According to internet traffic stats, New Zealand has been setting new all-time high internet traffic records, as people hunker down during the Covid-19 lockdown. With not a whole lot to do within the confines of their homes, the people are online.
This is a huge opportunity for businesses big and small, to be capitalising on the increased visibility by ramping up their online activity, connecting with their audience, and sharing their stories online.
Even if you can't operate your traditional business model right now, or can't sell your goods or services, there are so many ways to be connecting with your people online, increasing visibility, and building your brand. These activities can help to turn this time into a 'pause' on business activity, rather than coming to a complete halt entirely.
Okay, so what can we do?
The goal is to connect with our people online, having engaging and interesting conversations, and keeping our brand in the forefront of their minds. This is such a great time to share and connect as humans on the planet as well, since we're all going through this together.
Create new content
The people are online, we (as brands) want to connect with them, so it all comes down to content. Many of us have a bit of extra time on our hands at the moment, so one option is to create some shiny new content. There are a few ways you can do this:
1) Play with creating new content yourself - Using this time to write blogs, share photos, start discussions, and even try popping your face on an Instagram story, is a great use of your time! Have a brainstorm, and get creating.
2) Engage a photographer/videographer from home - Although you won't be able to get fancy new studio headshots done, if you can get your products/services to a photographer at home, they can work with staging and create you some new content from the safety of their homes.
3) Get your audience and community to create content for you - ask your fans to send in their photos of your product/service, and you might be surprised at the epic content you get! Whether they've bought from you, or worked with you before, people often have existing content just sitting on their phones and computers OR they might enjoy the challenge of getting creative and creating some new content for you if they're super loyal (incentives always help too!).
Re-sharing and re-purposing existing content
Hunt through the archives and dig up content you've created in the past, and get re-sharing or re-purposing! The great thing about re-sharing content is that it's cost effective since it's already been created. Over time our audience changes and grows, so there's great value in digging up existing content and posting it again. The key with re-sharing old content is that we want to ADD to the story when we share it, so it has a new feel to it, and is relevant. If you have a video you're going to re-share, see what new story you could tell using the caption when you post the video for example. Think about what's changed in your business since creating that video, or even what has remained the same, and tell those stories.
Also look at the ways you can adapt your content to share across different channels, or re-edit it to share a different message. Instagram stories are really engaging at the moment, so look to share content over there if that's a spot your audience is hanging out.
Use apps/websites like Canva to create visually interesting posts + downloads.
Try creating slideshow video content with existing photos, using apps like Ripl.
Create beautiful Instagram Stories using Unfold - the best app out!
There are so many ways we can get resourceful with our content to capitalise on the increased traffic online in these times. Get creative with what you've got, or get inspired to create new content, and start having great conversations with your followers online. Remember that content that connects and resonates with your audience is best, so think about how you can simultaneously appeal to them and understand their situation, while sharing your stories in a unique way.
