Social media content marketing needs to pivot when a major local crisis is underway.
Branding is great and all, but avoiding the trending topic of the day — such as a hurricane that’s days in the making — is never a good idea from a marketing standpoint.
My home state of Florida — and some of my local clients’ homes and businesses — were hit by Hurricane Irma. Beyond the electricity going out, bagged ice going fast and cellphones going dead, some great points were raised on content writing, especially as it relates to social media.
Here’s a social-media content checklist, in case of crisis:
Update social media, referring to the event. It’s bad form to focus on calls to action when a major weather emergency is really all that’s on anyone’s minds. Telling your audience to stay safe — maybe reposting the latest storm report, or offering a helpful preparation tip — positions you as a relevant, relationship builder who is in tune with their audience.
These tips should dovetail with a clients’ industry whenever possible. For instance, one of my clients is a master electrician. His Facebook page suggested those at risk of flooding shut off their home’s electrical main. An accounting-firm client posted about FEMA reimbursement details. A home inspector can post about storm-preparation or cleanup steps. Our strategy was to show these professionals as valuable information resources within their area of expertise as it related to the storm.
Push back irrelevant scheduled posts. You don’t want to announce a big sale on widgets when your valued customers are boarding up windows. A post you wrote weeks ago could still be poised to publish, putting you and your business at risk of appearing oblivious. I have a client who owns a tree-removal service. Educating audiences on signs of unsafe trees before a storm or the importance of using a tree service with adequate insurance is a sound strategy before a hurricane. Information on Spanish moss removal during a storm is not.
Post the status of your business. Post when you expect to reopen, resume normal hours, and if you will offer your full slate of services. Some restaurants here in Central Florida, for instance, did a truncated menu in days after Irma, due to food-delivery delays; others were cash only. Customers need to know this.
And don’t forget to set up an email auto-response ahead of the storm, letting clients and project partners know you might lose power, and we did, for days. Long-distance clients may not be aware your office was in the dark and wonder why you aren’t replying. When the power’s back, let clients know you appreciate their patience.
To adopt a hard-sell approach, especially in an event like a hurricane, isolates prospects and alienates customers. Social media marketing content should be relevant, current and in touch with audiences — especially in times of crisis.