Using Social Media During Covid-19 Lockdown

Written by MollyAnn Kyte.

Lives & Business Turned Upside Down

It’s easy to feel stuck in a rut at the moment. Normal life as we know it may currently feel out of reach, and lockdown may have you feeling unmotivated. Binge-watching the latest Netflix docs on TV and eating all the food in your cupboards may have once felt like an ideal situation, but now most of us are dreaming of our previous existence outside the front door. The thought of that one daily walk is entrancing. We have never lived through such a widespread pandemic that our lives feel so affected and different. During this time though, it’s important to continue thinking positively. Soon enough, life will be back to normal and the videos of people reuniting with their loved ones will be spreading like a second virus. So what can we do now to make sure when that time does arrive, we’re in the best possible shape to move forward?

Passing The Time During COVID-19 Lockdown

Understandably, social media usage has risen during lockdown. It’s an easy way to pass the time, browsing different social media platforms. Social Media gives us a sense of connectivity; the feeling of community and friendship that we cannot currently have person to person. It is a comfort blanket as well as a source to keep us entertained, now more than ever. Interestingly for business owners, it seems that consumers have turned to brands for reassurance during the Coronavirus outbreak. The need for quality content rather than sales messaging is even more apparent. Now is the perfect opportunity to show that you care, as a brand or business. Those who engage, entertain, and even educate us during difficult times will be seen as a valuable resource and one that can be trusted once life goes back to normal. So which platforms should you be on?

2020 - The Year of TikTok and Video on Social Media

TikTok is the new social media sensation which has MASSIVELY increased its user numbers during lockdown. (Our MD even signed up for an account, albeit for a client!) Not only has the sign up numbers risen dramatically, engagement rates of TikTok videos have increased significantly during lockdown, too. Many social media influencers who traditionally only used Instagram are now posting cross platform. TikTok videos are being shared left right and centre, across all platforms. TikTok has said it has been leveraging celebrities and musicians to bring more live content for its users, making TikTok the uprising app of lockdown.

Facebook Users Pass 3bn Milestone

Facebook, is now being used by more than 3 billion people across the world making it the number 1 most used app. Is your business using Facebook to advertise? LinkedIn also remains an excellent way to keep your business profile up to date. It is also allowing businesses to connect and help each other out during the pandemic.

Video Conferencing; Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, Houseparty

It’s fair to say that the way businesses and families have been keeping in touch during the coronavirus lockdown has changed dramatically thanks to the emergence of video conferencing technology. Sure, we all had a Skype account anyway and used Facetime every now and then. But now a Friday night without a family quiz via Zoom seems unthinkable! In work too, people can now complain that the discussions in a video conference could have been covered in an email, rather than an actual meeting! Businesses are taking this opportunity to embrace video content because it has many benefits.

Zoom and House party have been the most used forms of communication through lockdown. These platforms have been used across the globe during this pandemic and have given people the ability to come together through these tough times.

Social Media Usage Stats

Zoom has increased in daily usage by 300% since the beginning of lockdown, and House party saw its daily downloads rise from 24,795 per day on 15th February to 651,694 on 25th March!! The popularity of these apps have exploded in the last month or two, bringing everyone together and allowing us all to feel united!

E-commerce orders are up by 108%. YouTube daily usage is up by 15%. TikTok daily usage is up by 15%. It is extremely important to keep your business/brand online during this time. Those who press pause on all marketing activity face a really difficult task of making up ground once this is all over. As we’ve already said, those brands who make a positive impact now will be remembered when it’s time to do business again.

User-Generated Content Should Be at the Heart of Marketers' Post-COVID Playbooks

If you have any questions about how best to use social media during lockdown, feel free to contact Yellow Spider Media. Stay safe!