Going from an Epidemic to a Pandemic, the Coronavirus is sweeping news headlines and social media across the world. What started as an unknown illness at the beginning of 2020 has turned into a global pandemic with many companies, schools, and organizations taking action to prevent the spread of the disease. While there have been disease outbreaks such as the Avian flu, Swine flu, and others, no disease has been quite like the coronavirus. If you’ve been on social media within the last month you have most likely seen news updates, company updates, and memes all revolving around the virus. It is clear that social media has played a key role in the panic and news updates involving the virus.

How have companies addressed it?

Many companies have used social media as their biggest communication platform to address the virus. Companies such as Planet Fitness, Comfort Inn, and multiple restaurant chains are using social media to address the extra safety measures they are taking in order to prevent the spread of the virus and keep everything sanitary. Many companies have taken extra safety measures with their employees by having them work remotely from home, with some businesses even closing temporarily to prevent the spread of the virus. Companies now have to make the tough choice of losing profit and business by taking costly safety measures to stay safe or risk losing the trust of the public and employees by not taking proper safety measures. This can be clearly seen on social media as companies who are posting in regards to the virus are getting mixed reactions from those who believe the virus is being blown out of proportion, to those who don’t think some companies are taking safety seriously enough. It seems that there will be backlash regardless of which stance the company takes regarding the virus. Now, Public Relations workers are being challenged with the tough tasks of deciding how their company will handle the coronavirus.

How have people addressed it?

Social media has also been the biggest communication platform for personal reactions and opinions regarding the coronavirus. While many have used it to share news articles and updates regarding the virus, some have shared and created fake news which has helped play into the panic involving the virus, and exaggerates its symptoms. This has resulted in many people taking unnecessary actions such as stockpiling toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and other cleaning supplies creating a shortage across the country. Some people have also reacted very poorly to the virus regarding school and business closing announcements on social media with some students going as far as rioting. According to the New York Post on March 11th after classes were suspended at the University of Dayton in Ohio due to the coronavirus, many students began rioting at the campus with over “1,000 students gathered on Lowes Street starting around 11 p.m., throwing objects and bottles in the street and at police, and jumping on cars,” the school said in a statement. Other events such as concerts, music festivals and sports events have also been canceled with many fans angrily reacting on social media. On the bright side, not all social media involving the coronavirus has been negative. Some users have taken to social media in a more humorous approach regarding the virus posting funny memes as well as many celebrating the discounted prices of cruise lines and flights. Some users have also offered to help anyone with coronavirus and shared ways on how to prevent the coronavirus such as proper handwashing techniques, and ways to stay safe.

Misinformation and false posts

While social media can be a great source of information and news regarding the coronavirus, it can also be misinformative, overexaggerated or completely false. When reading articles make sure that it is accurate by using fact-checkers and your own judgment. A great free fact-checker that you can use is factcheck.org. This fact-checker can help you find false or partially false information to help you find reputable sources as well as avoid using inaccurate information and articles. Another important thing is to make sure of is that the article or news is from a trusted and credible news source before you share it yourself. A helpful tip is to look for news articles that come from sites that end in .edu or .gov as they are always credible sources from the government or universities. Facebook has also been tightening its grip on false news and information articles to stop the spread of panic and misinformation. Facebook now flags false articles and posts with their own fact-checkers but that doesn’t mean that it is able to detect all misinformation and fake news. Keep this in mind as you scroll through your newsfeed what measures businesses are taking to keep everyone safe and also be aware of the information that everyone else is posting in social media so you can make the best judgment calls regarding the virus. 

Everyone is familiar with the old saying “A picture is worth 1000 words.” While that is obvious, it raises the question how many words is a video worth then? A video can accomplish many things that a picture cannot on social media, especially with marketing. A video can provide more information as well as portray a message much more effectively than a picture can. Videos also get more than double the reach and views and tend to be remembered much easier than a picture would. According to Wyzowl.com around 100 million hours of video are watched each day on Facebook. With that being said, In 2020 it is crucial to use videos with your social media platforms. How are videos being implemented across social media? Let’s take a look at five major social platforms where video content is making a splash.

On Facebook

Of the 84 percent of marketers who have published video content on Facebook, 85 percent found it to be an effective strategy. The reason is that videos are engaging and are extremely easy to access on this platform. On Facebook, videos that are posted on your newsfeed automatically play as you scroll through your feed which is very convenient for users. The ability to share videos with just one click has made many videos go viral and be seen by many users very quickly. Facebook also has utilized the Facebook live option for videos that are happening in the moment allowing users to engage with the video creator as they are filming the video and streaming onto Facebook. For videos under 10 seconds, the Facebook stories option has been very successful for getting views as well as an additional way to post videos. Videos over 10 seconds tend to get the most engagement and views when viewed as a post. Another important thing to take into consideration when posting a video on Facebook is that 85% of users watch videos with the volume off. When people view videos their main focus is the imagery, not the sound. Going forward when creating videos use powerful visuals or footage that doesn’t rely upon sound to get the message across. Facebook ads containing videos also have revolutionized advertising on Facebook allowing marketers to see specific video analytics such as viewer demographics, views, and reach that cannot be obtained from an advertisement using a picture.

On Instagram

Over the past few years, Instagram has become much more video-friendly. According to wyzowl.com “Of the 51 percent of marketers who have used Instagram video, 88 percent found it to be an effective strategy.” This is even higher than Facebook which is the leading social media platform. This because while Facebook’s core focus is a combination of captions, pictures, and videos, Instagram places most of the emphasis on pictures and video. Videos under 60 seconds are the best with this platform. Short videos under 10 seconds can be featured on Instagram stories while videos under 60 seconds can be seen in your news feed. For videos longer than one minute, Instagram TV is the best method of posting and allows users to see a preview of the video as well as the whole video. Instagram TV also allows the content creator to see specific insights into video analytics such as views, and dropoff rates throughout the video. Similar to Facebook, Instagram live videos have gained popularity allowing users to watch and engage with the video as it is streaming live.

On Twitter

While Twitter is mainly used for quick tweets and messages, videos also have a strong presence on the platform. On Twitter, a video Tweet is six times more likely to be retweeted than a photo Tweet. Videos that get the most engagement and views on Twitter are ones that are brief but give a small explanation of the video or a preview into what the video is about in the caption. According to Nielsen, “Twitter video is two times more memorable than other premium platforms.” This can be attributed to the fact that Twitter doesn’t allow videos longer than 140 seconds to be posted. Of the 45 percent of marketers surveyed who have published video content on Twitter, 71 percent have found it to be an effective strategy. While this number isn’t as high as Facebook and Instagram, videos are still the best way to market on Twitter. 

On LinkedIn

LinkedIn is one of the quickest growing social media platforms but it is usually not associated with pictures or videos like other social media platforms. However, video popularity is on the rise for this platform with videos being an effective way to promote businesses as well as business professionals. Videos on LinkedIn are commonly used to highlight business successes, events or promote new technology, products, etc. Time limits are much less specific on LinkedIn with a 10-minute video limit. 57% of LinkedIn engagement is via the mobile app which means attention spans will be much less than being viewed on a desktop. Shorter videos with subtitles tend to do best on this platform as they are most likely viewed with the sound off. When posting videos on LinkedIn always make sure that the video is professional and relevant. Uninformative or off-topic videos are not seen as business-relevant which will lead to fewer views and engagement. 

On Pinterest

While videos aren’t as common on Pinterest compared to other social media platforms, they are very useful in driving users to your website. In order to post videos on Pinterest you will need a Pinterest business account instead of a personal account. When video pins are posted they don’t automatically play, however, when they are clicked on the video plays. One thing that Pinterest does that other social media platforms haven’t been able to achieve as well is driving traffic from videos directly to the website. This is an effective marketing tool that is especially useful for users looking to sell products or services that can be ordered online. Another advantage that users have with video pins is the thumbnail option which allows users to see the image that shows on the pin before it is watched. Pinterest video pins must be 4 – 30 seconds in length with a recommended time of 6 – 20 seconds to get the most views and engagements. Keywords have also allowed videos to be targeted to specific audience demographics and interests allowing for more relevant and targeted views on video pins.

While a picture is worth 1000 words, a video is worth much more in the world of social media. We know the best practices and rules for crafting the perfect videos for social media to boost your business. Give us a call to get started! (321)-255-0900.

There is an old saying that all press is good press. While all press will get you exposure and have people talking, it may not be a good thing. In today’s social media world you never know what will go viral and what won’t. Something as simple as a picture of Spongebob Squarepants making a funny face can reach millions of people within minutes. According to the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2017, the world population was around 7.5 billion. Out of those estimated 7.5 billion people, more than 2.89 of them were active social media users. It is crazy to think that over 35 percent of our world is actively engaged with Social Media. With that being said when a post goes viral it can either make or break a company or person.

So what makes a post go viral? One of the biggest reasons is that the post that went viral resonates very strongly with a person’s emotions. These emotions can be positive emotions such as Joy, Happiness, Laughter, and Excitement, or they can be negative emotions such as Anger, Betrayal, Frustration, and Disbelief. In order for a post to go viral it must resonate strong feelings for multiple people. Typically more controversial and edgier posts that push and break boundaries are prone to go viral due to the unexpectedness and feelings they create within a person when viewing and engaging with that post. Moving forward, let’s look at an example of a social media post that went viral and benefited a company, and one that ruined a company.

Let’s first look at a recent post that went viral. On August 12, 2019 the Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Restaurant Chain announced that they would be releasing a spicy fried chicken sandwich served on a buttered brioche bun with pickles. This sandwich instantly became a hit and despite it being a delicious sandwich this wasn’t the reason it went viral. The reason it went viral was because of Social Media. Many users started posting memes and humorous images about the chicken sandwich. Very quickly, everyone wanted to get their hands on this sandwich to see what all the talk was about. Unfortunately Popeyes temporarily pulled the item from the menu on August 28th as the restaurants couldn’t keep up with the high demand. Many users took to social media with a firestorm of memes to make the situation even more viral with many customers wanting the sandwich to comeback. Many social media users also compared the sandwich to Chick-Fil-A’s original chicken sandwich. Chick-Fil-A added in on the fun with some social media posts against Popeyes for not being able to keep up with demand. Popeyes then fired back at Chick-Fil-A with some of their own posts. Overall this attention was great press for both Popeyes and Chick-Fil-A as the funny drama led people to want a chicken sandwich and food and put the spotlight on the restaurants. It also created brand loyalty between them by fans choosing if they were on the Popeyes or Chick-Fil-A side of the argument.

Unfortunately some companies aren’t as fortunate with viral social media and they ended up on the losing side of the press. Nike dealt with this first hand in early July 2019 with their decision to pull the limited edition Betsy Ross American Flag shoes from the production line. The 4th of July was only a week away when Nike released the limited edition shoes featuring a vintage american flag of the original 13 colonies. Many people loved the design and what the patriotic shoes stood for, an honorary tribute for the late Betsy Ross and the original American Flag. However, one of their main brand ambassadors NFL football player Colin Kaepernick was not pleased with the history the shoes represented and wanted them removed from production and pulled from stores. Nike complied with his wishes and stopped production and removed the shoes from stores. While Kaepernick was pleased, many american consumers were outraged with the decision leaving many comments of disapproval, angry reactions, and complaints on Nike’s Social Media while also boycotting their products. Arizona State University even dropped the sponsorship with Nike claiming that the removal of the product was “unpatriotic” and “shameful”. Many Social Media posts were made against Nike and overall the business took quite a hit on sales and customer loyalty.

If a Social Media post can resonate enough with people’s emotions strong enough it may have the chance to go vial as seen with the posts above. All press isn’t always good press but it will definitely have people talking.

Let us help you make those posts go viral. Even better, we’ll help your business get the exposure it needs on all social media platforms. Give us a call at 321-255-0900 to schedule an appointment with us. Get your company out there today!