“Put Your Face On:” Social Media in the Age of Stay at Home Orders
When you are already on screens 12+ hours a day, the thought of having to haunt social media pages is the last thing most business owners want to do. It is a rabbit hole of constant, endless feeding--a kind of digital tapeworm that is never satiated, demands more attention with every day, and can often feel like an empty effort when engagement is slow to show from your customer base.
But until all our doors are open full-time, daily commutes resume bringing cars past your storefront, and we can afford to take time and risk a face-to-face conversation in a coffee shop between gigs... it’s kind of the only thing to keep our businesses front and center to the hermiting world-at-large.
We all hate doing it, we all know we need to do it, and it is often the first thing to slip from the “to-do” list when we are up to our eyeballs making the most efficient use of our time. The thing is: we can’t afford to let it be the thing that slips. It is, right now, in most cases, the only face-front you have. Sure, you’re paying for that commercial space, but that means little when most consumers have turned to online, delivery, and ready-for-pick-up options.
As the customer base has largely become shut-ins, how are they supposed to remember those awesome burgers you make, or muffins you bake, stationary you offer, or that your window-washing ops are still very much up and running? A consistent presence online in their Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram feeds are your best way to join what you have to offer into their literal stream of consciousness, day-to-day.
Adding pictures, clever but clear word-play... Building your customer base into a comfortable conversational style of check-ins... Daily highlights... Experimental cookie offerings... Funny trivia contests for free stuff... Encouraging to “buy local...” Talking about neighboring businesses you love to patron nearby... Tag us online for future discounts... Finding ways to make plumbing engaging...
It’s a lot of work, but it is absolutely essential.
As the only face many of us business owners have at the moment, the requirement of investment in social media is of massive import.
So get creative! Study your competition. Make a daily commitment to show up, to be the one talked about, and to share the love and press about neighboring businesses.
Build your presence with consistency. If you find you’re truly lacking the time to dedicate to it, hire a contractor a few hours a week to help on the side.
Share your product, proudly post your excellent word-of-mouth reviews, run some online specials, answer questions that pop up, and tend to your poor reviews with care and transparency. Don’t leave questions hanging, bad press without response, or even a picture tagged by a customer to go without comment. Show your appreciation, attention to quality, and continue building your presence.
There are infinite ways to stay in the collective stream of your customer’s consciousness. But all of them require you to show up, with regularity. Day after day.