As non-essential workers stay home to self-isolate around most of the world, social media usage has increased. In the process, several unexpected trends are emerging — from new types of user-generated content to the rise of Zoom as a community platform.
How will these trends influence social media as COVID-19 continues and eventually dissipates?
A unique set of circumstances
Quarantine has created a unique situation where everyone, from consumers to CEOs, finds themselves in the same position: at home with too much time on their hands. Business hasn’t stopped completely, but isolation has changed priorities and abilities so much that it’s created a vast gap in typically overloaded schedules. Brands are taking advantage of this rare pause to communicate authentically with their audiences.
Here are the trends we’re spotting:
Greater transparency
With regular social media campaigns on indefinite hold, brands are taking a moment to appreciate their greatest asset: their employees. Photos of people working from home (usually with dogs and cats featured front and center), posted with hashtags like #HappyAtHome or #StaySafe, have become a staple of Twitter.
Executives who don’t typically have time for building a social media presence have taken to LinkedIn to share their thoughts on how businesses might weather COVID-19. It’s a peek behind the curtain that’s not only putting a relatable face on companies, but also a valuable reminder that we’re all going through the same strange, frightening experience right now.
Active engagement with the community
A silver lining of the disruption caused by self-isolating is the opportunity for social media teams to interact with their communities. Tweets can be responded to much more quickly, live chats can be whipped up on a whim, and video hangouts are possible now that everyone is used to Zoom.
Perhaps even more crucially, the lockdown has made the public more forgiving of imperfections. A small social media gaffe that might lead to a brand being “canceled” is far more likely to be shrugged off in the current environment. People understand that everyone is doing their best in the circumstances — brands included.
User created content
People bored in the house are looking for creative outlets, which has naturally led to a considerable uptick in user-created content. Families are recreating music videos with surprising accuracy. The writer of Star Wars: Rogue One created a talk show in the video game Animal Crossing. And more than one nurse has blown off steam with some fierce dance moves.
Brands are finding unique ways to tap into this creativity to keep their audiences engaged. The Iris, the Getty Museum’s blog, brilliantly challenged readers to replicate classic artwork using whatever they have lying around the house. The Harvard Business Review mixes in quarantine-themed humor with its regular social media content to keep it feeling fresh and relatable.
Will brands return to the old methodology once they have less time to devote to social media? Or will they strive to maintain the level of intimacy achieved with their audiences? Time will tell, but it will be intriguing to see if these trends continue once coronavirus ends and life returns to a semblance of normalcy.