How Small Businesses Can Use Social Media Platforms During Tough Times?
The global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed social media platforms into a business promotion tool. They provide amazing opportunities to successfully lead your small business like a pro. It is possible to enhance your outreach, impress the right audience, and bring about quality leads to your small business during downturns.
Statista conducted a survey in March 2020 in which 43.1% of U.S respondents reported that their social media usage was high during COVID-19 lock-down times. With the help of an active social media presence, you can stay connected with your audience at all times.
Here are a few tips to leverage social media channels for leading your small business amid COVID-19 issues. Further, we have covered the new features that social media platforms offer for small business enhancement during the COVID-19 crisis. Here at SmallBusinessWeb, we offer a range of digital marketing services for small businesses, designed to help you navigate these challenging times.
Scroll down to learn more.
Effective Tips for Small Business to Use Social Media During Uncertainties
Being a small business owner, it is highly challenging to stay connected with your customers during unexpected times. These are the times you have to be even smarter and get alternate support from a leading digital marketing agency for small businesses.
On that scale, social media marketing will be the best choice. More than 3.5 million users are active on various social media channels globally. Having a strong social media image will cause your business to shine among competitors. Here, we have outlined the best tips on how to stay active on social media during such uncertain times.
1. Stay Connected with Your Audience
Social media usage during lock-down is double the time than on normal days. Due to COVID-19, the usage of Facebook and Instagram has increased by up to 40%. Leverage these best opportunities and stay connected with your audience without any impediments.
For instance, Modo Yoga NYC offers online live classes on Instagram after closing their walk-ins. To educate their audience about these online classes, they post the schedule on their Instagram page daily.
By going live on social media channels frequently, posting an interactive challenge on your stories, promoting gift cards, creating some interesting poll questions, and other activities will enhance your visibility before your target audience.
2. Show That You Are Social Conscious
Running with the sales mind to earn profits during difficult times will not entice your audience. Blindly chasing people for business will ruin your reputation.
For instance, Woodlandshouse, a small travel business in Oregon has posted a well-written caption that states about the various social-distancing measures they are practicing in their resorts. In fact, these tips provide values to the readers who can maintain a similar setup in their homes.
Put yourself in your customers’ shoes and utilize your social media profiles for providing support, helpful information, guidance, and credible resources that are relevant and sensible to the community’s current situation. This strategic effort will showcase your brand as a business that cares about people over profits!
3. Use Content Creation Tools
During lock-down times, people spend a lot of time on social media where they come across various posts. If you want to impress your target audience, then it is crucial for you to create unique posts.
With the help of tools, developing content on social media becomes a piece of cake. Content creation tools are useful in creating engaging images, videos, graphics, and branding visuals.
Here, we have listed out a few best tools that help you build attractive social media content during downturns.
- Short videos – Biteable
- Schedule posts and track the performance – Buffer
- Research about content topics and popular influencers – BuzzSumo
- Create social media campaigns – Missinglettr
4. Spread Positivity
During these hard times, if you stay idle, it will pull you towards the closure of your small business. Be more active and keep on marching toward the positive things that will eventually thrive your confidence level.
Though it is hard to stay hopeful during downturns, remember that every coin has two sides and pay heed to the positive side of uncertainties.
Post motivational quotes, positive-ending stories to spread positive vibes to your audience, and bring amazing results to your small business even at the time of downturns.
5. Partner with Influencers
Influencers have a powerful social media presence, immense fans following, etc. By collaborating with influencers during tough times, you can expand credibility about your small business among your target audience.
According to a report from Twitter, 49% of consumers rely on the recommendations of brands shared by the influencers for their purchases. Hence, partnering with popular social media influencers can enhance your visibility in the online sphere during these lock-down times.
6. Explore New Features
Owing to a hectic work pace in the usual days, you wouldn’t have thought about upgrading your business. Now is the right time to kick-off the new features for your small business enhancement.
If you like to enhance local visibility for your small business, then spend a couple of minutes to read our blog post about the complete local SEO checklist for small business.
Also Read
Suppose if your small business does not have strong visibility in the online world, then embark on establishing a powerful online presence. You can take assistance from leading small business digital marketing service providers who will support you to make a tremendous mark in the online space.
New Features of Social Media Platforms for Small Businesses During Uncertainties
Popular social media channels have launched new features and tools that help you to stay connected with your audience during this ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we have consolidated the new features that are offered by various social media platforms.
Instagram has recently introduced a new gift card, food order, and donate stickers which can be displayed on your business profile or stories.
When users tap the sticker on your profile/stories they will be directed to your business’ website to complete transactions or will be brought to a dedicated fundraising page on Facebook. To learn more about the new feature, click here.
Facebook has committed $100 million cash grants in ad credits for small businesses with 50 employees or less. To learn more about the new grants program, click here.
LinkedIn has rolled out a new tool called Virtual Events for connecting with your employees through video conferencing. Click here to learn more about the tool.
YouTube
YouTube has launched its Video Builder Tool that allows small businesses to easily and quickly build video content for free. Curious to learn more about the tool, click here.
Yelp
Yelp has announced $25 million as relief funds in advertising charges to support independent local restaurant and nightlife businesses. To learn more about the relief funds, click here.
Pinterest has launched a brand new collection of products from sustainable brands on the Pinterest Shop. To learn more, click here.
The outbreak of COVID-19, natural disasters, economic crises, and others can have a huge impact on the growth of your small business. By making the best use of these features and tools, you can showcase yourself as a leader who can successfully run the business like a pro.
Over to You
By establishing your small business visibility on social media, you can stay calm at the time of storming downturns. Your social media presence will greatly be a supporting arm and make you stay active before your target audience.
Do you have plans to leverage the social media platform for leading your small business during uncertainties? At SmallBusinessWeb, our social media strategists provide the best-tailored tactics that will support you in tackling any hard situation an economical small business digital marketing cost.
Feel free to get in touch with us. You can give a call +1 (919) 234-5140 or drop a message at any time. We are ready to work with you!
If you have any tips to be added to this list, then let us know in the comments section so that it will be useful for our readers too.
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About the Author - Pavithra Samuel
I'm a passionate copywriter at Small Business Web sharing a special bond with digital marketing. I aim at delivering masterpiece content for which my research helps a lot. I always search for unique inspirations and write them all down to use in my blogs & content. I make the best use of the upgraded tools & technologies that greatly assist in content writing. Other than reading & writing, my other two friends are food & music. On and often, I do write blog posts, to get regular updates, stay tuned with us.
