What to post on social media during a pandemic or downturn

Understandably, many have found that their the business priorities have changed significantly with a focus on consilidating existing projects and assignments and protecting existing staff. However, whilst this might seem like a time to keep your head down and batten down the hatches, marketing has never been more crucial. You should be aware that your employees, clients and business partners are looking to you for reassurance and guidance for their own worries and insecurities on how to deal in this challenging situation. People have more access than ever to online platforms and are spending more time on social media.

Now would be the worst time to go silent on your social media channels, with one exception: do not continue to post or run ads on services that your target group does not need right now! Social media is an excellent way to communicate your plans for the future and how you’re provding for your staff during the Coronavirus lockdown.

What are others posting on social media?

A recent survey of high-performing LinkedIn posts showed that posts from CEOs commenting on COVID-19 performed exceptionally well with engagement rates increasing by up to 90%. There is a greater sensitivity to social media at the moment as more of your staff are looking for reassurance and information there. Clever CEOs capitalising on this movement include: Alfred Kelly, CEO of VISA who posted about the guaranteed job security at VISA in 2020; Arianna Huffington, CEO of Thrive Global posted about the importance of containment; Arne Sorenson, CEO of Marriott posted about the impact and consequences of the crisis; and Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft who posted about payment of hourly workers during crisis.

So what should you post on your social channels?

For recruitment leaders, ensuring you remain active on social whilst respecting the current climate and messaging will not only enhance the awareness of your business, but if done correctly, can engender good will and thus enhance your reputation amongst your customer base. Businesses that are successful will be better positioned for when business returns to normal, having maintained continuity of communication and awareness amongst client and candidate bases.

This is a tricky situation however, particularly for those in staffing solutions where many people will have been affected by the pause in businesses‘ recruitment processes. It is ok to not have the magic answer to reassure everyone, but as a leader, you need to:

• Address the current situation and its impact on your business and industry
• Express gratitude towards your employees
• Show how your company gives back and what support you will offer, whether to your customer base or community

If you follow these guidelines you will have provided an outline of your plans to manage the expectations of your employees clients and the business community you serve. They deserve to know what your intentions are during this time.

How can social media impact your reputation for the economic rebound?

Creating regular social media posts that express your gratitude and future plans to cope with the COVID-19 outbreak will have a lasting impact. It will bolster your reputation as a strong and compassionate leader by showcasing how you stepped up to support your community in these unprecedented times.

6 tips to nail your brand message on social media

1. Show empathy
   This is a tense situation, the news is full of the rising statistics of people being let go or furloughed from their jobs. From a managerial position, it can also be difficult to juggle the added pressure that furloughing staff can add to your own workload. It is important that any social media posts you create at this time recognises this and empathises with the situation.
2. Express your stance on your own staffing issues
   Taking the time to outline that you are doing everything you can to secure jobs for your own employees will give them a resource to refer to for reassurance. You can extend this so that it also offers reassurance for your clients and business partners of your business continuity and long-term plans. This is also a point where you can suggest that your clients maintain their recruitment plans and offer your support in this time. Offering bespoke advice and consultancy services free of charge will go a long way at this point too. Adjusting your payment plan entirely may also help garner good will from your client base.
3. Be consistent
   Social media is effective when it is used regularly, creating a plan or outline of what you want to post during this period will help you organise your thoughts to create a well-rounded picture. However, it is important that each of your posts relay a consistent message; you can’t have one post that promotes the importance of remote working for staff safety and then flip flop to a post about how important it is that everyone return to the office as soon as possible.
4. Coordinate on other channels
   For recruitment, LinkedIn is the obvious choice, but if you are using other channels like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook too you need to make sure that the message is coordinated across them all consistently. Your message on social media, of course, also needs to match any internal communications you may have shared with your workforce.
5. Respond to feedback
   A social media post can be a great forum to spark conversation, if your staff, clients, business partners or even your wider LinkedIn community comment on your post or offer feedback on your ideas, it is in your best interests to respond and keep the conversation going. Take this opportunity to build a deeper relationship with your auduence that will last beyond the current crisis and serve you well in the future.
6. Map out your next steps
   Be transparent about what your future plans include, map out your next steps and be as specific about your timings as you can. This will set you apart as a forward thinking leader with a clear plan for the economic bounceback expected after lockdown measures are lifted.

If you are unsure of how to put together consistent social media posts that articulate your brand and value proposition, Thrive can help you articulate your branded messaging.