Almost everyone has a social media account nowadays. Social media and the internet connects every person in any part of the world. We live in a world of Instant updates and trends where people share every moment of their life with friends and family.
While Social media is a commonplace for sharing Selfies, Funny gifs, Friend’s birthday parties, and vacation pictures. But it is horrifying for people to see recent deaths, national attacks, and any deadly outbreaks.
Well to share trending stories and news by a business or a brand is vital and also common in social media, but it becomes problematic when they cross the limit and go out of their way to make a profit out of people’s ignorance.
Currently, the world is in great sorrow where many countries have lost thousands of lives and the number keeps increasing every day. And Businesses and Influencers with a considerable number of followings have to ethically and rationally use social media to create awareness and ease the pain.
It is vital to keep following these tips to use social media as humanly and ethically as possible:
Spread Awareness :
It is a prerequisite for a business to take necessary measures and help spread awareness during the dawn of this Contagious virus. Remember the Virus spreads through people, it is very vital for business owners not to disappear from the face of the earth to only prevent themselves but should spread awareness using their brand on social media like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and more.
Also, many organizations should give a couple of days off to their employees in the event of a Global emergency. And instead of laying off till the cause clears it is essential to start Work from home schemes and keep the operations running without hindering one’s economy.
Stop Any Promotions :
One of the advantages of Social media is everything happens in real-time and its ability to operate on a Large – scale. And Many big brands having a huge list of subscribers, email lists, Followers and Fans should stop all the promotion which increases the consumption that directly fuels the cause, especially in Food and Lifestyle industries. When there is more consumption of meat and High caloric foods it increases the people’s susceptibility to getting sick.
Instead of Capitalizing on people’s fear of getting sick, businesses should spread measures that in return educate people and help them stay protected.
All major social media channels like Facebook has put several bans on many types of ad promotions.
Show Compassion and give condolences using Social Media:
Businesses should be rational by knowing what to post and what not to post during this sensitive time. And I am not advocating that brands and agencies do nothing at all but, but sending out those positive messages during difficult times like Hope, Compassion and Condolences are a great way to let the world know that you are acknowledging that your brand is taking genuine measures in the event of the Global Crisis ( In this case – CoronaVirus ).
Not just businesses but also brand ambassadors and celebrities should choose to retweet, repost, share, acknowledge and program topics and pictures surrounding the Global Crisis.
But it is always better for one’s own reputation to avoid mixing up with race, religion, and politics in your posts as it may offend some users and create more controversies instead of contributing to the cause.
Business owners should start recruiting more talents on Google and increase their virtual workforce, this helps in creating employment among those who have been laid-off.
Contribute to the Cause:
Organizations from small to big sizes should start contributing to the cause and show that there is hope during this difficult time the world is going through. Find out the most affected regions and contribute both financial and emotional assistance to people through tweets, Instagram and Posts, this will also attract other businesses and influencers to initiate the help.
During any national or global crisis like terrorist attacks, Natural Calamities, Outbreaks of disease, an organization with access to resources should start donating, assisting and also scheduling giveaways using Social media.
Strategies a Plan:
One of the important reasons why you need to manage your Social media is to create a strategy or a plan like – Work from home, Giving bonuses for people to buy groceries and set up their home to make it work compatible. As it is impossible for giant organizations to communicate with their employees over a phone call. These plans are prerequisites for any organization to function without hindering their activities and also providing a sense of security to their employees.
Identify and report False News:
There are many unethical ways people can use social media to benefit themselves by stepping over the people, one of them is trying to leverage any hot news to make money out of it. There are many Identifiable Foul-plays like Creating Urgencies, Playing on people’s fear and inducing people for a potential reward. There are many Fake gurus online who try to sell a course on how to make money fast are some of the predators, they influence people to use sensitive news like the present ( CoronaVirus) and try to sell a course.
If you find any of the above activities you can use your Social media to spread out the message and create awareness among people. One way to do it is to report those activities as spam and also share the same using your personal social media accounts.
Educational Posts:
One of the major advantages of social media and the Internet is that the results are instantaneous. So businesses with well-established Social media profiles can leverage existing followers to share the Videos, Infographics and a Guide to clarify and educate the masses. It is necessary for this day and age for businesses to use social media not just for sales and promotions but also to participate in global causes.
There is no doubt that the economy will take some huge blows during any Global crisis. But organizations need to protect their micro-economy by having solid plans and turn-around strategies within themselves and their allies.
Be Responsive on Social Media:
If you have a lot of followers and Fans that means tons of comments and messages. In a Critical time like this, you have to make it your obligation to be responsive to all the inquiries and concerns. It won’t just help you to create a good relationship with your customers but also increases the authenticity and trust for your brand and your profile. Trust is a luxury in the modern day of marketing, as there are thousands of spammy Marketers who either take advantage or create tensions during news-sensitive times to make a profit out of people’s fear.
So being responsive by answering questions and initiating measures will be acknowledged by the people.
Help your Local groups and community:
It is better to take initiation from your Local community and move on to helping others in different parts of the world. Many brands and agencies that are striving to increase their local market share can start assisting and taking life-saving measures like Donating the food, implementing Hygiene practices and spreading positive messages. Start by posting on Social media like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Also, search nearby businesses who are already contributing to the cause and lend them a helping hand.
But as long as you are not posting anything promotional, the sense of genuineness will be sensed by your locals.
Invite others:
Business owners or celebrities should utilize their Influence and connections to invite other brands and agencies to participate in the cause using something like Twitter and Instagram. Many small businesses and brands that are striving to create an online presence will be more inclined towards joining hands with Influencer just to attract some eyeballs on social media.
Think out of the box:
Instead of just following what other brands are doing to contribute to any cause, have your own ways and ideas to ease the pain the world is going through. As simple as incorporating visuals like Infographics, eBooks, Presentation and Explainer videos can help you deliver your message effectively. In the Heart of every viral post involves design or a visually appealing content. By this, you are increasing the susceptibility of gaining your audience traction and spreading the message.
Conclusion:
In the history of mankind, this is the most deadly outbreak that has taken many innocent lives and their dreams away. Over 750,000 people have been affected and over 36,000 lives are lost. It is indeed a global crisis. But instead of running and hiding many Influencers and Businesses with access to resources like thousands or even millions of Followers and Fans should take necessary action to stop this evil virus from its roots.
With that said the masses must stay calm and well-informed. Especially during this difficult time, it is important to stay informed. And also create awareness, without helping one another there is no meaning for being a human.
During the Oscar’s 2020, Jacquline Phoenix after accepting his award for the best actor he quoted and said – “Run to the rescue with love the help will follow”.
And this is your chance to show that the world is a safe place using your voice and influence.
