Samuel Stevenson, National Senior Social Strategist
I remember this time last year when social media had a microscope on it. There was much discussion of the impact social media had on mental health. I’m certainly not suggesting the links between mental health and overuse of social media don’t exist – but the current working from home situation got me thinking about just how important it is to stay connected.
Like other agencies we are now working from home. Motivation along with optimism ebb and flow, but what has remained consistent is the solidarity amongst our team. We have video calls and instant messages with the sole intention of checking in. You may have observed the overall tone on your social media feeds is much less sales-y, and that is clearly a good thing. It’s clear that under this stress-test of everyone working from home, that social has a role to play in maintaining these important connections.
My favourite content right now highlights these connections. People aren’t just live streaming, they’re thinking about how they can enhance this experience with technology. We’re seeing brands not just making content to keep things ticking over, but to be helpful, and offer solutions or info that is truly productive. I hope this behaviour continues as screen time normalises on the other side of this.
So, what am I telling my clients about how they can play their part in the new normal on social media?
There are two main things: Lead with utility, and throw your pre-COVID-19 calendar away.
On utility – If you weren’t invisible before, you sure are now unless you’re being seen as useful by your audience. If you can balance being informative and helpful – that’s a winning combination.
On reactivity – throw the plan away. Content calendars don’t align well with creating reactive content. There is no magical number of posts per week. So why not think about what is possible creatively when each day you can start with a blank canvas.
Social media use continues to change, as does the COVID-19 situation. For brands we recommend now as the perfect time to put utility and reactivity front and centre in your social content strategy.
