Social-media love in the time of corona

When the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) canceled the March Hong Kong shows, many of us considered it an isolated incident, necessary because of the proximity to Wuhan, China, where the first incidents of COVID-19 had been reported. A month later, Watches and Wonders Geneva was canceled as well. Baselworld was next, and a host of other shows followed in rapid succession. Never in our wildest dreams could we have imagined such a scenario. With shows called off and businesses shut, we are left wondering: How do we get eyes on our diamonds and jewels? How do we keep steering our businesses in these uncharted waters?

The instinctive response is to halt all marketing activities. Something about posting gems and jewels right now feels off, as if we should be focusing our efforts on beating this global crisis instead of focusing on our businesses. As if we should be hunkering down and waiting for this to pass, instead of sharing pictures and news linked to a high-end industry. But, my dear friends in the jewelry business, now more than ever, this is exactly what we should be doing! We must all play our part, while still following guidelines to stay home and making every effort to #FlattenTheCurve. It is for this very reason that I believe social media is more important than ever before, and no matter how strong the urge is to cut back, we must keep up a strong presence on social media.

You’ve worked hard to build a brand, right? The last thing you want is for it to fade into insignificance because people are no longer seeing your brand name. Consider the following: Everybody still has a birthday. People are still celebrating anniversaries. People are still looking for the perfect gift. What better way to enjoy a moment’s distraction from the bad-news stream that’s bombarding us than a beautifully cut diamond or an exceptional piece of jewelry? I recently posted a diamond necklace on TheDiamondsGirl with the caption “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop,” referring to my commitment to continue posting daily. The response from my followers was overwhelming, with dozens of comments from people saying my posts gave them something to look forward to and provided a welcome distraction. Keep that in mind and enjoy my 4Cs for maintaining your social media presence in this time.

Cost: Yes, everyone needs to contain costs. But social media platforms are free. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and LinkedIn are all excellent options for presenting your items to hundreds of millions of viewers.

Content: Keep up with regular posts. I understand that your production is down, probably even closed. It’s okay to post less, and it’s okay to post older pieces. What’s important is to keep posting! In doing so, you remain visible and viable. Customers: Be human. Acknowledge the situation, and the hardships everyone is facing. Offer to do what you can to help them through this time. That means having items available for viewing online, and home deliveries with return/refund policies in place so that people can buy with peace of mind. Do you have a payment plan offered? Financing? Consider all options.

Connect: This is what puts the “social” in social media. There has been a significant surge in the Instagram “live” feature, which lets you interact in real time within the app. Inform the social media community when you plan on going live, invite them to join you, grab a coffee and begin talking to people. If the thought of going live is intimidating, then consider recording a series of informative sessions, and share those on the platform’s IGTV. This gives you the chance to connect in a more scripted, planned way, and you can edit the message before uploading it. And if even that is too intimate for you, then at the very least, engage with your customers — answer their comments on your posts, and please answer their direct messages!

Bonus “C” — Captions: Tone down your captions and stick to the facts. Don’t try to do a hard sell — it will most likely turn people off. Remember, this is about exposure and maintaining a brand presence, using this time to build relationships so that when the tide turns, people remember you.

I am no medical expert. I can’t tell you when this will pass. But it will pass, and while we wait it out, we must stay relevant, top of mind, and available to grab every business opportunity we can. Going into hibernation and ceasing social media marketing activities is not the way to do that. As hard as it is, we must find a way to put on a brave face and be positive in our posts. Vaccines and medications will ultimately cure the virus and save lives. Social media — the very essence of social distancing, in my opinion — is what will keep our businesses alive. Tracey Ellison is the founder of TheDiamondsGirl blog.

Go organic

On March 24, Facebook reported seeing a significant jump in user engagement since the arrival of the coronavirus. People were spending 70% more time on the app. Instagram and Facebook Live activities doubled in the week ending March 24. But the platforms also saw a drop in advertising and paid promotional posts. This resonates soundly with my recommendations: Pushing sales when many people are no longer earning a salary can send the wrong message. Adopt an organic approach instead: Keep posting, and you will reach your audience naturally, and appropriately.

Image: Stocksy

Article from the Rapaport Magazine - April 2020. To subscribe click here.