Should Your Business Be Discussing COVID-19 News On Social Media?

Log on to social media and there’s only one topic people are talking about — COVID-19, also known as coronavirus. People are sharing news stories, swapping tips, and discussing ways to stay healthy or support people in need.

Everyone wants to know what’s going on. Everybody is desperate for information. So, does this mean your business or organization should jump in and share information you find about coronavirus?

The short answer is yes, you should be participating in the discussion. However — and this is important — you should be doing it responsibly. That means no fear tactics and no negativity. It means you should fact-check everything that you share. It means you should be honest and transparent. It means you should facilitate positive discourse among your followers.

You might be wondering why your business or organization should be sharing news updates. After all, people aren’t following your page to learn about world events. But this situation is unlike anything we as a society have experienced before, and in many ways, you will seem tone deaf if you opt to post about anything else.

Instead, by posting about COVID-19, you show people that you are a responsible and on-your-game business owner by staying informed about everything from executive orders to health advisories. It shows people that you are aware. Let’s say you’re a restaurant that’s offering takeout or delivery while you are temporarily not allowed to have dine-in customers. People will have a lot more confidence if they see you sharing information about responsible hand-washing techniques or hygiene tips.

There’s a lot of false information out there. Be sure you’re turning to reliable sources, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the National Institutes of Health.

For example, a report from the National Institutes of Health on March 17 explained how long COVID-19 can live on certain surfaces: in the air for three hours, for four hours on copper, for 24 hours on cardboard and for two to three days on plastic and stainless steel. That’s important information for people to know! There’s no reason that you, as a business, cannot share it. By sharing this information with your followers, you are participating in an important conversation. It demonstrates that the well-being of the community, that reliable sources of news, and that staying informed are core values of your brand.

What’s more, you can find ways to tie this news back to you. If you know that COVID-19 can live on plastic for up to two to three days, that’s even more important for you to be disinfecting the surfaces in your businesses. If it can live on cardboard for 24 hours, tell your customers what steps you are taking to ensure that any packages you are mailing out or putting out for pickup are sanitized.

Speaking of sanitation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discusses how to do that.. By discussing the CDC guidelines, you can help your followers stay healthy at home. For all you know, your followers might have seen a meme on Facebook telling them to clean their home surfaces with a mixture of white vinegar and lemon juice — who knows where that rumor got started, but you can help dispel it.

If your brick-and-mortar property is still open for businesses throughout the pandemic, your customers will know that you are not just wiping surfaces down with water or some weak solvent. Instead, you’re using bleach (4 teaspoons mixed with 1 quart of water, in keeping with CDC standards). Or you’re using an alcohol solution with at least 70 percent alcohol, also in keeping with the CDC standard. You also might be using one of the products that can fight coronavirus listed by the American Chemistry Council.

There might also be a misunderstanding about what “social distancing” entails. Does that mean you can’t go out at all? Does it mean that it’s safe to go out as long as you’re in a place where there aren’t more than 50 people? If you share insight from Dr. Francis Collins with the National Institutes of Health, you can help people understand that it means staying home as much as they can, although they can go out to the grocery store or pharmacy as long as they are able to stay 6 feet away from the people they encounter.

You can tie this relevant information back to your marketing by letting people understand what steps you’re taking to support the social distancing recommendation. If you’re closing your brick-and-mortar location temporarily, it’s not because you’re buying into the panic — it’s because you want to encourage people to stay home. If you’re staying open, you might be allowing only 10 people into your store at a time so that they have enough room to keep at least 6 feet away from one another.

There’s a lot of false information out there. Your business can demonstrate itself as a leader in sharing reliable information during this critical time. Reliable information should be part of your brand’s core values, which your followers and your customers will appreciate and respect.

For more ideas on how to adapt your social media presence appropriately to the COVID-19 pandemic, reach out to Ann’s Social Media & Digital Marketing today by visiting www.asmmdigital.com or calling 443-679-4916.