It’s now week seven of our team’s favorite COVID-19 related social media posts! We launched this roundup series to feature some of the great content seen in our feeds about how to make the most of this time, provide helpful advice, spread positivity, and encourage helping others.
Social media engagement has now shown to have increased by 61% over normal usage rates. “Messaging across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp has increased 50% in countries hardest hit by the virus. Twitter is seeing 23% more daily users than a year ago.” (Read more in a recent Forbes article here.)
As more businesses begin to open up, taking to social media is an important piece of the reopening strategy. Instead of just posting a text update or a typical image, you’ll want to use appropriate language and standout visuals. Scroll down for our next list — which includes a bunch of creative inspiration — and check back every week for a new round. When you’re done, feel free to drop a comment with a brand you’ve seen doing social media right during this unprecedented time.
1. @ritzcrackers announces a new product coming to shelves in a way businesses can use to announce a reopening! The text message format is easy to replicate, and bright colors make it stand out.
2. Door/curbside pickup, drive-thru, and delivery are three incredibly common ways for customers to pick up from shops and restaurants that are taking online and phone orders. @starbucks uses a simple, straightforward graphic with a “ways we’re operating / serving you right now” message and emphasizes it in the caption.
3. To go along with the previous Starbucks post, they also posted a story-turned-highlight to go along with it and explain each option in a bit more detail with a separate snap for each.
4. When posting about takeout, make it as realistic and relatable as possible by using photos of the food in takeout containers as the customer would receive it, like MM Client @jakenjoes does here. (Just make sure it’s staged extra pretty for photo purposes!)
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5. For a relatable piece of content, swap out the Quarantine Houses for a night in, like @target does here. A restaurant could group together takeout orders and a shop could use wellness items, or any type of account can take the entertainment route rather than tying it to their business by using miscellaneous items that would fit the theme.
6. @evokefoods lightens up the situation by providing some comic relief. All you need is a line that makes sense, a bold font, and a colorful background color. Format it into a square and you’re done!
7. People love animals! Apartment building and MM Client @500oceanavenue showcases residents’ pets in this example, which can be done with other buildings. Or, any business can showcase their staff members’ pets in a similar format. All you need for this idea is an adorable photo!
8. Who doesn’t love a good #TBT? @7eleven posts just that, but uses a polaroid template which makes total sense. Anyone can try this to differentiate their throwback content from the rest of their feed.
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9. There are so many ways a restaurant/food/drink account can display the ingredients when sharing a recipe. @myopenfit does so in the shape of the final product, which is incredibly visual and appealing!
10. Many people would simply like to know how to support their favorite small businesses at this time, whether they’re currently open or not. A small list has been circulating in different formats, and a good way to make it your own is to use your brand’s fonts and colors like MM Client @hig.insurance does here. It doesn’t need to be too fancy as long as it’s cohesive and easy on the eye.
