Times are strange and business is far from usual these days. That is why we decided to write this blog and give you some tips on how to communicate on your social media channels during this period.

Staying connected with your audience may now be even more important than ever. Everybody counts on social media to stay connected with friends and family, we follow the latest news, and of course, we use it for entertainment purposes.

There is a big growth in social media in this period of lockdown and social isolation. Kantar did interesting research on the usage of social media during the pandemic. Whatsapp usage grew by 40%. The usage differs per stage of the virus. In the early stages of the virus, usage is up 27%, in midstage it is up 41% and in the late stage it is up 51%. In Spain, the usage is even up 76%!

Facebook and Instagram notice significant growth in usage as well. The apps are used around 40% more and there are twice as many Facebook and Instagram live posts as normal. 

As people spend more of their time on social media, it is a unique opportunity to create a strong and longterm relationship with your audience and to increase their brand affinity. How? By following the following tips:

1.    Keep on posting
By keeping on posting we don’t mean you post the same things you were posting before. Now is not the time to do sales promotions as a lot of people are facing difficulties and won’t be interested. Focus on your brand values and see how you can connect them to the current situation. Adjust your content to the situation. Where you would normally post a fantastic picture of your destination with a call to action to book your holiday now, right now you might want to change things up and write about how you are daydreaming about visiting your destination.

2.    Listen, acknowledge and be empathic
People’s worlds are upside down right now. You may be in a situation where not much has changed, but please, don’t forget about people in lockdown, people working in vital professions and people losing family members. Acknowledge the situation and let your audience know you listen to them and see them. 

3.    Add value for your audience
Think about how you may be able to help people at this moment. How can you make their lives more positive? How about sharing the recipe for the most popular dish of your destination? Are there any typical activities or games from your destination that people can now play at home instead of at your destination? Is there any way you can bring a bit of your destination to people’s homes? There are great examples where digital tours and online experiences are created to have people enjoy destinations while staying home.

Feel inspired by this newsletter but don’t know where to start? Please contact us and we will help you create a social media strategy that can be used right now.