What seemed mundane or boring pre-Covid, now seems to be “normal” to mankind. The Covid-19 situation has got us all in jitters, and countries across the globe are on a continuous look-out for ways to get out of the situation.

The new normal – which is wearing a mask at all times, social distancing from near and dear ones, using sanitizers at all touchpoint, not catching up with peers and friends, and even the daily chores which we dreaded once upon a time, seems to be little vacay every-time we step out of the house even to buy the necessities like milk or bread. And this situation does not seem to be going well with a lot of us. Especially for business houses!

Though a few sectors did do well in such times, a lot of us are still picking up and since as businesses we have a platform, we must take the opportunity to throw light and hope for people around us. While social media could be a thing, since most of us are indoors and are always glued on our devices, either reading or keeping ourselves busy. Here is how businesses use social media to bounce back:

 

1. Increase customer engagement:

We understand that not all of us are selling consumer goods and hence increasing customer engagement in such times could not be an easy task to accomplish. But customer engagement in such times not only gives your brand the limelight it deserves but also gives you a scope for a better tomorrow.

E.g. you could start with a small giveaway. You could either host an exclusive giveaway or collaborate with other like-minded brands. You could begin by sharing a post wherein you can ask your audience to like, share, tag, and comment. And then you could keep parameters on how you would declare the winners. While this could be a good example for a consumer good brand what about non-consumer goods?

For e.g: your business is into trade show booth rentals. Will giveaways work here? Possibly no. what can such business do to increase customer engagement? You can host a competition wherein they could come up with some latest trade show booth ideas. And likewise, you can declare the winner with the most feasible idea.

 

2. Spread positive updates:

The world is still fighting the deadly virus and there is too much negative news doing the round. And you surely do not want to add up to the chaos! Try not to publish news that is low in energy or could upset the mood of viewers reading your social media handles or blogs. This way a lot of viewers will refrain from looking up to your post or reading them. You could begin with posting one positive news every day as a social tweet. Or say publish blogs about the latest advancements in the medical sectors.

Even better publish blogs with “thank you” notes. You could also share images of happier times, like an employee day picnic, or a fun day at work, or meeting important personalities at events, or even by asking open-ended questions like, what is that one thing you look up to every morning? Sometimes you can also reverse roles and ask followers to post happy pictures or tweets by using a hashtag and later re-post it. This way you not only spread positivity but also brand awareness.

 

3. Encourage testimonials and reviews:

We understand that all of us are sailing through difficult times, but the only way forward is to help each other buckle up. And out of the many ways, one way is to support the business we love. It’s ok if you cannot buy goods and services from them at the moment, but you could always help in many other ways. One such way is through reviews, ratings, and testimonials. While reviews and ratings work wonders for consumer goods products other industries could ask for testimonials.

E.g. pre-Covid your business participated in an exhibition. And amidst the chaos, you could not work through the testimonials. It’s the right time now. Pick that address book, call up your clients, or draft emails and tell them how important it is for you to collect testimonials. Irrespective of them being good or bad, collect them and keep them for future reference. While the good ones mean, job well done, the bad ones leave room for improvement. No matter how big or small positive impact on brands can do wonders.