Our new reality with the Covid-19 crisis is intense. It means staying home, working remotely, homeschooling children, and even processing grief. Showing up on social media has likely – and appropriately – taken a backseat to urgent concerns.
It sure has for me, even though I’m a social media consultant and an executive coach. In my work, I keep a social media content calendar for LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. Yet as the crisis has unfolded, I’ve been reluctant to jump into the ever-increasing chorus of voices. My creativity feels like a casualty of the day-to-day struggle to survive.
But here’s what I’ve observed. Even though my postings dropped off, more people were looking at my LinkedIn profile. Fewer posts usually result in fewer profile views, so the uptick was surprising.
Curious, I looked at their profiles and invited some to connect. Many replies were near immediate, even on weekends. More people have time on their hands right now, and they’re craving meaningful connection.
Your virtual presence is a big opportunity. It’s fully under your control, when so much feels completely beyond our control. People are looking online to find current information, seek inspiration, and create connection. You likely have valuable insights that can help others.
By sharing your thoughts, you position yourself as a leader and a go-to person, regardless of your official title. This is more important than ever, whether you’re unexpectedly in the job market or leading a team through chaos while working remotely.
Before coronavirus (or “B.C.”), my clients had two main concerns. The first is teasing out what’s interesting and unique about their experiences. Often they’re so close to what they’re doing that they overlook how it could help others. The second is a concern about being overly self-promotional. For women in particular, this fear is validated by research. During a crisis, overcoming these issues is critical.
Here are five strategies for showing up effectively on social media right now. By modifying your approach, you can position yourself as an expert in your field, a resourceful problem solver, and a leader in turbulent times.
Shift your tone to a realistic optimism based on facts and experience
Content that doesn’t acknowledge the current crisis comes across as tone deaf. As a result, it is often tuned out. Yet all Covid-19 content all the time can be overwhelming.
There’s an art to acknowledging what’s going on and pivoting to the message you want to share. And adopting a relentless spirit of optimism grounded in brutal realism is especially compelling now. You can acknowledge the challenges as you strive to lift people up with bright spots, potential solutions, and interesting ideas.
A role model for realistic optimism is Michael White, the former CEO of DIRECTV where I was VP of corporate communications. His recent LinkedIn content has included science-based ways to keep your family safe during the pandemic, a good explanation of flattening the curve of the virus, and a shout-out for the author of a new book on women’s business leadership in Latin America. (Congratulations, Marty Seldman!)
Consider what people in your network need
Start by evaluating who is in your network and what they would find useful. How many are clients? They may need up-to-date industry information that’s easy to digest. They may be looking for advice on weathering the storm and building a stronger business for the other side of it.
What percentage are colleagues and team members? They may be looking for reassuring leadership, with a genuine level of candor and concrete steps to move forward. They may also seek connection and a comforting experience of being in a difficult situation together – rather than feeling isolated and alone.
Who are your aspirational contacts? Perhaps there are industry leaders, authors, or speakers you’ve long admired. They may be more open to dialogue right now, especially if you offer a perspective of interest to their work. Dorie Clark, a marketing strategist and keynote speaker, describes how a cold contact intrigued her with a brief description of an eclectic background and interests.
Adopt a mindset of helping others
Now more than ever, approaching social media by asking how you can help others is a must. What information and insights do you have that would be valuable? What experiences are you having that others could benefit from? What perspectives would be helpful?
Your posts could be a practical piece of advice, an inspirational story, or a bit of much-needed humor that will help people better work and live through the crisis.
The new phenomenon of “Zoombombing,” when uninvited people disrupt online meetings, attracted the attention of the FBI. Reza Zaheri, founder of a cybersecurity firm, posted on LinkedIn a list of actions to prevent this. Reza helped his network by making it easy to understand the issue and take quick steps to solve the problem.
Identify what you can offer that is unique
Give some thought to what only you could share. What are you learning? Have you picked up some strategies for being more effective in a crisis? Do you have a leadership mantra?
It’s essential to be a social media contrarian now. Don’t add to the over-saturated topics like working remotely (unless you have a unique twist on it). Find something fresh and different that only you could share.
Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall recently posted her “new .com” guiding principles. She shared her message to employees and offered it up on social media for colleagues and friends. In it, she articulates her new focus – compassion, communication, community, compromise, and compliance. This is uniquely Cynt.
Engage meaningfully by commenting on others’ content
The day-to-day dealing with the new reality can be exhausting. It can sap our creativity and our ability to generate engaging and valuable content. When you feel like you’re barely functioning, give yourself a break and let up on creating new content.
Instead, engage with people by commenting on their content. Consider how you can deepen and further the conversation with a comment or a question. If there’s someone in your network who would benefit from knowing about a post, tag them in your comment.
If you’ve built a large network or following on a social media platform, your comments may be especially valuable in drawing more attention to someone’s post. That’s another way of generously helping others during a crisis. Your comment may help the content reach a larger audience and make a bigger impact.
Dedicating a brief time every few days to post comments could become a regular habit that helps you and others. Rituals have a restorative power, according to author Scott Berinato. Especially now.
In conclusion, by being appropriately active on social media during trying times, you can accomplish multiple objectives. You can genuinely help others by providing useful information. You can provide calm and caring leadership. Most importantly, you can make a difference in people’s lives, now and in our new normal.
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