COVID Impact: Social Media.

While some states are beginning to allow gatherings and small public events, most are keeping stay-at-home orders in place. However, once restrictions are eased, the public will still be wary of large events, forcing companies to adapt. Canceling every event until this is over is not an option for most companies; organizations need to keep their customers, clients, and stakeholders engaged. The solution is right in front of us, and has been for some time. Engaging, real-time digital replacements for human contact, like Facebook Live, have already been adopted by musicians and celebrities—they can be used by organizations of any size and purpose as well. The live video functions on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, have been around for years, but now they’re more important and powerful than ever. As a result of social distancing, social media platforms are seeing a renaissance in their engagement. Messaging on Facebook and Instagram have increased 50% in countries hardest hit by the virus. Twitter is experiencing 23% more daily users than a year ago. A more engaged user base means organizations have an opportunity to make the most of live social media events. There are a few key considerations to keep in mind, regardless of which platform you plan to use:

1. Put as much time into promoting your content as you do developing it
   • Brands often spend a substantial amount of time developing the content they are going to share during a social media event without putting nearly enough time into attracting and maintaining an audience
   • Get in touch with your audience early and often through your email lists and social media channels
2. Keep it simple, keep it brief
   • Although more people are spending time on social media, that does not mean you will instantly have a massive audience for an hour-long Facebook Live
   • Keep your events to 30 minutes or less to maximize engagement and attention throughout and make the recorded video easy to watch when posted
3. Invite co-hosts to your events so that your audience can get immediate answers to their questions—the more experts and decision makers you empower to speak to your audience, the more likely you are to have the answers people are looking for
4. Consider downloading your live videos and hosting them on different platforms after the fact to maximize impact
5. Spend time crafting a relevant and powerful hashtag
   • Hashtags that are too long or difficult run the risk of being a barrier to some members who may not be as tech savvy as others
   • Research your selected hashtag to make sure it isn’t in use by other social users in order to minimize interruptions

As we look for ways to keep our audience interested in our work, social media should be top of mind. With these tips and the proper investment into developing and marketing your event, you can create touchpoints with your audience that they’ll remember.