As of April 2020, lockdown is still in place due to the COVD-19 pandemic. Being connected via social media is now more important than ever before. Both Facebook & Instagram have seen an increase in usage of up to 40%. It’s the perfect time to spread positivity and news, or just useful and innovative COVID-19 hygienic tips and tricks!

When you’re trying to succeed on social media, there is just one thing you need to do and that is to provide value.

In other words, you need to make sure that you have a social media account that is offering something useful to the follower or your audience. That might be in the form of jokes and entertainment, it might be in the form of inspiration and encouragement, or it might be in the form of useful links and posts.

Adjust your brand & narrative by letting your followers know that you’re listening and acknowledging the new normal of what’s currently happening in the world, show that you can relate to this global crisis and how it affects you and your business all the way from your bedroom if you have to, people prefer an authentic and real perspective.

What’s also important is to know the reason that your business exists and what drives it. Why do you do what you do? What is your value proposition and how do you make the world better?

Once you know this, you can find that ‘through-line’ that connects your topics. So for example, if you sell life insurance, your mission statement might be to create happier families. And if that’s your mission statement, then a Facebook page about ‘fun activities for families’ will serve the same end goal and be a perfect marketing strategy!

Creating a brand is not just about getting more people to see your site and creating more opportunities to market your business. Another important reason to have a brand is so that you can retain your customers and leverage the good experiences they’ve had with you in the past in order to upsell to them again in the future.

If you are trying to build a personal brand in order to build trust and authority in your niche, then one vital strategy is to try and get to a point where your visitors feel as though they know you. This way, they will be far more likely to trust your future posts and far more likely to want to listen to you when you suggest investing in a product/service.

A simple solution to building trust online is to keep posting consistently and build relationships over time. Explore new and trending topics to capitalise on and teach your followers something new and valuable, this is one way to build meaningful relationships with customers online.

Think about it: who would you be more likely to listen to in regards to investing in a product/service – a friend or an advert? The answer is the friend and that’s because we feel as though we know them and thus can trust their judgement. If you can be seen in the same way, then your suggestions will carry much more clout and you will seem much more persuasive.

With the majority of people at home, your website is much more likely to get more visitors than ever before too. The online world is booming right now, while the real world & economies suffer. Refocus your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy, try to use relevant keywords that relate to your brand or your business’s values. Add content to your website that synchronises with the current global situation, and your brand or products. This adds value to your content and ensures that even viewers who aren’t necessarily going to buy anything from you, will still find something useful or learn something new.

Speaking directly to your audience is also another way to build a relationship online, whether it’s via your website, email or your Instagram page.