How to navigate COVID-19 by Facebook

By Becky Dickinson

The outbreak has quickly brought changes in consumer behaviour and a huge amount of people have turned to Facebook to stay informed.

• 1.6 billion people log into Facebook every day
• Facebook is the world’s 3rd most visited website
• 70% increase in Messenger group video calls

All industries have been impacted by COVID-19. As consumers’ awareness for their own safety has heightened, they expect the same from brands on the products and services they offer. If you’ve got comms going out on Facebook, you need to read this.

3 ways to get your comms right

The way brands deal with the crisis now may influence consumers in the future. Brands have got to master three major things:

Focus on business continuity in the short-term

People are looking to trusted brands to provide them with safety and security in testing times. They want to be assured that the brands they choose are in control of their supply chains, transparent and trustworthy. People expect brands to:

• Deliver real value
• Act responsibly
• Do right by the community, including their employees

Research from Asia has found that brands that were able to deliver purpose in an ethical way saw their value grow twice as much as average brands. Consumers are seeking proactive communication from brands, which means you need to:

• Be authentic
• Maintain frequent contact with your customers
• Set realistic expectations for your customers
• Frequently train your customer service teams
• Constantly monitor and act upon customer feedback

Make sure you are doing the following:

• Be transparent about delivery times, put a notice on the website with updates about shipping information
• Email customers who have orders pending 
• Anticipate what people want to talk about
• Bring experiences to them on the platform

Capture bounce-back in the near future

You need to be flexible and fast moving:

• Avoid removing all ads, re-prioritise marketing channels during the outbreak
• Evaluate each campaign in context, showing empathy

Drive structure enhancement in the long-term

Start to build your brand ready for the bounce back. Build remarketing lists and email lists, this is the time to focus on your brand awareness. Plan ‘bounce-back consumer consumption’ campaigns in advance, ready to quickly pick up ad spending post outbreak.

In short…

Plan these three steps: 

• Immediate communication Focus on business continuity and maintain communication with customers so they feel secure and safe.
• Short term Adapt communication messaging, adjust marketing strategy and ensure sufficient marketing investment – avoid stopping all ads, but do change your advertising message to reassure your customers.
• Mid to longer-term Build brand awareness campaigns, start preparing for the business rebound. Use the time to analyse trends and your customers to help plan and prepare campaigns ready for the uplift.

And of course, be ready for rules to change at the drop of a hat. If you need any help, get in touch with us.