**Looking for my 7 social media copy templates? Get them right here.
As an entrepreneur or business owner, you know that social media is part of any solid marketing strategy.
But with fear and anxiety at an all-time high because of COVID-19, you might feel unsure about how you should be using social media these days to connect with your audience.
What should you share?
How often should you post?
Should you just lie low and avoid sharing anything for a while?
Keep reading below for my 10 tips on how to use social media for your business during COVID-19.
What should YOUR business post on social media these days?
Grab my FREE cheat sheet on what to post depending on whether your business is…
(a) open but fighting to survive, (b) temporarily closed, or (c) operating like business as “usual.”
1. Keep posting
Because of the immediate concerns that people have about their health, families, and finances right now, you might be worried about continuing to share content with your audience on social media. After all, is it going to seem insensitive? Are people even paying attention to anything that isn’t related to COVID-19?
The answer is yes.
In fact, people are spending more time online and on social media than ever before. In fact, Facebook and Instagram saw a 40% increase in usage because of COVID-19. And views for Facebook Lives and Instagram Lives doubled in just one week!
Those people aren’t there just to get every COVID-19 breaking news story as it comes out. Many people are looking for hope, distractions, and anything that makes life feel just a little bit more normal right now.
So even though things aren’t business as usual these days. It absolutely makes sense to keep posting, continue serving your audience, and strengthen your connection with them.
Related: What to include in your posts on 5 social media platforms
2. Check scheduled posts
The world has changed a lot in just a few weeks. And changes to policies and restrictions are happening on a daily or even hourly basis.
So if you schedule your social media posts in advance, double check them before they go live. Make sure they don’t contain anything that would be insensitive, problematic, or irrelevant at the time of posting.
This applies to any content you may have scheduled before the pandemic reached your audience’s geographic region. It also applies to content you’ve created during the pandemic and scheduled for a future posting date.
Related: How to write social media copy for 5 different platforms
3. Support your audience
One of the best ways to connect with your audience at a time like this is to share content that supports them. Depending on the type of business you have, this can take different forms.
For example, if you’re a health care business, like digital health app Maple, you could share content that helps people understand and protect themselves against COVID-19.
If you run a business that’s relevant to the challenges people have right now, share content that helps them address these challenges. For example, if you’re a financial advisor, you could share tips that people can use to manage their finances effectively during a global crisis.
Don’t fit into either of these categories? No problem! You can still support your audience by sharing a motivational message or creating a post that helps people take their minds off the pandemic.
Related: The 5 best types of content to share on social media
4. Embrace live video
You may not be able to connect with your audience or customers in person these days. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t continue to interact with them in an engaging way. What can you do instead? Use live video, such as Facebook Live or Instagram Live, to send video messages to your audience, provide tutorials, or share useful tips.
Example: Fitness brand Barry’s has been using their Instagram Live to broadcast free live workout classes taught by their instructors.
5. Watch your language (and visuals)
Your business may have nothing to do with pandemics, viruses, or close physical contact. But if your social media content hints at any of these things even figuratively, it could rub your audience the wrong way.
For this reason, make sure your social media posts and videos are free of the following:
- metaphors that hint at close interaction (e.g., “get in touch,” “come together,” and “working hand-in-hand”)
- visuals of people gathering in crowds or touching (e.g., images of friends hugging or people at a party)
- COVID-related words and phrases used in a hyperbolic way (e.g., “avoid it like the plague” or “I had a caffeine crisis this morning”)
Related: The 10 best stock photo sites for your blog or website + 15 bonus sites
What should YOUR business post on social media these days?
Grab my FREE cheat sheet on what to post depending on whether your business is…
(a) open but fighting to survive, (b) temporarily closed, or (c) operating like business as “usual.”
6. Check your tone
People are struggling in all kinds of ways these days. But this doesn’t mean that you need to adopt a doomsday tone when you create your social media posts.
Instead, reflect on your brand’s tone on social media and think about whether you need to adjust it temporarily. For example, if your tone is usually carefree and upbeat, you might decide to take it down a notch so that your content doesn’t seem insensitive.
Related: How to choose the right voice & tone for your blog or biz + free brand voice worksheet
Example: Cheeky juice brand Innocent read the room and used a more serious tone in this Instagram post.
7. Be empathic
A little bit of empathy goes a long way, especially at a time like this. So if you want to connect with your audience and reassure them that you truly care about them, you’ll want to be empathic in your social media posts.
How do you do this? Acknowledge the challenges that people are facing right now and the emotions they’re trying to cope with. You don’t need to reference health concerns, job loss, and empty grocery store shelves in all of your posts. But if you show your audience that you get what they’re going through right now, it’ll help you establish or maintain a genuine connection with them.
Example: In this Instagram post about an affiliate product, Amy Porterfield acknowledges the complex challenges and emotions that many business owners are experiencing these days.
8. Ditch the fear tactics
People are scared enough these days. So no matter how much you want your audience to pay attention to a post, steer clear of fear tactics in your social media content. It might get you a few extra clicks. But there’s also a good chance that it could upset your audience and even make some of them unfollow you.
Related: How to write compelling social media posts
9. Ask your audience
Still not sure what to post on social media during COVID-19? Ask your audience what they’re in the mood for consuming right now (and even how often they’d like to see your posts).
Reformation did this earlier on in the pandemic. They sent an email to their subscribers and asked them what kind of content they wanted to see on social media right now.
10. Do some spring cleaning
Your audience may not be the only ones with some extra time these days. If you’ve got an hour or two to spare, seize the opportunity to do some social media spring cleaning. Optimize your bios, review your analytics, update your social media strategy, and create future content. This way, you’ll set yourself up for even better results once life starts back up again.
Use social media effectively during COVID-19
It’s not an ordinary week in the social media world. But it also isn’t the time to go MIA on your audience.
Instead, use social media intentionally and empathically during COVID-19 to connect with your audience, support them through these months, and serve them in the ways they need most.
What should YOUR business post on social media these days?
Grab my FREE cheat sheet on what to post depending on whether your business is…
(a) open but fighting to survive, (b) temporarily closed, or (c) operating like business as “usual.”
