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Social Media Support for Businesses During the Coronavirus Lockdown

Since the lockdown started back in March, there has been an abundance of help and support offered by many different industries and companies. With digital marketing becoming more and more important as companies adapt to the ‘new normal’, what help is out there to aid your communications?

 

Facebook

Facebook has jumped at the chance to support companies of all shapes and sizes, but they have really come through for small businesses in particular. As such, they have created a Coronavirus (COVID-19) business resources section on Facebook. You’ll need to login to your account, head to your business page and it should be on the left-hand side.

 

 

Once there, it gives you hints and tips to stay connected with your customers, including joining groups, live video, best practises and more.

 

 

They also launched the Small Business Grants Programme, which offers cash grants and ad credits to help during this challenging time. Whilst they’re still working through eligibility details for the UK, you can sign up in advance or visit their Business Resource Hub in the meantime.

 

Another quick tool, that can help communicate your current situation AND boost reach, is by marking your content as a COVID-19 Update. The update appears as a notification, so is a great way to get your message our further without having to spend money on Ad budget.

 

Youtube

YouTube is a great platform to use, but not particularly easy if you don’t have the skill, budget or time to create top-level videos.

 

With that in mind, they are working on a beta Video Builder Tool which allows you to create content for free. We’ve not been able to get access yet but you can sign up for yourselves here.

 

 

Once live, it will allow users to create their own video up to 15 seconds long by dragging and dropping images and overlaying text, colours and music.

A handy tool for those who are new to video but understand its importance.

 

Instagram

This image and video sharing platform has been great for small businesses during lockdown by providing lots of different ways for companies to interact and be recognised. They launched a ‘Support Small Business’ sticker which allows users to tag businesses and pull in their most recent posts, creating a link to their profile.

 

 

 

They released a few other new features too, which come in the form of gift cards, food orders, or fundraiser stickers which people can share in their Stories.

 

Earlier in May, they also released ‘Shops’ which creates a full-screen storefront enabling businesses to showcase their products. This then allows users to browse products, explore collections and purchase online – all without leaving the app.

 

Twitter

 

We haven’t seen much to shout about from Twitter really, but they did create a COVID-19 section on the Explore tab so that you can keep an eye on developments.

 

 

They also provided a page of how to stay safe and informed, which you can see here.

 

LinkedIn

 

Everyone’s favourite professional networking platform has been busy providing help for businesses too. They quickly implemented a COVID-19 response post that (once created) is pinned to the top of business pages.

 

 

 

They also created a small business resource page providing helpful advice on how to use the platform to your advantage. It includes access to learning courses and the a guide on how to host your own virtual events. You can check them out here.

 

That’s about it for now, but as ever, we’re continuing to monitor all the social media platforms and share any updates as we get them.

 

If you have any questions about how best to use social media during the Coronavirus pandemic, please feel free to contact us on 01489 232 312 or info@one2create.co.uk.

 

 

Further reading

 

Join Us to Raise Money for a Key Worker Party

One2create Offers Tips and Benefits of Working from Home

What Are Facebook Messenger Rooms And How To Use Them

 

Do you need a hand navigating the world of social media marketing? Why not get in touch with us and let us guide you?

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