Social Media Marketing in the Post COVID-19 Era

As the impacts of COVID-19 were felt at their greatest intensity, social media use skyrocketed. It became a primary source of COVID-related information. For many, it serves as a stand-in for the person-to-person interaction that was once so normal. 

Today, as the world is slowly moving away from the isolation, businesses are reopening brick-and-mortar locations, and people are going back to work. At the same time, the impacts of COVID have hardly disappeared. Many are continuing to engage in social distancing, choosing to trust online shopping over in-person experiences and using social media for information and engagement. 

Clearly, the ecosystem has changed permanently. It’s up to you to ensure that your business can pivot and adapt accordingly. Here are some tips for using social media to do just that.

Bolster Your Social Media Strategy

Because social media use has skyrocketed, it only makes sense that customers are using platforms to reach out to brands more than ever before. Have you taken steps to ensure that you are able to accommodate the shift? More importantly, are you seizing the unique opportunity to use social media to reach your business goals?

Whether you use a digital marketing strategy agency to revamp your social media approach or roll your own, now is the time to truly maximize your presence in order to:

• Increase brand awareness
• Offer additional customer support
• Provide a platform for online sales
• Deepen customer engagement

Take a second look at your social media strategy to ensure that it’s still as effective today as it was prior to COVID.

Stop Improvising and Start Testing

According to the 2021 special edition of the CMO Survey, there was a remarkably high level of improvisation in social media marketing in the past year. This makes sense, as marketing teams were forced to react and respond quickly to changes brought on by the pandemic. 

However, there was also a notable reduction in the use of tools and technologies to conduct formal testing and analysis.

The result is that there have been many new strategies implemented that really haven’t been verified for efficacy. Now is the perfect time to methodically consider each change you’ve made to your strategy. Use the analytics tools available to you to gather data. Learn what is truly working and what isn’t.

Be Sensitive, But Not Obsessive

How much should COVID-19 impact your social media content today? It’s a challenge to find the right balance. 

On one hand, posting content without any regard to the impacts and restrictions that many people are still experiencing is insensitive. On the other hand, many people have hit a saturation point and they may not want to be reminded of COVID at every turn. 

What is your audience’s overall sentiment? Learn that, then keep it in mind when you create content. Of course, all of this has to be balanced with a commitment to corporate social responsibility, too!

Focus on Authenticity and Accuracy

The increase in social media use is an indicator that people are using these channels to learn and connect. Successful brands have and will continue to meet and exceed customer expectations in these areas. 

Set high standards for your social media content. It should be accurate, relevant, and it should resonate with your target audience. Prioritize engaging with your customers and look to engagement metrics as a primary measure of your success.

Partner with a Digital Marketing Strategy Agency

There’s no better time to truly invest in a social media marketing approach that will help your business to thrive post-pandemic. To maximize your chances of success, consider working with a digital marketing strategy agency like Insights ABM. As a premier resource for digital marketing, we can help build your brand. Contact us today!