Why Social Media Matters Now

Although it feels like the world is ending, this pandemic has shown the truth about the world: it's going completely online. And it might stay there.

With everyone's screen times increasing and a growing movement to support local businesses now more than ever, it is time to take advantage of online audiences and promote your brand. Here are some statistics in case you need a bit more convincing:

There are 2.60 billion monthly active users on Facebook. It also has 1.73 billion users that are visiting the social networking site on a daily basis.

1 billion people use Instagram every month.

500 million people use Instagram Stories every day.

There are 330 million monthly active users and 145 million daily active users on Twitter.

63 percent of all Twitter users worldwide are between 35 and 65.

2 billion monthly active YouTube users.

Imagine having a brand and not reaching all these individuals! Using your social media for your brand means supporting employees and customers like never before. It is especially useful when nowadays it feels like there is a new law or rule in place because of COVID-19. If you don't properly inform your audience about what's going on, you might lose them altogether.

So how can you take advantage of your social media platforms? Read below!

If you don't even have social media:

Now is the time to start! Many influencers have become online voices in terms of helping their followers know what local businesses are doing. Instagram has also implemented many stickers on their stories that also help local businesses such as placing your to-go order right from the tips of your fingers or buying that dress with the help of their e-commerce updates.

If you already have the platforms, but aren't using them much:

That's perfectly fine! You can take this chance to do a lot of behind-the-scenes posts and stories to let your customers know that you're still around. If your business can still work during quarantine (i.e. offering delivery on food orders), definitely use your platforms to let your audience know that 1) your business is open during this time 2) protocols to keep everyone safe have been put in place and 3) what services you still offer during these times. For example, if you're a nail salon, it would be good to mention that you are sanitizing your stations and only accepting reservations to control the amount of people coming in.

If you already have a growing audience but don't know what else to post:

Instagram keeps updating their stories with stickers that best helps local businesses. Use that to let your audience know what is going on in your business. Take the time to partake in more behind-the-scenes shots and promote what you're selling online. You can also do fun content such as having your audience meet your employees, re-introduce your brand and what you stand for, and using influencers to promote your brand.

It may seem overwhelming, but it's absolutely do-able. For more personalized help, contact A to Z Social on how to best utilize your platforms to promote your business during these rocky times.