It’s a very strange time in the world right now. The current global crisis of COVID-19 has the world rocking and reeling. And rightfully so. Never before in my life have I seen something like this. Just today I went to order Thai food, temporarily spacing on the mandatory stay home order issue that has closed many businesses and restaurants. I was hit again with the painful reminder that there is a real crisis happening, right outside. And we are all in this together. 

We will make it through.

What does the current global climate mean for your social media? There has been a 70% increase in time spent across social platforms such as Instagram and Whatsapp, a 50% increase of messaging across Facebook’s platforms, and 2x more Facebook and Instagram Live views.

There have been 468 Million mentions of keywords related to the COVID-19 outbreak across social media channels over the past 90 days. That number is staggering. With 62% of adults in the U.S. getting their news from social media while 59% of consumers engage with their favorite brands on social media as well. And from a recent poll, 68% of people learned about company updates from social media, with 79% via email.

These numbers are pointing to one thing: People are turning to social media outlets now more than ever for information, connection, and so much more. Digital attention is drastically on the rise as people turn to social media to what we at The AD Leaf believe to be a more grass-roots resurgence of the whole point of social media: to be social. With many staying at home to protect the lives of others and themselves, social media has reminded us once again that it’s of vital importance as a tool to remain connected, to communicate ideas, or organize and collaborate, and see loved ones.

With that being said, there is something of vital importance to insert here. The current COVID-10 pandemic is not a marketing opportunity. 

With the state of the world, there are things that you need to consider as we all navigate into some pretty murky waters. Below are a few quick ideas that we think are vitally important for you, your brand, and social media:

1. Be careful to not “go dark” – This is huge. It’s important to not just drop off the face of the planet, especially in a time like this. Your brand needs to be seen as a pillar of strength for your audience. What we would suggest is to pause your social media, take a step back, and reevaluate the direction of your strategy. What was communicated last week may very well not fit into the current narrative. It’s ok to take a step back for a few days to reassess the situation, the tone, your strategy, and your in-house staff. But then, once ready, come back as a source of strength and encouragement to others. Going dark for a long time communicates an instability that will hurt you in the long run. Keep the lights on.
2. Don’t capitalize on the situation – We have never seen such a pandemic like this in our lifetime. This is not the time to try and hijack the situation for personal gain. Many don’t mean or realize that what they are communicating is actually insensitive, so take a moment to think about which foot you are stepping forward with. Make an extra emphasis on empathy, and approach the situation as someone who is here to help. That doesn’t mean however that you cannot sell products, but it does mean don’t use a painful situation to capitalize on. Be careful here.
3. Tone – We touched on this, but the tone is huge here. Stay true to your brand during this time, but exercise balance. The livelihood of your team may depend on selling products, and that’s ok. But the way you go about things here requires more tact and balance than ever before. Think about staying true to yourself, but being more compassionate. As an additional note, it’s ok that your brand doesn’t have all the answers. Transparency coupled with professionalism is a bright, shining example that we have seen many companies exercise in the light of recent events.
4. Communicate – Whether it’s with your team or your audience, it’s of paramount importance to over-communicate in this time. And if you are able, work from home to help reduce the spread of the virus. We have a plethora of ways to remain connected, like the video conference call company, ZOOM, to help you and your team remain on the same page. With your audience, it’s important to do the same and let them know what’s going on. As we saw earlier, a large percentage of people use social media for company updates, so once you have stepped back to reassess your direction, come forward with a clear message of hope, resilience, and on-brand messaging. A point of caution here would be to be careful to not communicate information that your audience may not need. There is a plethora of companies, brands, leaders, influencers, politicians, newsrooms, newspapers, authors, actors, and endlessly more voices out there, communicating information. Sending out that email to an inbox that has already received 54 emails before 9 am can add unnecessarily to stressors that are probably already occurring. Only send pertinent info. 
5. Practice moderation – This one is a gentle reminder about mental health. It’s ok to not have all the answers. It’s equally ok to not be glued to social media or the news where the challenging events are constantly in your face. Our mindset can be greatly impacted by the onslaught of the terrible things that are happening out there and being viewed in real-time at our fingertips. Take this time home as an opportunity to spend additional time with your spouse, your kids, to pick up a hobby, or to go on a walk. Practice social distancing, but also unplug and take a moment to exercise gratitude. Science shows that those who practice being thankful are mentally and physically healthier and happier. Take a moment to smell the roses. 

While this is a serious event in human history, we have seen glimmers of hope and encouragement from regular businesses and people, just like you. For example, Krispy Kreme is giving away donuts to all health care workers. The CEO of Texas Roadhouse gives up their salary so front-line workers can get paid. Zoom has made video sharing services free for teachers so at-home classes can commence. Starbucks has extended mental health benefits to its partners. Apple is offering unlimited paid sick leave to any of its employees experiencing related symptoms. Sprint is giving its customers unlimited data and 20G of hotspot access for 60 days to ease remote working. And the list goes on!

We at The AD Leaf want you to know that if there is any way we can help you, please reach out to us. We are here for you. 

Resources:

https://buffer.com/resources/social-media-management-in-times-of-crisis

https://www.forbes.com/sites/amymorin/2014/11/23/7-scientifically-proven-benefits-of-gratitude-that-will-motivate-you-to-give-thanks-year-round/#6f75c197183c

https://www.forbes.com/sites/blakemorgan/2020/03/17/50-ways-companies-are-giving-back-during-the-corona-pandemic/#4cb944dd4723

During times of national emergency, or in this case, global, it’s important for companies to walk the fine line of continuing on with business as usual while being sensitive to the problem at hand. Companies and individuals alike are going through a scary, uncertain time. During times of uncertainty, people turn to what is secure. It may seem minor, but a sensitive and strong message on social media from brands does help provide a sense of normalcy . It’s a gut reaction for many companies to pull back on social media marketing and advertising but is that the right call? To be frank, no. Let’s talk about some common concerns and how to confront them.

“If we post on social media as normal, we’ll come off as insensitive.”
It’s very easy to cross the line in your social media posts but it is certainly not impossible to continue on with your posting strategy, nor is it suggested to stop! Making jokes, playing off the issue, or completely ignoring it all together are sure-fire ways to understandably anger your audience, so instead focus on what it is you offer, how it can help, and if applicable, what you’re doing to mitigate the situation.

Are you a small restaurant or store? Offer curbside or delivery of products. Are you financially able to donate to causes helping those most affected? Share that and encourage others to, as well. COVID-19 and the economic issues surrounding it will no doubt affect nearly everyone, so it’s important to encourage solidarity. We’re all in this together. You should also share what you’re doing to help stop the spread of the virus, whether it be a change in how business is conducted (working from home, splitting office time, etc), reduced hours, or other associated changes in policy. It shows you’re taking the issue seriously and instills confidence in your company. Continuing to post is especially important if your demographic is young Millennial or Gen-Z. For demographics that seemingly live on social media, a lack of activity is seen as a red flag.

“We’re quickly headed to an economic downturn. I need to pull back on advertising costs.”
The idea makes sense, right? If you need to save money, cut costs where you can without risking integrity. While that might be true in some scenarios, this is arguably the most important time to continue advertising. To quote the Harvard Business Review, “Although it’s wise to contain costs, failing to support brands or examine core customers’ changing needs can jeopardize performance over the long term. Companies that put customer needs under the microscope, take a scalpel rather than a cleaver to the social media marketing budget, and nimbly adjust strategies, tactics, and product offerings in response to shifting demand are more likely than others to flourish both during and after a recession.”

In other words, by not continuing to advertise or by cutting your budget, you give off an air of instability and a lack of concern or understanding of what your base may be going through. Stability in all forms speaks volumes. Put yourself in the consumer’s shoes. You pick up your phone, search for a company, and click on one of their social media profiles, only to see their communication is spotty at best. Are you going to give them their business? Not likely! If a company suddenly stops posting or the quality changes drastically, people are likely to think the company has either gone out of business or is going through a tough time.

“I know what my customers do and don’t do, like and don’t like, I don’t need to worry about social media marketing.”
Times of panic, whether the health or economic variety, change people’s habits constantly. The train of thought for your customers during average times may not match what they’re thinking and feeling during times of crisis, and how you market to them needs to alter in recognition of that. It’s important to be sensitive to changes in income and general feelings of stress. Is your tone too harsh or too playful? Is your price point realistic? Every aspect of your campaigns and brand need to be evaluated dynamically.

It’s imperative for brands to show strength and understanding during times of struggle. You need to convey that you’re here for customers and that you’re not going anywhere, but it needs to be done in a way that isn’t tone-deaf, either. It’s not an easy feat, but that’s what experts like us are here for. Our social media team will help you navigate these murky waters with the care, concern, and knowledge the situation calls for.

If you think you’d like to seek our social media marketing services, give us a call at 321-255-0900! We at The AD Leaf Marketing Firm would love to help you succeed!

With a pandemic raging and social distancing the norm, we are all secluded from our family and friends trying to stave off boredom. So many of us turn to social media to stay connected, find out the latest information on the Coronavirus or COVID-19, and to keep ourselves occupied and from climbing the walls in our isolation. A quick scroll of Facebook is enough to stress anyone out–alarming headlines, political posts blaming and finger-pointing, misleading information that hasn’t been properly vetted, sales pitches for cure-alls for the disease, and alarmingly negative posts from fearful people. It makes you want to put down your phone, get into bed, and pull the covers over your head. But fear not, social network destination Pinterest is taking steps to protect you from that!

In 2017, Pinterest started restricting health-related content and searches, beginning with anti-vaccine information. Pinterest directed vaccine-related searches to pages with information from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention starting in August 2019. Then it expanded to other health topics over time.

When people go on to Pinterest and search for COVID-19 or Coronavirus, they are directed to a sparse page with content form the World Health Organization and get the following message “Pins about this topic often violate our Community Guidelines, which prohibit harmful medical misinformation. Because of this, we’ve limited searches to Pins from internationally-recognized health organizations.” Social media posts are rampant laughing about how Pinterest is shaming your mom for searching for homemade DIY surgical masks. A search for COVID-19 brought up a whole page of frequently asked questions like “Is it safe to receive a letter or package from China?” and “Are there any specific medicines to prevent or treat the new coronavirus?”, almost all provided by WHO.

All this means that Pinterest has become a safe haven from all the negative and misleading information about the COVID-19 virus and people are very happy about that! But Pinterest has gone even further! On Tuesday, they launched a new feature called Today tab which is refreshed daily to user-curated topics and trending posts. It offers advice from experts and health agencies, as well as timely posts like home workspaces and study tips for kids.

The Today Tab has Boards with titles like “TT-Pilates”, “TT-Baked Pasta”, “What to Watch”, “Toddler Art Projects”, “TT-Bedtime Yoga”, and “Jump Rope Workouts”. This is the mecca for everyone who needs some distractions from all the fear-mongering and finger-pointing. There is enough information to lose a couple of hours exploring fun activities, recipes, workouts, homework assignments, and crafts to do to make social isolation a lot more interesting and fun!

The microblogging platform is also a wonderful resource for self-care from everything from how to wash your hands to stave off disease to how to calm an anxiety attack. So if you’re feeling anxious, you can search for meditations to calm your anxiety and connect to your inner peace.

Are your kids restless and bored being cooped up at home? You can find DIY crafts and activities that will hold their attention and keep them occupied.

Or, if you’re trying to get your children on a schedule and don’t know where to start, there are plenty of homework assignments and homework trackers that you can print off from your home computer to keep your family on track.

If you are looking for activities and projects to use as homeschool lessons, Pinterest has a wealth of information for you. It has DIY science projects for every age to support the homework that schools sent home with your children.

With kids home from school, meal planning is a little bit tougher–Pinterest has got you covered there, too!

Pinterest also added a new “Compassionate Search” option on the website which prioritizes activities that help you relax with content from health authorities.

So take a break from all the scary news about COVID-19 and lose yourself in the wonderful world of Pinterest.

If you need help with your social media game and want to add Pinterest to your social media marketing, please call The AD Leaf Marketing Firm LLC at (321) 255-0900. We would love to show you how to increase your online presence and market your products to your clients via social media!

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. 

In a world where it feels like everyone is “taking a break from social media” or doing a “social media detox” (Cough, cough, we’re looking at you Ariana Grande…) Pinterest seems to be the one that is never in the spotlight. In the midst of all the drama, you don’t see Pinterest having any scandals or having to partake in congressional hearings. It prides itself on being a platform where users can connect with themselves versus connecting with others. It gives you free rein to create your ideal vision of your true future self. There are many users who utilize Pinterest as a search engine to plan a party, build a shopping list, or revamp their wardrobe. In the eyes of a marketer, this means that the typical user who is navigating Pinterest is in “discovery mode”. They are looking for content to consume and are susceptible to suggestions as well as well-placed ads. 

While Pinterest is often viewed as the “little sister” of social media, it’s actually the fourth most popular social media platform in America. Right now, it outranks Snapchat, LinkedIn, Twitter, and WhatsApp. As of September 2018, 250 million people use Pinterest every month and that included 77.4 million people in America alone. Last year, Pinterest added more American users than Facebook and Twitter combined! 

Let’s break down the user demographic a bit more for you: 

• Pinterest reaches 83% of American women ages 25-54
• 50% of the new sign-ups last year were men
• 80% of new sign-ups are from outside the U.S.
• 80% of Pinterest users are on mobile devices
• 98% of users go out and try the ideas they find on Pinterest
• 59% of Millennials have discovered products on Pinterest (which puts them ahead of Instagram in terms of product discovery. Impressive considered Instagram has 4 times as many users)

This spike in users has caught Facebook’s attention. So much so that Facebook decided to launch its own version of Pinterest to try and compete with the competition. The day before Valentine’s Day, Facebook announced the release of Hobbi in select countries including Colombia, Belgium, Spain, and Ukraine. Hobbi’s describes itself as an application that allows you to “organize your photos into visual collections and see the progress you’re making over time”. Facebook is holding their cards close to their chest but we’ve already seen this limited release affect Pinterest. The day Facebook announced the limited release of Hobbi, Pinterest’s shares fell 3% while Facebook’s shares rose 4%. 

We’re excited to see how this newly developed social media networking site evolves over the next few months. We know we’ll be following this closely and quickly developing a strategy to help you utilize it to grow your business and generate leads. We know that you’ve got bigger things to worry about than to stay up-to-date on the latest trends in social media. That’s why you have us. To get started with our cutting-edge social media program, give us a call at 321-255-0900.