By now COVID-19 has affected every area of our lives. And let’s be honest, most of us are spending even more time on social media. While it has always been a great distraction and a great way to stay in touch with others, during our current quarantine, we need distractions and connection even more with so much free time on our hands!
Sounds like a great time for businesses to pounce on a captive audience.
But don’t.
Most companies have responsibility shut down and many people have tightened their spending as their work hours have been reduced or they have been laid off.
Now is not the time to sell to your clients. They are stressed.
Now is a great time to connect genuinely.
Making a hard sell at this time is insensitive and will look selfish and greedy.
Even Facebook is acknowledging this.
Initially, Facebook banned posts about COVID-19 and deemed posts as spreading false information. But then on March 30th, Facebook made the decision to ban any ads looking to capitalize on the COVID-19 outbreak. This ban was eventually extended to any ads for masks, hand sanitizer and test kits.
Now as many Facebook employees are working from home or out of work, Facebook users are seeing their ads’ approval delayed. Facebook has increased its use of automated programs for these jobs causing the delays.
Facebook says that this could mean:
Delayed review for ads and commerce listings
An increase in ads being incorrectly disapproved
Delayed or reduced appeals
More limited availability of Facebook in-stream ads and lower delivery
Now is the time to remember everything you know about blogs, videos, engagement and social listening. Live streaming is through Facebook and Instagram stories is another great way to engage your customer base.
Trust is a critical part of building customer loyalty. That is the opportunity to seize.
If you are a small business and need a grant or a loan, look to see how Facebook is helping.
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