This month we’re delivering ideas on how to enhance your digital communication strategies during the global pandemic and in a time that seasonally calls for margaritas, tacos, and mom. Our goal? To give you a boost in communication with topics designed to provide your audience a more enjoyable, connected & timely experience.

(Warning: This improvement may call for less siestas & more virtual fiestas).

May is typically a turning point about things we love the most, like mom & tacos. But this month, our world is still battling the global pandemic, from increasing COVID-19 infections to joblessness and community spread. Businesses ranging from small local shops, retailers, nonprofits to large organizations are finding themselves reliant on their digital marketing strategy more than ever before. People are choosing who they connect with now more than ever simply because they have more time and opportunity to do so. Brands who are taking the time to bring their A-game when it comes to authenticity, conversation, & storytelling are receiving positive sentiment and customer loyalty. Local businesses who are putting in endless time and energy to make their brick and mortar stand-out in the crowd by being more accessible are receiving accolades for standing out in the crowd. Not to mention, publications and news outlets who are taking the time to stay true to their morals, beliefs and values while providing helpful updates and resources are at the top of our feeds for a reason.

So how can you use content marketing to connect with your audience faster than DoorDash-ing an order of carne asada tacos? Here are five pertinent and helpful ways to “taco ‘bout” latest happenings in May – outside of Cinco de Mayo and Take Out Tuesday, we promise.

Growing Stronger, Together.

Introducing April theme of “grow through what you go through”, an effort to help you share thoughtful, authentic content that the world desires right now. Here’s what you can do for your business online to confront situations & make light of this moment in time we are living in.

Five Ways To Create Conversation That Counts

Account for a shift in digital content consumption

The U.S. at this moment is variable, some states are re-opening in phases while closures & stay-at-home orders have been extended for others. Regardless, most companies have shifted marketing budget & advertising spend to support increased online communication. We are all on our smartphones daily including your followers: “87% of US consumers and 80% of UK consumers say they’re consuming more content. And they are doing so mostly via broadcast TV, online videos, and online TV streaming.” (source) Use your time & resources towards ensuring your social media & digital platforms are refreshed, up-to-date and keeping your audience informed – first and foremost. Everything from store hours, current website information or latest company news or updates are vital in keeping people informed. Every little form of digital communication is necessary!

Engage through creativity

Social media engagement by definition measures the public shares likes and comments for an online business. Look at your company’s social media accounts that are currently in use and determine the most active platform from this engagement standpoint. Whether it’s Instagram or Linkedin, begin to think through how or what you can share that will communicate best with this audience. In a recent report from Unruly.com, they tested a number of brands who took the leap in creating campaigns during COVID-19, what they found is that, “it seems the best thing to do right now for brands is to be brave and to acknowledge the impact that COVID-19 is having on their customers and how they can help and offer support.” Get creative – use your tools to the best of your ability from live videos, stories, sharing blogs or promoting email sign-ups, right now a thoughtful, authentic idea is a good one!

Stay virtually connected

A recent report came out that the video conference platform Zoom had roughly “300 million daily meeting participants.” Connectivity is ingrained in our culture. We found personally that our teams are more apt to join a video conference on a weekly basis to meet and keep up with one another. A company can also look to this form of marketing as a way to drive the conversation in the place of canceled events. Internally, businesses can use it to keep employee morale up by hosting “virtual” group events or gatherings.

Spread the hype of hyperlocal marketing.

If you were to drive around your local town this very moment things might look a lot different from the way they were two months ago. In our community of Encinitas, a coastal town of San Diego County, restaurants are open for take-out but the streets are quiet & the usual bars, retailers & boutiques are all closed. As a marketer, we know a thing or two on how to keep our business in the public eye, but make sure you also fine-tune your listings and channels with “hyperlocal marketing” in mind.“ The term refers to the situation where sellers target buyers according to their area. If you ever searched a word in Google like tacos, the search bar definitely filled in the blank with: “tacos near me.” For many, this is exactly what we are looking for – once you searched the phrase you were given a list of local open restaurants nearby, this was all thanks to hyperlocal marketing. Ramp up your business information on platforms like Google, Facebook and even Yelp. Make sure you are also cross-promoting your business information on channels like Instagram and Twitter, too.

TLC

Tacos loving care, that’s what TLC means right? Well sorta. Right now, people want to hear about things they enjoy. What makes your audience happy? For us, we sure hope it’s content! For your business, what are some of the top ways your audience connects with you most? Holidays, hashtag dates, new products or promos, and even uplifting quotes are all excellent ways to keep your fans responsive with your feed. Upcoming dates range from Star Wars Day, Mother’s Day to Memorial Day and we’ve comprised a list to help you out below.

Processed with VSCO with fp8 preset

May Hashtag Holidays

Here’s a list of May holidays & hashtag dates to guide your social journey:

• National Burger, Salsa, BBQ & Strawberry Month
• Cinco de Mayo – 5/5
• Mother’s Day – 5/10
• #InternationalMuseumDay – 5/18
• Memorial Day – 5/27 (and #NationalWineDay)
• National Burger Day – 5/28

Need help crafting messaging or coming up with content for your social feed? We are offering a free 30-minute consultation with our team until May 31st, 2020. Click here to set up a call now.