How social media usage has changed post pandemic and what this means to your marketing.

Yes, autumn is upon us. In the most strange and unique of years, it does seem to have reached that time of year extraordinarily quickly. Most businesses I’ve been speaking to have moved on from the dugout position of mid pandemic and are now deploying well-constructed growth plans. Hurrah!

Before they move into a rapid activation phase I always recommend a period of reflection and analysis of the marketing data, they have available before they leap forward.

Yes, markets do look more optimistic, however, it’s worth digging into what consumer/buyer behaviour has changed in the wake of C19. It’s likely that your customers will be more cautious, and trust will be more important in driving behaviours. This puts a way greater emphasis on your marketing content plan, and probably your channel selection too.

Social media fatigue
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, global social media activity saw an all-time high, with more than half a billion new users joining various social media platforms in 2020. However, our feeds quickly became tired. Instagram posts from friends and family came to a halt as people stopped traveling or participating in Instagram-worthy activities and Twitter became an outlet for political and social opinions for those stuck at home on the couch. Additionally, our Facebook newsfeed saw an influx of DIY home-improvement projects or silly social media challenges that just got old quickly.

The rise of video-based platforms
Entertainment-focused YouTube ranked high as one of the most used platforms, and alongside it, TikTok skyrocketed its popularity during the pandemic. Families and friends turned to the video platform TikTok for two reasons: a personalized algorithm to keep you entertained for hours and the ability to join in on the fun by creating videos yourself.

Anybody can make a TikTok and that’s the beauty of it. YouTube requires hours of expensive shooting and editing, whereas a TikTok post can be recorded and posted instantly. This instantaneous upload in real-time mimics the rise in popularity Instagram saw in 2012. People wanted to see real people doing real things – but also needed a comedic relief to the craziness of 2020. For businesses, this trend is important, as it’s another indicator that people crave relatability on social media.

Four tips to build into your future social media plan.

1. Think about using a wider choice of social channels and revisit your tone of voice. This doesn’t mean you have to post videos of you or your employees doing a TikTok dance (although you could and we might watch), but perhaps share some helpful hacks to share with your customers. Or you could leverage users’ gravitation toward education and discovery on social platforms. People see social media as informal, so it’s important to relax your brand a bit to appeal to this.
2. Revisit your content plan. Shift your focus to creating content that really is engaging enough to stand out, incite a response or drive action.
3. Storytelling. Creating impactful stories and nostalgic memories can help to bring consumers together. Keep it real and honest, showing that your brand genuinely cares about its customers and local communities. Life has changed – perhaps forever – and your brand needs to show that you understand this and have adapted too.
4. Think short form. Content like Instagram stories, TikToks and Instagram Reels offer quick bits of visuals that grab a consumer’s attention and interest differently than a single static post. Invest in this type of content to engage audiences, without a huge investment.

Our team at BHP Consulting have all successfully run businesses, and we understand that every business, and every business owner or Director is unique. If you are interested in hearing about how we work with other business leaders to provide mentoring support, please click here to arrange a call or an exploratory face-to-face meeting.