The internet is forever and often seems unforgiving. As a business, your social media posts can have lasting impact with unexpected positive or negative repercussions, as seen recently with Central Florida local businesses 33 & Melt and Long & Scott Farms. Christina Thomas, owner/partner of Fig Digital Media, was quoted in the Orlando Sentinel sharing our thoughts on the importance of communicating properly on social media in today’s current high tension climate especially as businesses plan their transitions to welcome guests back into their establishments. You can read Media Pros Offer Tips After Local Restaurant’s Controversy by Amy Drew Thompson here.
The service industry inherently relies on face to face interactions with customers to make lasting connections. And so, it’s important now more than ever during these times where the primary connection with your customer is 90% outside of the 4 walls, for businesses to use social and digital media to strengthen their community and customer relationships while remaining top of mind, in a positive way.
POSTING WITH INTENTION
Every business owner’s key tenants should include posting online with intention. Always ask yourself, what is the purpose of this post? Is it to inform and educate? To entertain or to inspire? Serve your customers with your online posts and craft your message carefully.
Maintaining a positive digital presence, strong digital brand identity, and fostering lasting social media outreach will not only help to secure business right now for any limited services being offered, but into the future when you fully open back up to welcome guests.
When used properly, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, chat apps like Zoom and email offer the best opportunity to create a positive connection with your customers. Everyone is online right now. They are bored and restless at home and looking at businesses social media pages for the latest information as well as for entertainment. Give them something that will serve their needs. Give them all of the information they need to make a buying decision. Give them something that humanizes your business and engages and inspires them.
As you adapt to the current circumstances and update your business practices, it’s important to accurately and clearly message those changes on Facebook, Instagram, Google My Business and your website. Your goal is to make your customers’ lives easier. Clearly listing your days open and current hours of operation, menu of services, phone number, how to order, etc. will ease their tensions. Having to search through several posts on a business Facebook page to find the correct information to place an online order will only frustrate your customer and possibly lose the sale.
SOCIAL MEDIA SHOULD BE MORE THAN A ONE WAY CONVERSATION
Most businesses aren’t thinking about online engagement and connections right now. Undestandly, they are busy trying to keep their businesses afloat. Many are simply using social media for one way messaging; such as blasting the daily specials or posting sporadically one picture with a sentence or two about being open without much detail. The “set it and forget it” approach to social media doesn’t serve your needs right now or in the long term.
Of course, at the very minimum you should be posting your daily specials. But now is the time to shift and adapt. Use social media to its fullest potential as a marketing tool to help you not only survive but thrive. People will be dining in restaurants again. Getting the community to rally behind you and ready to support you when you open is key. The dining public will remember those businesses who were there for them during these trying times. Those who were a part of their lives. Those who made this pandemic more bearable. And they will remember which acted as thoughtful caring members of the community.
GET EXPERT HELP
Fig Digital Media is offering pro-bono social media and digital marketing strategy consultations to help our local businesses use these social media platforms to their full potential and develop a powerful communication strategy. We are a part of this community and want to see our local businesses survive and thrive. As you pivot and adapt during the current crisis, your message needs to cut through the noise. You can see with Long & Scott Farms and 33 & Melt the power of one social media post with positive vs. negative results as outlined in this Orlando Sentinel article.
Getting expert advice is key. We are here to help and we’ve got your back. Schedule a FREE social media strategy call.
Working out your business and marketing plans for the next month? We are offering a limited time special to help you clearly and effectively communicate to your customers.
