The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on social media marketing as brands adapt to the changes in the way that people are engaging with them online.
The unique pressures that brands face have forced some key changes such as the dramatic drop in sponsored content from 35% to just 4% on Instagram, but this also presents an opportunity to optimise digital marketing efforts.
All about engagement in social media marketing
While the volume of social media posts from brands has decreased by an average of 1,8 per day on Facebook, 1,9 per day on Instagram and 2,3 per day on Twitter, there are 7.3 more engagements per post per day on average across all networks and industries, which shows consumers are spending more time online and craving social interaction.
The adage of never letting a crisis go to waste rings true in the digital marketing space, as brands who have duly adjusted their social media marketing content to focus on digital sales have reaped rewards such as the surge in e-commerce, with consumers preferring to order online rather than visit stores. Given the changes to daily routines, the ideal times for brands to post have shifted, with the hours of engagement starting and ending later.
While the situation surrounding the pandemic for businesses and consumers remains fluid, digital marketing strategies should also be agile and ready to adapt to any opportunities that may arise, by using relevant data and insights into consumer behaviour online.
Similarly, there have been several key changes to the various social media platforms themselves, which have also impacted how they should be used to extract value from a digital marketing campaign. You are now able to send marketing emails on Facebook and the new ‘Shops’ feature on Facebook and Instagram allows businesses to highlight their products and services more effectively.
With the landscape itself constantly changing and evolving, effective social media marketing strategy should be continually evaluated and adjusted to be effective.