks I have seen so many brands thriving during this time, and it truly is inspiring to see. Whether you are an influencer or a small business, there are so many things you can do to keep your brand active online during this time.

We have time It’s rare and precious, but at this moment, one thing we all have on our hands is time. This is the perfect opportunity for you to build your community, grow customer loyalty, and increase engagement and followers. With more people online than ever before, the opportunity is there for you to reach a wider audience. Those who are 18-34 years old especially, are looking for ways to keep themselves busy and need interactive and engaging content.

Keep your audience updated The most important thing for people during this time is transparency and honesty. We are looking for it with our government, our employers and each other. Your online following will be interested in how you are managing your business during this difficult time. Keep your audience updated with Instagram stories, Facebook posts and blogs. If you are a retail brand, keep them updated on orders, deliverables or temporary closures. More broadly, keep active in responding to any comments that are coming your way. In the current climate, something is better than nothing!

Keeping your audience entertained and engaged

Think outside the box when it comes to content during COVID-19, we are all in the same boat, and in this together. Can your colleagues share recipes, or their all-time favourite books or movies? Maybe you have a heap of online training resources or freebies from other brands you can share – it would all be appreciated and that is what your audience will remember. Longer form videos are also becoming more popular, so why not try creating some IGTV content.

Live content is thriving

Due to the Instagram algorithm, it’s very possible that your followers may not be engaging with your brand on social media (besides a follow!), especially if you’re not active in the right ways.

Live content during lockdown is a great way to get seen. Not only will you appear 1st or within the top bar of your followers homepage, you’ll be providing authentic content. You can also look to do co-lives with others Instagram users (this could be other followers or a relevant business contact). Many are doing workout videos, tutorials within a special skill set and Q&A sessions - There’s so much scope and engagement that can come from doing a live so I would encourage to test this out if you haven’t already.

If you are not ready to go live just yet, start with Instagram Stories. Brands that are not showing up on the Story timeline are definitely missing out on reaching more of their audience and maximising their impact.

Quick tip: When using Instagram, always story your content to ensure your updates are being seen. Remember to save any important updates to your highlights so it lasts more than the 24 hour time limit.