It’s no surprise with everyone at home, online activity skyrocketed during the COVID-19 lockdown.

A global study from Kantar, where 25,000 consumers were surveyed across 30 markets, found engagement on social media has increased 61% over standard usage rates. 

Yes, that’s pretty massive!

Users are very much still active online, they haven’t just rediscovered their love for books and shunned social media forever (neither have I, don’t worry!) 

So what do you as a business do now? 

Well, now it’s all about agility and strategy. You have to be quick. You have to be willing to change things because the world is changing! And did I mention it’s changing quickly? 

The world right now is probably more sensitive than it’s ever been (perhaps too sensitive?) and as businesses, we have to read the room. 

This is where people like me come in and are able to prove their worth. Yes, anyone with access to the internet can get on social media and post a pretty picture. However, that doesn’t mean you know how to make it work for your brand. 

The last thing you want to do is cause a social media uproar based on a tone-deaf post (go and Google some COVID-19 social media fails and come back!) Have you heard of the saying that there’s one star of the internet every day? Well, there is, and you don’t ever want to be that star! 

So how can businesses be effective?

BY MAKING A PLAN. It’s not business as usual, it’s not going back to normal, so it’s time to sit down and really think about what you’re doing. It’s an entirely different world than it was three months ago. Heck, it’s an entirely different world in Western Australia than Victoria than the United States.

Make a plan with your audience as the number one consideration. The GlobalWebIndex (GWI) research suggests that 15% of surveyed internet users expect to continue spending more time using social media post-COVID-19. 

It’s essential to understand who you are talking to and understand *why* you are talking to them. Through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and WhatsApp, people are getting inundated with a lot of information at the moment. Make sure that the content you’re putting out and the conversations you are facilitating are actually worthwhile.

I get that everyone is a little paranoid about appearing to be opportunistic but don’t be afraid to get back out there. As I mentioned previously, people are spending more time on their phones and on social than ever before. Make sure that you have a suitable presence with something meaningful to say.

At least that’s what I think.
If you want to have a chat about it, get in touch.