Amidst the swirl of Toilet-Paper-Gate and the worldwide spread of COVID-19, you’d be forgiven for thinking that all is lost and social media for business is now officially a waste of time. There are many things rolling through the heads of business owners. From the fear of people no longer buying from you to worrying that people are too caught up in scaremongering. So many worry that what they put out there will go unnoticed. However, like any good ‘bear market’ there are opportunities to be had if you play it smart.

We’ve seen how powerful social media can be of huge benefit to people, from Quaden Bayles and the GoFundMe campaign that raised in excess of $400,000 to Celeste Barber’s fundraising of more than $50M. There are things we can do to ensure that businesses continue to leverage the power of social media.

Here are seven things you can do right now to help your business grow using social media

  1. Be the black sheep

While everyone else is talking about the current world events, you have a unique opportunity to do the opposite. You may choose to mention things that are happening once or twice, but other than that, do the opposite of what everyone else is doing.

The goal is to be as consistent with posting good content online because this helps build trust. When your audience trusts you and what you have to say, they see you as their trusted advisor. They are more likely to buy from someone they trust when it’s time to buy.

  1. Know your audience & help them

When you know who your audience is online – and you want them to be – you can create content that’s relevant for them. If you think about the Corona Virus and how this has ‘blown up the internet’ recently, you could provide some topical advice. You could share some jokes, funny videos and be the source of distraction in their “It’s feeling like Doomsday” social media feeds.

For instance, if you are an author, you can create content that shares with people what you’re doing to reduce tension. You could share your self-care routines or how you meditate to block out the noise. You might even talk about how writing helps you to focus on the positive rather than the negative.

  1. Talk about why your product or services are still necessary

Even in times that are challenging, people want to feel good and you can help them to do that. If you are educating people, talk about the benefits of having something else to focus on.

For example, if you are a training company, you can share why now is the best time to learn. Let them know that this is because it provides a great distraction to things that are happening in their lives. You could talk about the importance of using ‘downtime’ to self educate and how this reduces anxiety.

  1. Generate Leads

Create something digital that you can give away for free. For example, an eBook, a video training or even a PDF guide. However, ensure that in order for your audience to get this from you, they subscribe to your email list.

Newsfeeds these days are choc-full of headlines, media and the latest super market to have run out of toilet paper, so having the ability to send an email to people is important. Why? Because their inboxes are generally less ‘noisy’ than their social media newsfeed. This means you stand out more. Plus, it gives you permission to have conversations with them in other ways.

For example, if you’re a graphic designer, you could give away a free eBook the Power of Branding. Collect their email addresses and have your email system send them out the eBook.

  1. Share your opinions

Many business owners are afraid to share their opinions online for fear of their audiences turning away from them. However, when you share your opinions about various things online, it helps your audience to learn to trust you. They start to see what your (and your company) values are and how they align with theirs.

For example, share how you’re helping your employees work from home rather than coming into the office.

  1. Entertain your audience

When everything ‘out there’ seems to be doom and gloom, think of innovative ways that you can entertain your audience. From fun videos that other people have created to ones you create yourself, comic relief is always needed online.

For example, you could do something like James Cordon does with ‘Carpool Karaoke’ or how Celeste Barber copies supermodel photos and videos.

  1. Capitalise

Being in business, you haven’t got a minute to spare on something that is not going to produce a result. You have to be sure that what you’re doing is going to be worthwhile. You have to capitalise on the content that you’re creating, the connection you’re creating and then leverage it to make money.

But how? When you’re following the previous steps above, you’re actually creating goodwill within your audience. The next natural step for people to take it to buy something from you or ask them to do something.

The bottom line is this: there are many ways that you can use social media to grow your business. Follow these three steps and you will see your business grow using the power of social media.

Nicola Moras is an online visibility expert and author of Visible, a guide for business owners on how to generate financial results from social media and digital marketing. Nicola helps clients around the world achieve online visibility, impact and profits. Find out more at www.nicolamoras.com.au