When the crisis first started, news stories were being released daily. Business owners were making quick decisions and sharing important information with their customers multiple times per week. But we’ve been in crisis mode for a few weeks now. People have started to accept this as the new normal.
At KWSM: a digital marketing agency, we hosted several social media bootcamps to help business owners take their messages online. I presented the LinkedIn Bootcamp. One of the most common questions I got from the webinar attendees was, “how often should I post about COVID-19 on social media?”
My answer changed significantly from week one to week four. At first, it was important to not be tone-deaf to the situation. But people have settled into their new way of life now and there is not as much need to be cautious as a few weeks back.
Questions to Ask Yourself to Determine How Often to Post About COVID-19 on Social Media
In order to determine how often to post about COVID-19, I recommend asking yourself these three questions. Your answers will guide you in determining what to post and how often to share your thoughts about the state of this epidemic.
How Much Have Your Services Changed For COVID-19?
Only a small portion of businesses have been deemed ‘essential.’ If you fall outside of that list, it is likely that one of two things happened. The first situation is that your team is working from home, but beyond that, it is business as usual. In this case, we suggest resuming a regular posting schedule.
The second situation, however, is that time away from the office has had dire financial consequences. In some situations, this may mean that in the last 3 weeks you have completely reinvented your business in order to stay afloat. If you fall into this category or are deemed an essential business, you should move forward with COVID-19 related content.
How Much Has COVID-19 Affected Your Customers?
You should also think about your audience and determine how much their life has changed because of the virus. If your customers are deeply affected by COVID-19, you should be mindful of their emotions and thoughts. But if you notice that your customers have already begun to adapt to the new situation, it might be best to move on as well. Consuming too much negative information can become taxing on your customers. Staying with coronavirus content might result in them unfollowing you on social media, which is the last thing you would want!
How Does Your Brand Fit into Your Customer’s Life?
Finally, take into consideration what your brand means to your customers and how your business plays a role in their life. For example, if you are a business consultant or therapist it will remain important to be their voice of reason and support. Your customers turn to you for advice, so you should be available to give it to them. On the other hand, if you are their accountant, they may not want your words of encouragement. They do not expect you to do much more than provide them with the latest changes to the tax deadline. If you have done that, you’ve done your part in supporting your customers. You can resume a regular content schedule without feeling tone-deaf.
Deciding Your Posting Schedule
If none of these questions helped point you toward talking about COVID-19, that is totally okay. Your business will not seem insensitive if you begin to resume a regular posting schedule. Customers will understand and may even be thankful for the fresh ideas and positive outlook. Now, if one or two of these questions seemed to warrant that you continue to post about COVID-19, I recommend working in a few more posts that are applicable to regular life. Assuming you are posting on Facebook 10x per week, start with having four or five posts that don’t relate to the outbreak.
Still unsure how often you should post about COVID-19 or want help to know what to post? Contact us.
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