The importance of a social media strategy in rebuilding your brand post Covid-19

Since the pandemic hit our shores a year and a half ago and presented itself as the largest business disruptor for generations, the power of social media became more evident than ever as a powerful marketing tool for brands of all industries and sizes.

Although we are now seeing light at the end of the tunnel, it’s obvious that life has changed permanently for many, with consumer priorities, habits and comfort levels changing seismically – and likely for the foreseeable future. Social media has become an increasingly important part of the connection between brands and their customers, both existing and new. It’s now more important than ever that brands invest in building an integrated and agile social media strategy as part of their overall marketing strategy.

The self-reported contribution of social media to overall company performance has risen sharply, up 24% since February 2020 (The CMO Survey), so it’s vital that brands who don’t have a social media strategy in place act quickly so they, too, can reap the benefits. 

What can including social media in a marketing strategy do for your brand?

Growing Understanding of your Audiences and Customers

Social media acts as a valuable ‘listening tool’ which enables brands to keep their fingers on the pulse of changing customer priorities and attitudes post-pandemic. Social media audiences are more switched on than ever as to how an organisation responds to issues or communicates with its audiences.

When it comes to brand selling, social media has quickly become the go-to for many millennials and Gen Z consumers in influencing their purchasing choices. Take Instagram for example, in the USA, 73% of teens say that this particular social platform is the best way for brands to reach them with new products or promotions (Insider Intelligence).

Testing the Boundaries for Future Campaigns

Social media platforms provide excellent opportunities to test new brand messaging, creative collateral, advertisements, and offerings — and to receive direct measurable feedback from target audiences. It is essential that brands use these tools to learn; what may have successfully worked on social media pre-pandemic is not necessarily going to be the most effective approach when re-building a brand post Covid-19.

Organisations who are willing to re-evaluate their social media strategies and assets in an ever-changing online landscape will minimise risk and maximise the opportunity to connect and re-connect with both old and new consumers, creating meaningful brand relationships and increasing transparency and authenticity.

Building Community Online and Offline

Social media is all about community and offers brands a great way to build an engaged audience that will resonate and connect with a brand’s ethics or objectives. If there is one thing that has become obvious over the course of the pandemic it is the importance for brands to connect with social media audiences on a human level.

Over the last 17 months the social media community’s wants and needs have shifted. Customers want to feel connected with a brand, rather than being constantly sold to. In a survey of 12,000 people, the Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report found that, “84% of respondents said they want brand advertising to focus on how brands help people cope with pandemic-related life challenges.” Therefore, when approaching a social media strategy, it is now vital that content is produced that speaks to and helps nurture a brand’s online community and speaks to them in the life situation where they currently find themselves – not where they were two years ago.

Growing and Maintaining Brand Awareness

During recent months more people than ever have been using social media. Quite simply, if a brand is not on social media, it’s losing out on vital brand awareness and missing important opportunities to connect. The beauty of social media’s diversity is that there is a platform to suit all brands, whether you would prefer to speak to a corporate or consumer audience, your creative collateral tends to be more image, video or text-based, or your key objectives are building community, enhancing brand awareness, or selling a product. There is a whole host of social media platforms that will help to position a business or brand in front it’s appropriate target audience in terms of location, age, interests and more.

As social media continues to take centre stage in a post-pandemic marketing world, it is essential that it integrates seamlessly within a brand’s broader marketing strategy to maximise the benefits produced by these synergies.

To chat about your social media strategy, its role within your full marketing strategy, and how we can help rebuild your social strategy post Covid-19, contact our team today.