Throughout the world we are experiencing shortages of food, morale, and especially, toilet paper, but there’s one area we definitely aren’t lacking: content.
Timelines and news feeds have become endless scrolls of information, both related and unrelated to the coronavirus, and inboxes are filled to the brim with heartfelt notes from every company you’ve ever interacted with letting you know exactly what they are doing to keep customers and employees safe during these unprecedented times.
Every time I open my phone, Instagram reminds me that I’m out of shape, so please don’t tag me in that push-up challenge, Twitter inundates me with the latest headlines, LinkedIn sadly reminds me that millions of people have lost their jobs, and Netflix is causing me to question whether the lion or the tiger is the king of the jungle. And don’t even get me started on Tik Tok – let’s just say that people around the world are definitely bored in their houses.
So how are you supposed to break through all this clutter?
Although we are dealing with uncharted waters globally and an overwhelming influx of content online, that doesn’t mean that your media strategies won’t work in our current environment. There are still three common practices that remain tried and true for crafting and delivering content online: timing, quality and authenticity.
Timing
Timing is more important than ever. If the angry comments about Apple’s screen time notification feature are any sort of indication, it’s safe to say that people are spending a lot more time on the Internet these days, which means finding the right time to send your message can be difficult. There are a lot of unknowns right now, so instead of knowing when to post, it might be easier to strategize when not to post. For example, it may not be wise to post during presidential press conferences, when many Americans will be glued to their TVs instead of their phones. It is crucial to keep track of events like this to schedule your messaging accordingly.
Quality
Quality over quantity is still a good rule to go by online. Especially now, with the influx of very similar messages, the best ones tend to be unique and useful. Spend your time flexing your creative muscles to generate content that speaks to the quality of your brand and how it helps followers.
Authenticity
Right now, people want to know what’s really happening. We know that the world isn’t all rainbows and butterflies at the moment, so we seek out content that is real and relatable. Heartfelt messages are resonating with audiences. Community is a major theme and messages of hope and positivity are making the rounds on social platforms. Crafting messages that are authentic will be the key to generating engagement in our current social media landscape.
If you’re looking for ways to effectively break through the clutter on social media or in traditional media, our team at Devine + Partners can help! Shoot us a message to resteasy@devinepartners.com to see how we can build a media strategy to shine a bright light on your organization so you can rest easy during these uncertain times.
