Engage your audience during COVID-19

As social distancing and travel bans restrict us from our typical workflow, influencers are experiencing an increase in impressions and engagement from social audiences. The majority of people are stuck inside their home and we are online and scrolling more than ever. With more visibility opportunities, brands should take this time to work on their Awareness Strategy and test out new ways to engage their audiences. See below for a list of campaign ideas you can get started on right away!
 

 

Live-Streaming
Instagram and YouTube Live have been long-time influencer favorites as it allows the creators to interact with their audiences in real-time. Social distancing has led to an increase in people looking to build and maintain connections virtually. With Twitch, a live-streaming platform, seeing a 10% increase in viewership during the weekend of March 14th. Brands can take this time to engage their audiences and increase brand awareness by live-streaming product tutorials, partnering with influencers for live takeovers, or filming Q&A’s.

 

Social Challenges
I’m sure by now we have all seen push-up challenges, baking challenges, and fill-in-the-blanks dominating our Instagram Story feeds. It’s no surprise that social media challenges have seen an uproar in popularity these past few weeks. MAC Cosmetics announced earlier this week that proceeds from their Viva Glam lipsticks will be donated to organizations aiding COVID-19. The cosmetic brand paired this effort with a social challenge #MACkissofgratitude which racked up over 3,000+ Instagram posts to share a virtual kiss of gratitude to those on the front lines.  

Social Contests
A surefire way to increase brand awareness and social engagement during this time? Run a contest! Stella Artois has partnered with social influencers, Lauren Speed-Hamilton and Cameron Hamilton from Netflix’s Love is Blind to offer a free wedding to a couple that became recently engaged during COVID-19. Of course, this can be accomplished on a smaller and less grand scale. Start by offering free products or gift cards and round up a couple of influencers to help your brand spread the word.

 

Virtual Parties
Pick a date and host a party, wherever you are. Open it up to your team members and invite any customers, influencers or industry leaders. Spice up the party with a theme that’s relevant to your brand and be sure to have someone moderate. When meeting face-to-face (even virtually) with the people behind your brand, customers and influencers alike will feel more loyal to your brand.