Social media crisis plan: What to do when things go wrong

If you’ve never had to respond to a social media crisis, consider yourself lucky.

The reality, though? Businesses both big and small need a crisis plan.

Because social media meltdowns, pile-ons and controversies aren’t just reserved for the biggest companies anymore.

Recent engagement statistics highlight just how quickly social media moves for modern companies. When you’re always dealing with a flood of @mentions, messages and updates, it’s clear how mistakes can get made and spiral out of control.

Meanwhile, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic highlights the need for a social media crisis management plan. Brands must be more mindful than ever of customer empathy and how they carry themselves during troubled times.

This guide breaks down the basics of handling a social media crisis and tips to prevent problems in the future.

What constitutes a social media “crisis?”

Hey, fair question.

In short, a crisis represents any social media activity that potentially hurts your brand’s reputation or ability to do business.

Bear in mind that a “crisis” is much more than just a single negative comment or customer complaint. Indicators of a crisis could be anything from a flurry of negative comments to an outright boycott of your products.

Also, note that not all crises are totally within your control as a marketer.  They can happen no matter how careful your brand is with its messaging.

How so? Let’s look at some social media crisis examples below.

Insensitive, out-of-touch or tone-deaf comments

Perhaps the most common–and preventable–type of crisis that comes from saying something offensive or insensitive.

We see such snafus often from celebrities. Chalk it up to a lack of self-awareness or not having a second opinion to say “Hey, maybe you shouldn’t post this.”

Consider the recent backlash from Vanessa Hudgens’ insensitive comments on Instagram Live regarding the COVID-19 crisis. Note that Hudgens is among one of the most-followed celebrities on Instagram with over 38 million followers.

Questioning the effectiveness of shelter-in-place orders and playfully commenting “Like, people are going to die” was both out-of-touch and irresponsible, to say the least. Hudgens has since walked back her comments and “apologized,” although damage to her reputation has certainly been done based on the replies.

pic.twitter.com/Mjw6qJ5bET

— Vanessa Hudgens (@VanessaHudgens) March 17, 2020

Errors in judgment aren’t just restricted to celebrities. For example, the Indian branch of Dutch airline KLM had to apologize for a now-deleted insensitive tweet regarding the fatality rates on airplanes based on where passengers are sitting during a flight.

The fact that the back seats on a plane are technically the safest may not be offensive on its own. However, presenting death rates as a “fun fact” with a #TriviaTuesday hashtag is definitely in poor taste.

We would like to sincerely apologise for a recent update. The post was based on a publically available aviation fact, and isn't a @KLM opinion. It was never our intention to hurt anyone's sentiments. The post has since been deleted.

— KLM India (@KLMIndia) July 17, 2019

Product fails and customer criticism

Social media and community managers serve as the sort of mouthpiece for their respective brands online.

And if a product you’re putting out doesn’t deliver or results in bad press, you’re going to be taking the brunt of the criticism.

As highlighted by Refinery29, a number of beauty influencers and YouTubers took to social media in 2020 to speak out against DevaCurl products after previously promoting them to followers and fans.

Plus, a corresponding Facebook Group with more than 59,000 members cited hair damage and loss from using DevaCurl.

This controversy highlights the big-picture impact of social media crisis management. For example, front-page Google results for “DevaCurl” include coverage of the controversy as well as the video noted above.

DevaCurl has publicly addressed the allegations against their products, but the visibility of the issue won’t disappear immediately.

We’ve been working non-stop to get to the bottom of what’s happening with some members of our community. We promised to keep you updated when we had news, and today we’re sharing new information that we’ve never made public before. Click here: https://t.co/9lXJZIJKo1 #DevaFacts pic.twitter.com/guNxkbccBd

— DevaCurl (@DevaCurl) February 29, 2020

Employee errors and bad behavior gone viral

As noted earlier, sometimes a crisis occurs due to something completely beyond a social manager or marketing department’s control.

For example, Cynet Systems had to completely delete their job-centric Twitter account and apologize for a job posting on LinkedIn seeking a “preferably Caucasian” candidate in 2019. Regardless of who was responsible for the listing itself, the brand apologized but was understandably dragged on Twitter for the error.

Uh, hey @cynetjobs – what's with this?

Your job listing for a mid-senior level business development position's top qualification is "Preferably Caucasian"

How could you POSSIBLY think that's okay? pic.twitter.com/DPWzpgXqqE

— Helena (@misshelenasue) April 27, 2019

Another example comes from Walmart in 2017 in which an image went viral depicting a “back to school” promo in front of a store’s firearm display. Regardless of the origin of the photo and whether it was some sort of prank or staged incident, their social team was pressed to respond.

What’s in this pic would never be acceptable in our stores. We regret this situation & are looking into how it could have happened. -Danny

— Walmart (@Walmart) August 9, 2017

Site outages and broken links

Although there’s sort of a gray area on what sort of outages constitute a “crisis,” they can definitely become bigger problems if you aren’t paying attention.

Let’s say you’re in the midst of a product launch and your site goes down. Or maybe you’re promoting an irresistible offer to your customers and your links are broken.

If so, an explosion of @mentions and complaints could very well come your way.

Thanks for choosing us for dinner! We’re aware that our site is down and it’s the only way to claim our Family Meal deal. We appreciate your patience as we get the site back on track.

— Panda Express (@PandaExpress) March 21, 2020

The good news is that these sorts of crises are the easiest, granted you’re equipped to respond and fix the issue in a timely manner that satisfies customers’ needs..

Real-world crises, global events and tragedies

To say that we live in unprecedented times is an understatement.

These days brands need to be prepared for anything. The real-time crisis management efforts we’re seeing from companies in response to COVID-19 is proof of that.

With all the news around COVID-19, our usual social content just doesn’t feel relevant. Starting today, we're using social to support you by sharing resources and starting new conversations around remote work and open communication to help (even just a little) during this time.

— Sprout Social (@SproutSocial) March 13, 2020

From pandemics to tragedies and beyond, brands need to be aware of current events and respond in a way that’s tasteful and not tone-deaf.

In some cases, that might mean putting your social marketing on pause or shifting focus. In other cases, it may be the best channel for communicating with customers.

Right now social media is crucial for many of the businesses that had to temporarily shut their doors because of COVID-19

There’s no better way to stay top-of-mind in an unobtrusive way

— Matthew Kobach (but havin a social distanced bday) (@mkobach) March 24, 2020

How to respond to a social media crisis

Listen: we’re not trying to freak you out or scare your marketing team.

Businesses today need to be proactive. Given the constantly “on” nature of businesses today and the unpredictable nature of life itself, it pays to be prepared.

Now that we know what common crises are out there, let’s talk about what it takes to respond to one when it does occur.

React quickly and swiftly

A response time of 12 hours is considered the norm when it comes to questions and concerns on social media.

However, social media crisis management means responding as quickly as possible. The sooner you’re able to react and quell any sort of controversy, the better. Whether that means deleting a post or issuing an apology depends on the situation.

Either the way, it all starts with keeping a keen eye on your notifications and @mentions to keep a negative feedback loop from forming.

This doesn’t mean staring at your social feeds 24/7, thankfully. For example, social media engagement tools like Sprout can notify you of engagement spikes and spot a potential crisis before it has a chance to snowball.

Stop automated posts and take control of your account(s)

Another smart move is halting your automated posts during a crisis, at least temporarily.

For example, restaurants and venues in areas with shelter-in-place orders obviously shouldn’t be advertising sit-down meals and parties. Such posts feel out-of-place and insensitive during a crisis when people are focused on their well-being versus buying.

If you’re managing your social accounts in Sprout, hitting the proverbial pause button can be done in a single click. The ability to pull this sort of emergency lever is especially useful if you’re juggling multiple clients or accounts.

Assess and apologize if necessary

If you find yourself in social media crisis management mode, it’s only natural to want to get things “back to normal” as quickly as possible.

But if there’s one aspect of a crisis that you shouldn’t rush, it’s an apology.

In fact, a half-hearted apology can actually do more damage in a situation where your customers were truly hurt.

What makes a “good” public apology is up for debate, but the example below from Lady Gaga is generally considered to be a strong one. A long-form, heartfelt explanation to your followers is much more meaningful than the 140-character equivalent of “Sorry you were offended.”

I stand by anyone who has ever been the victim of sexual assault: pic.twitter.com/67sz4WpV3i

— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) January 10, 2019

Don’t panic

Here’s some good news: rarely is there a social media crisis that no brand can recover from.

Accidents and mistakes happen. They’re often beyond our control.

Look no further than marketers’ response to COVID-19 as a shining example. Both marketing teams and customers alike are taking to social media to share their experiences and come together during an uncertain time.

There’s perhaps no better place to provide public support and reassure your customers that you’re there for them.

Wow. Over 165 members of our customer community are joining our Zoom video call tomorrow to connect with each other and talk about how they are handling the current challenges both personally & professionally. If you are a customer & want to join, please DM us for the details.

— CrowdRiff (@CrowdRiff) March 24, 2020

How to avoid another social media crisis

To wrap things up, let’s discuss some pointers for avoiding another potential crisis in the future.

Below are some quick measures to keep from stepping into crisis territory.

Determine who can speak for your brand

Establishing a social media policy means having a set of checks and balances and place.

For example, who’s allowed to speak on behalf of your brand? Do you have your posts and comments go through approvals (think: client-side or a marketing team)?

By keeping your brand’s messaging limited to a select few, you’re less likely to post insensitive content. This creates a sense of accountability for your social marketing if something does go wrong.

Double-check your brand voice

Piggybacking on the tip above, your brand voice determines how you speak to customers.

For example, do you prefer to take a humorous tone? Formal? Snarky? There is no “right” answer here.

What matters is having a defined style guide so that your customer interactions are always “on-brand” and non-confrontational. This also makes it easier to help new hires understand how to talk to your customers via social.

Set up social listening

Finally, you should always have a pulse on how people feel about your business.

Social listening can help you monitor conversations and the sentiment around your brand, whether it be positive or negative. This can help you spot the beginnings of a crisis and potential issues that your customers might have before they blow up.

What does your social media crisis management plan look like?

Managing a social media crisis doesn’t have to be a nightmare.

Are they stressful? Absolutely.

That said, crises come with the territory of having a social presence.

Whether it’s the unpredictable or something out of your hands, brands today need to be equipped to respond. With the right social media tools and a crisis action plan, you can carry yourself with peace of mind.

And if you haven’t already, make sure to check out our social media crisis management guide for more tips on being prepared!

This post Social media crisis plan: What to do when things go wrong originally appeared on Sprout Social.

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The 4-Step Marketing Plan to Start Your Online Business

With COVID-19 posing challenges we never imagined, the future may feel uncertain right now. But that doesn’t mean you need to put your dreams on hold.

Whether you’re looking to grow or launch your online business, now’s the perfect time to set yourself up for success. 

Make the most of this extra time at home by following these 4 steps:

1. Build a landing page.

You don’t need a website to begin collecting email subscribers. With AWeber’s new Landing Page Builder, you can easily create a landing page that gets your business online fast. 

When creating your landing page, use a lead magnet to convince more visitors to subscribe to your content. 

Related: This Zumba Instructor Increased Profitability by 200% with Landing Pages

Bonus tip: Tag subscribers who complete your landing page sign up form so you can identify which subscribers filled out each landing page. You’ll also be able to send personalized, automated emails to subscribers based on the tags they have. (We’ll get to that in step 4.)

2. Create a branded email template. 

A consistent brand look and feel in your emails creates a sense of familiarity. Your subscribers will quickly know who sent the email — allowing them to focus on your email content. 

Include your brand colors, fonts, and logo. Consider using call-to-action buttons and bold featured images to make emails more scannable and appealing to the eye.  

Bonus tip: Email template design doesn’t have to be complicated. Try out the AWeber Smart Designer. It will create branded email templates for you in seconds using your website or social media profiles.

3. Write a welcome email.

A welcome email is your chance to leave an awesome first impression on your new subscribers. Introduce yourself, and make sure you deliver whatever you promised subscribers on your landing page — like your lead magnet or incentive. 

Bonus tip: Writing your welcome email is simple. We put together a checklist to help you get started.

4. Set up an automated email series.

With an automated email series, you can deliver customized messages to the right people at the right time. Plus, you can save time in the long run. 

Bonus tip: Trigger an automated campaign when a new subscriber joins your list or when a tag is applied to your subscribers. For instance, if you tagged subscribers that joined your list via the landing page form in step 1, set up an automated campaign that delivers content that’s relevant to your landing page or lead magnet.

Launch your business this week.

Take advantage of any extra downtime you may have right now and build your online presence. 

Start your free trial of AWeber and get access to AWeber’s Landing Page Builder, unlimited emails, automated campaigns and 24/7 customer solutions. 

The post The 4-Step Marketing Plan to Start Your Online Business appeared first on Email Marketing Tips.

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Headline writing: 10 ways to get more eyes on your content

Looking to master the art of headline writing?

Good!

Because conventional wisdom tells us what we already know: most people read and share posts based on titles alone.

Couple that with the fact that we live in an era of clickbait headlines where brands and blogs will say just about anything to score clicks.

Listen: from blog titles to social posts and beyond, knowing how to write a compelling headline is an invaluable skill.

And despite popular belief, doing so means more than just running your titles through a generator.

Don’t consider yourself much of a copywriter? Don’t sweat it! Our guide breaks down 10 actionable headline writing tips that’ll help you score those precious clicks and shares.

1. Put together headlines that promise a payoff

It’s no secret that readers today have small attention spans.

Think about it. As we’re scrolling through our Twitter or Facebook feeds, we’re passing by dozens of headlines in a matter of seconds.

That’s why it’s so important to answer the question of “Why bother?” or “So what?” with a compelling title that stops readers in their tracks.

Remember: your audience’s time is valuable. Your headlines should promise a payoff in exchange for their click or tap-through. Below are some awesome examples of benefit-driven headlines from Lauren Pope of G2.

At glance, your headline should highlight why someone should spend their valuable time reading. In short, what do readers get out of your post?

• Reclaim Your Time with These 12 Time Management Tips
• Write That Down – Take the Best Meeting Minutes with This Template
• Launch Your New Product in No Time with Agile Project Management

See how that works?

Among our headline writing tips, this is easily one of the most important.

Ask yourself: how can you frame your post’s title as benefiting the reader?

Saving time? Maybe money? Relieving some sort of pain point? Either way, strive to put that benefit front-and-center in your headline.

2. When in doubt, ask a question

Question-based headlines are time-tested and remain the go-to for writers for a few reasons.

We’re curious creatures, after all. When we take to Google or social media, we already have questions in our head (think “How do I do _____?” or “Why is _____ so important?”) and such headlines feed into our curiosity. Questions aren’t just prime for blog post headlines but also social captions as well.

What’s the goal of content marketing, anyway?

Here, almost 200 marketers agree on the 15 content marketing goals every program should set and achieve: https://t.co/gh0A3IknGY

— Databox (@databoxHQ) March 6, 2020

Question-based headlines also serve as a natural call-and-response. When we see a question presented to us, our brains want to be satisfied with an answer by default. Here’s a great question headline from MailChimp:

The beauty of question-based titles is that they can be formatted for just about any type of content or industry. For example, here are some sample formats for question-based headlines to get you brainstorming:

• “How Can I…”
• “How Often Should…”
• “When Does…”
• “Where Does…”
• “Why Do…”

If you are looking for meaningful, real-world questions to drive your titles, look no further than your audience.

As noted in our guide to online social listening, platforms such as Quora and Reddit can be goldmines for topics and ideas based on questions that your audience is already asking. This applies to headlines and social captions as well.

3. Get personal with “You,” “We” and “I”

Perhaps one of the easiest ways to connect with readers is by addressing them (and yourself) directly.

This means referring to yourself or your company in the first-person (“I” or “We”) and your reader in the second-person (“You”).

This is a subtle yet significant way to make your posts seem more personable and likewise grab your readers’ attention. Let’s look at some examples.

This title from Salon is a shining example of a strong editorial headline using “I.”

Is it optimized for keywords or SEO? Nope. However, it definitely makes us want to read through and dig into the author’s story.

Now, let’s talk “we.” Using “we” instead of your company or brand name is a smart move to make your posts feel like they’re coming from an actual person versus a faceless business. Here’s an example from the Moz blog:

Additionally, referring to your readers in the second-person can help your titles feel a bit less sales-y or market-y. You can’t refer to your readers by name, but “you” is a close second.

It’s easy to get lost in the weeds of “optimization” but at the end of the day, headline writing is about making a connection with your reader. More personal headlines can make it happen.

4. Incorporate numbers into your headline writing

Stealing from pop psychology, numbers are easy for our brains to process at a glance.

Additionally, they’re another prime way to get readers to stop and look.

Shocking statistics. Big figures (think 1000% or $42,049,200). You get the picture.

You don’t have to go crazy with numbers to incorporate them into your headlines, though. For example, listicles and list-style headlines are so popular because they naturally reel in readers.

Why? Well, lists are straightforward and scan-worthy. As a result, list-centric titles signal posts that are simple to digest and scroll through in no time. That’s why listicles and number-based headlines are the cornerstones of so many blogs today (including SnackNation’s blog).

 

Numbers can also be used to give your headlines a sense of immediacy and credibility.

Many click-worthy headlines make time-sensitive promises (“…in Just 10 Days”). Notice that many case studies likewise use specific figures (“How We Increased Our Social Shares by 112%”) to signal that a study was actually conducted and the numbers aren’t just fluff. Here’s an example from SingleGrain:

Simply put, number-based and list-style headlines are safe bets and should definitely be part of your content strategy.

5. Experiment with different headline lengths

If you dig around for statistics and studies regarding “optimal” headline lengths in terms of words and characters, you’ll get a mixed bag of results.

How long your titles should be is situational.

For example, your title might get cut off in Google search results if it exceeds more than ~60 characters. Does that mean you should exclusively write bite-sized headlines? No, and notice that almost no brand or publication does so.

Below’s a quick breakdown of when shorter headlines make sense versus when longer ones do.

Shorter headlines

Although shorter headlines don’t give you as many opportunities to use keywords or leverage your brand voice, they’re easy to understand at a glance. They’re bold. And yes, they probably won’t get cut off by Google or social previews on Facebook and Twitter.

Longer headlines

On the flip side, longer headlines allow some breathing room to let your tone of voice shine through and make your titles seem a bit less stuffy.

If you’re targeting a long-tail keyword, you may have no choice but to rely on a longer title for a particular post. An added bonus of longer titles is that they feel less generic by default: the more words in a headline, the more opportunities to put your unique spin or creative trademark on a post.

We recommend experimenting with both types of headlines for the sake of variety and likewise understanding if one type actually does outperform the other for your brand.

6. Pick the right power words and phrases

Many headline writing tips center around the concept of “power words.”

That is, terms and phrases that stand out to readers and reinforce that your post matters.

Making power words work doesn’t mean forcing them into your headlines, but rather adopting angles where you can weave them in naturally. Below are 10 power words and phrases that work for just about any industry:

“Don’t / Can’t”

Although you shouldn’t exclusively rely on negative language, terms like “don’t” and “can’t” let off an alarm in your readers’ heads.

Ex: “5 SEO Mistakes Your Site Can’t Afford to Make”

“Need”

This presents your post as being “must-see” and therefore not something your readers can afford to simply scroll past.

“Save”

Remember what we said about benefit-driven headlines? Whether it’s time, money or energy, saving your reader something presents your post as a problem-solver.

Ex: “How to Save 10 Hours in Your Workweek Without Breaking a Sweat”

“Prevent / Prepare”

These terms again highlight your post as something to help your readers, all the while helping them avoid potential headaches in the process.

Ex: “10 Ways to Prepare for the ‘Slow Season’ and Keep Your Business Afloat”

“Actually”

Terms like “actually” make your posts seem more actionable and can likewise be used to flip conventional wisdom on any given topic.

“How to”

Easily one of the most popular types of posts, people are looking to the web to learn how to do just about anything. Feed into to natural sense of curiosity

Ex: “How to Score More Customers Through Social Media”

“Without”

“Without” presents your post as an easy fix or solution that requires your reader to do less rather than more.

“Why You”

These types of headlines signal that your reader needs to be taking action on a topic ASAP, all the while referring to them directly.

Ex: “Why You Should Have Started Using TikTok, Like, Yesterday”

“Important”

People don’t want to be bothered with information or news that’s not breaking or pressing. By saying your post is “important,” you’re letting readers know that what you’re saying matters.

Ex: “The Most Important Question Your Company Isn’t Asking”

Best / Worst

Declaring something to be the “best” or “worst” might seem like hyperbole, but it’s a proven way to encourage clicks and again highlight that you’re presenting important (see above) information.

Ex: “10 of the Best Email Tips That Nobody Is Talking About”

Do you need to sprinkle at least one of these power words in each of your headlines? Not necessary. That said, consider how you can potentially build headlines around these phrases if you’re stuck or are looking for a fresh angle.

7. Speak your audience’s language with industry phrases

A simple headline writing tip, but definitely one worth noting!

We’re not saying you should exclusively use jargon in your headlines. Instead, consider how you can craft titles that speak to specific sects of your audience.

For example, phrases like “churn” or “vendor” are going to speak to folks in SaaS marketing while “aesthetic” and “xerosis” are relevant to a beauty brands’ audience.

Using industry-specific terms isn’t just a way to let your audience know that you’re writing for them, but also potentially target keywords in both social search and Google.

8. Brainstorm at least five headlines for any given post

If you’re not happy with your current headline or don’t know where to find inspiration for your next one, relax.

Again, note that there are no “concrete” headline writing rules that you’re forced to follow. Looking at the Google search results for “skincare tips,” we can see a variety of headlines from listicles and how-tos to a “best tips” guide.

We recommend writing at least five headlines to help you hash out your ideas and get the creative juices flowing. Here are some sample headline exercises to help you put together a title for your next post:

• A question-based headline
• A how-to headline
• A short-form headline (~60 characters)
• A longer-form headline (80 – 100 characters)
• A headline based around a power word or phrase

9. Don’t rely on the same type of headline every time

Creativity counts when it comes to headlines.

In other words, you shouldn’t simply rely on listicles or how-to headlines exclusively. Doing so makes your blog boring and doesn’t do much to excite your readers.

On the flip side, having a diverse content calendar with a variety of headlines can help keep your readers on their toes and gives them something fresh to look forward to.

For example, we try to mix it up with a variety of deep-dive guides, how-tos, lists and case studies here at Sprout.

The takeaway? Mix it up!

10. Analyze your headline writing to find top performing titles

If you want a definitive answer regarding which types of headlines resonate most with your readers, look no further than your analytics.

Doing so can help point you to which types of headlines you should prioritize and likewise which ones you might want to avoid. Although there are definitely variables involved with traffic and shares (think: timing, the timeliness of a topic, SEO and keywords), realizing that your “how-to” posts or listicles get double the engagement is definitely telling.

For starters, keep a close eye on your traffic numbers via Google Analytics to assess which headlines score the most traffic.

Meanwhile, analyzing your most-shared and popular social posts is a smart move. Make a point to dig into your best captions as well (think: your social captions effectively introduce your headlines). To figure out what’s working and what’s not, tools like our social media analytics can clue you in.

And with that, we wrap up our guide!

What’s your approach to headline writing?

Hopefully, our guide to headline writing served as some much-needed motivation and inspiration for coming up with more compelling titles.

No matter what type of brand or blog you’re promoting, these ten tips are totally fair game.

But remember: headline writing is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to getting more eyes on your content.

For example, what happens once they actually get on the page?

If you’re eager for more engagement on your posts themselves, make sure to check out our guide on how to write a blog post that people will actually read. And with that said, happy writing!

This post Headline writing: 10 ways to get more eyes on your content originally appeared on Sprout Social.

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Social Spotlight: Four brands that shine through dark times

Welcome to the Social Spotlight, where we dive deep into what we love about a brand’s approach to a specific social campaign. From strategy through execution and results, we’ll examine what makes the best brands on social tick — and leave you with some key takeaways to consider for your own brand’s social strategy.

Overview

Though we’re all adjusting to the new reality of working from home and managing new best practices for our businesses, few in marketing are on the very visible front lines like social marketers. As many brands pause more traditional advertising, close retail locations and scramble to put new infrastructure in place to support working from home, supporting customers and audiences falls more and more in the digital space. While many brands have found innovative ways to extend their offerings to social media, the most successful are doing one thing that’s available to all of us: Holding true to the fabric of the brands they’ve built and adapting them for the current situation. Here are four examples of brands excelling in the new normal:

The Shedd Aquarium 

With its doors closed to the public to limit the spread of the coronavirus, the Shedd’s animal caregivers sought to keep their charges’ routines as normal as possible, and that included providing opportunities for exploration and exercising normal behaviors. For Edward and Annie, a bonded pair of rockhopper penguins, that included taking a walk around the deserted institution to visit with the other residents. The Shedd’s social team captured their walk and shared the video with their fans and followers, leaning into the situation to create an experience that wouldn’t be possible under normal circumstances.

View this post on Instagram

The adventure continues! 🐧🐧 This morning, Edward and Annie explored the rotunda. They are a bonded pair of rockhopper penguins, which means they are together for nesting season. Every spring is nesting season for the penguins here at Shedd, and this year is no different! Next week, penguins, including Edward and Annie, will begin to build their nests. You’re invited to digitally join us for the nesting coverage! In the meantime, we will share a variety of animal activities, and yes, Wellington will return! While right now is strange to us, it’s a normal day for the penguins and other animals at Shedd. Our caregivers are constantly providing new activities, experiences, food and more to allow the animals to express natural behaviors. Let us what penguin activities you want to see! 👇

A post shared by Shedd Aquarium (@shedd_aquarium) on Mar 16, 2020 at 2:09pm PDT

What you can learn: View your limitations as opportunities to try new things

You may not have access to your usual equipment, locations or the physical team you’ve come to rely on, but the good news is that your audience is living with similar realities. We’re all in this together, and the opportunity has never been more ripe to try something new.

Tito’s Vodka

The swiftness of the global pandemic has given rise to a lot of misinformation, especially on the real-time channel of social media. Tito’s employs brand monitoring and social listening to keep a pulse on its brand and industry, and became aware early of misinformation–that vodka was an adequate substitute for hand sanitizer–being proliferated on social. Tito’s responded quickly and authoritatively, noting not only that its vodka wouldn’t properly sanitize but also announcing a company commitment to using its distilleries to produce FDA-approved hand sanitizer over the coming weeks.

What you can learn: Look for opportunities in the uncertainty 

There are brand opportunities you’ve never conceived of, and many of them are becoming apparent as we adjust to a different world. Using social listening, keyword tracking or brand monitoring to surface these opportunities (and threats, which can turn into opportunities, as evidenced by the Tito’s example) should be a key part of your social strategy in uncertain times. The news changes daily, and in order to surf the changes to our shared experience, you need to be aware of them as soon as they happen.

CorePower Yoga

Many of the hardest-hit businesses in the current climate are those that facilitate in-person experiences, and CorePower Yoga’s business model is built on readily available, membership-based access to physical yoga classes and space. The brand acted quickly to adapt that business model for the shelter-in-place reality by offering virtual, online classes. As you might imagine, this massive upheaval in its day-to-day operations was not without hiccups, including technical difficulties with its online portal and membership management challenges. But what CorePower did exceptionally well during this challenging time was to remain transparent and authentic in communicating the challenges (and steps it was taking to resolve them) to its engaged community. Its members knew what was happening and how it was being addressed at all times, bringing them into the experience and giving them the assurance they needed that the brand was on the case.

What you can learn: Be who you are, even in a crisis situation

CorePower made adjustments to its business to serve its customers during the current crisis, but more importantly it retained the open, authentic communication they had come to expect from the brand even as it navigated business-threatening challenges. It didn’t try to pass off the blame for the kinks or throw up its brand hands in frustration, rather it maintained its calm, collected and compassionate brand persona. This consistency and accountability inspires the kind of trust that keeps your customers with you through a crisis.

Alterra Mountain Company

As the controlling entity of 14 of North America’s premier ski resorts, Alterra Mountain Company’s primary business season was cut short by the current pandemic. It was forced to close its resorts in order to quell the spread of the coronavirus, leaving its passholders with many questions about how the company would handle the fact that their pass value was cut in half by the closures. Alterra anticipated these questions and swiftly issued a statement to address them proactively, demonstrating the brand’s understanding (and prioritization) of its audience and what’s important to them.

What you can learn: Be proactive, especially when the message is difficult for your audience

Don’t’ wait for your audience to call you out for your silence, especially when you have difficult news to deliver. Lean on your understanding of their unique needs and relationships with your brand to anticipate their concerns and questions, and work to proactively provide your brand’s stance. Even if the message is hard to swallow, your thoughtful, transparent and proactive action will reinforce how much you care about your audience and what they need from your brand during a difficult time.

This post Social Spotlight: Four brands that shine through dark times originally appeared on Sprout Social.

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Battling burnout as a social media manager

In the last decade, social media has rapidly evolved and become a major element of marketing in all industries. As a result, social media practitioners now play a role in more business initiatives than ever. They are key players in managing their company’s reputation, deploying customer service, acquiring customers, spotting trends and navigating breaking news. 

It’s a common misconception that social media jobs are glamorous and as simple as posting entertaining, witty Tweets or colorfully curated Instagram posts. It can be frustrating when friends, family and even colleagues oversimplify your role as a social media manager. 

By all accounts, social media professionals have demanding roles that require critical, creative thinking, organization and collaboration across teams. Those demands coupled with the “always on” nature of social media make burnout a very real challenge. 

We spoke to Leigh Morrison, the Senior Manager of Corporate Social Media at Red Hat, Inc., a leading technology company that provides enterprise open source solutions. She and her team are responsible for managing all the corporate social media handles. Given the complex nature Red Hat’s offerings, the customer and community feedback Red Hat receives on social media every day is invaluable. However, Morrison knows first-hand the challenges and demands that come with that. 

“We’re just beginning to understand the potential psychological effects of social media on holistic health and well-being, and we need to consider how those effects may compound for people in our field,” says Morrison. “It’s important to build in moments to step away, connect in real life and recharge.” 

In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared that burnout is an occupational phenomenon “resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed” Characteristics of burnout include “feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance from one’s job or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job and reduced professional efficacy.”

Do you feel unable to log off at the end of the day or on weekends? Are you hesitant to take hard-earned PTO? Are you constantly checking your phone, afraid to miss a beat on social? If so, you might be at risk of burning out, but you’re not alone. 

For those of you who have been at your computer for more than an hour, take a 10 minute break to…
🧘 Stretch
🍵 Grab a refreshment
☀️ Take in some fresh air

— Sprout Social (@SproutSocial) March 19, 2020

It’s a common assumption that long-term, habitual use can take a negative toll, particularly on young people. However, according to a study by Harvard University, findings suggest that as long as people are mindful users of social media, strong social networks are associated with positive mental health and well-being. 

Research scientist Mesfin Awoke Bekalu, who co-authored the study, suggests that “the ways that people are using social media may have more of an impact on their mental health and well-being than just the frequency and duration of their use.”

Knowing that your job requires you to be on social platforms frequently, if not all the time, be mindful of how you’re using social both at work and at home. If you’re finding it difficult to set professional and personal boundaries, lean into the community and human connections that make social media such a powerful platform.

How social platforms are combating burnout

Social platforms have taken note and begun to incorporate mental health initiatives into their platforms, so users and social media managers alike can be more mindful of the ways in which they’re using them.

 At the end of the day, if you’re feeling burnt out and looking for a laugh, Tiktok videos are fantastic. Doesn’t this dog video just inspire pure joy? 

@kg.shmoneyyyokay if this doesn’t get attention idk what will ##foryou ##lake♬ bingbong – bingbongshowtime

By the same token, Tiktok is known for its addictive nature. Knowing people were getting sucked into the wormhole, the platform launched Tiktok Tips, as part of the “You’re In Control” series, intended to bring forward platform guidelines and tools that are typically buried in a page of text. Tiktok Tips videos educate users about in-app safety features, share reminders to take breaks and even encourage people to grab a snack or glass of water.

@tiktoktipsPause your scrolling. Time for a night time snack break!♬ original sound – tiktoktips

In 2019, Pinterest integrated a more compassionate search experience into its platform for users experiencing sadness, stress, anxiety, depression and beyond. If a user searches for “stress relief” or “work anxiety” for example, Pinterest might suggest a collection of emotional well-being activities to redirect your energy. For social media pross looking for a break, these activities might be worth a try.

Similarly, Snapchat is launching “Here For You,” which provides safety resources from mental health experts when users search for a term like “thinspo” (a term combining “thin” and “inspiration”) which is suggestive toward a trend damaging to mental health. And Instagram’s “restrict mode” protects your account from unwanted interactions, helping to combat bullying. 

Balancing customer care and self-care

Customer care is a major part of a successful social strategy and requires time, attention and thoughtful engagement. Responding to comments and complaints in the public eye can be stressful. When the world can see anything your brand posts, the pressure is on to craft the perfect message and not make a misstep. 

SMMs responding to comments and complaints often not only consider the customer you’re interacting with but also anyone who might be witness to the public exchange. Redirect conversations to direct messages when possible, to minimize additional scrutiny.

In the 2019 Sprout Social Index, we found that about 56% of consumers would unfollow a brand due to poor customer service. As a result, you might feel anxious when dealing with emotionally charged interactions on social and the scrutiny that comes with it.

Avoid some of the stress by creating a response protocol. Document common scenarios of why customers reach out to you on social media, the sentiment behind them and examples of how to respond—as well as situations where your brand won’t respond at all. That way, while you have an approved foundation for sending a response, so you don’t have to develop a new one in the face of every mean Tweet.

Legitimate customer concerns should never go unaddressed, but be wary of trolls. If your brand is continually targeted by a specific person using hateful or inappropriate language, consider muting or blocking them if that’s an option for your brand.

Now would be a good time to start asking:

Does our content or ad strategy make sense right now?

Is there a point we should slow down or even pause organic content?

How might we shift gears and add value to the conversation?

How can we be more human, more empathetic?

— Jen Hartmann (@jenalyson) March 12, 2020

During a brand, local or global crisis, social media managers play a vital role in leading their brand’s reputation and response. With the recent example of COVID-19, many social pros may feel the strain of fielding more questions and concerns from your followers than usual. To avoid additional stress, take a look at any upcoming content, double-check the tone and reassess publishing, if necessary. What started as a well-intentioned post could be misconstrued as opportunistic or tone-deaf and spark another crisis for you and your brand or company.

Lean into your community

As humans, we’re programmed to crave and seek out connections. That’s the whole point of social, right? If you’re combating burnout, your team and other social media professionals can empathize and support one another. 

“As a manager, my team looks to me to set boundaries and standards. My advice is to talk about it openly, create norms that make it okay to step away, take moments to bond as a team outside of work,” says Morrison. “When I’m in balance, here’s what works for me: Take breaks from technology. Get a buddy who keeps you positive. Celebrate a weekly win. Connect with your peers, preferably offline.“

If your company has a smaller social team, or you work solo, look for additional support from industry peers. Or, if you can offer support, consider opening yourself up to others.

Everything is a little uncertain right now. Whether you’re anxious about, marketing, social media, life, whatever… Feel free to message me any questions, concerns, or just even just to vent.

DMs are always open.

— Matthew Kobach (but staying home) (@mkobach) March 13, 2020

Maximize productivity and minimize burnout

When you’re passionate about your job, you give it your all. That drive is essential and inspiring, but it’s also important to prioritize healthy routines and recharge. Here are a few tips to help: 

• Schedule your strengths. If you know your focus or creativity peaks in the morning, block off time to focus on your priorities.
• Take a digital detox. Give yourself time and space to disconnect. Your mind (and your eyes) will thank you. 
• The rise of workism—the belief that work is the centerpiece of one’s identity and life’s purpose—has made it even more important to your passions outside of work. Cultivate an immersive hobby that focuses your attention inward. 
• Avoid comparison. While it’s helpful and important to be aware of what your competitors are working on, envy and comparison can be real self-esteem killers. Focus on doing what’s best for you and your own brand.
• Leverage the tools at your disposal to pick up some of your more time-consuming, manual social management tasks.

Burnout is real, but you’re not alone. Join our community and connect SMMs through shared experiences. We’d love to hear from you on Twitter. How do you combat burnout?

 

This post Battling burnout as a social media manager originally appeared on Sprout Social.

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Why and how to set up your Instagram business profile

Remember back in the day when everyone, regardless of person or brand, had a personal Instagram profile? There were no bells and whistles, just a basic bio and your Instagram feed.

It just goes to show how quickly social media really does change, because in 2016, Instagram introduced business profiles, and they’ve definitely taken off from there.

At first, brands were wary about whether or not they should switch. After all, Facebook’s algorithm favors content from family and friends over brands, so why wouldn’t the Facebook-owned Instagram?

But the benefits are significant. Since the start of business profiles, contact buttons were born, Instagram shopping became more prominent, the platform launched its own analytics and now everyone, from corporations to startups to influencers, has an Instagram business profile.

Why create an Instagram business profile

If you’re a brand looking to create a following on Instagram and use the platform strategically, you’re going to need an Instagram business profile.

This is because there are so many added perks that improve usability as a brand. Let’s dive into a few of the biggest benefits of using a business profile versus a basic personal profile.

1. You’re taken more seriously

Take a look at the differences between the two Instagram profiles below. You’ll probably notice a few of them.

Business profiles share the brand’s industry, an address and a contact button right on the profile. (Ignore the fact that our Sprout Social business Instagram has story highlights and my personal profile doesn’t – that feature is available on both personal and business profiles.)

Having the ability to offer even more information upfront, as well as additional contact information, gives your business profile a more professional look. And offering even more ways for your audience to get in touch with you has never been a bad thing.

Because the differences between the two types are so obvious, Instagram users can automatically tell when a profile is for a business, and it provides a greater sense of trust.

2. You get access to analytics

This is a big one. Switching to a business account gives you the ability to access built-in insights about your account and its performance.

You’re able to take a look at your post performance, follower activity and audience insights. While these insights aren’t extremely in-depth, it’s a great glance at your account success and can give you a basic understanding of how well your content is doing.

And for more details on your analytics, you can always take advantage of Sprout Social‘s analytics options.

3. You can add links to your Instagram stories

Instagram is infamous for its inability to link directly to blog posts and landing pages from your posts, hence the popularity of ‘link in bio’ and tools designed to collect all your recent or important links on one Instagram-accessible page. However, accounts that have more than 10,000 followers gain access to swipe up links within Instagram Stories, but only if that account is an Instagram business profile.

While it might take awhile to get your Instagram account to 10,000 followers, if you create a successful Instagram strategy, you’ll be linking content in your Stories in no time. Using Story links is a great way to highlight your latest content, highlight short-term deals or resurface timely content and products based on what’s trending.

4. You can take advantage of Instagram advertising

Instagram ads and promoted posts are created through Facebook’s ads manager, which means you must have an Instagram business profile that is attached to your Facebook Page to be able to create Instagram ad campaigns.

To help generate leads, increase conversions and get to that 10,000 follower threshold more quickly, your brand should be taking advantage of Instagram advertising. If you’re struggling to increase your reach and overcome some of the challenges brands face from the Instagram algorithm, paid ads can help you target key audiences.

5. You can schedule your posts ahead of time

Another major Instagram update that’s now a few years old, but had significant value for marketers was the ability for users to automatically schedule their posts instead of having to just schedule a reminder to manually post content.

However, the ability to use a third party tool like Sprout Social to schedule your content ahead of time is only available with Instagram business profiles.

So if you want to make your social media management easier, do yourself (and your marketing team as a whole) a favor and switch to an Instagram business account. With a tool like Sprout, you’ll be able to get a more complete picture of your upcoming content calendar and it will be easier for everyone who contributes to this content to collaborate.

6. You can tag products in your posts

Finally, another great perk that’s only available to business accounts is the ability to turn your feed into an online shop.

Tagging products and turning photos into shoppable posts is a great way to open an entirely new revenue stream for your brand, but you have to switch to or set up your profile as a business account first. Considering that 46% of users make a purchase after seeing a product on Instagram, and even more do further research on that product after viewing, it makes sense to facilitate this type of browsing as much as possible.

How to switch to an Instagram business account

Have you heard enough about the benefits of an Instagram business account? Ready to switch your account over to an Instagram business profile? Let’s walk you through the process so you can start taking advantage of these great perks.

Step 1: Go to your Instagram account settings

Go to your profile, then tap the hamburger menu in the top right corner of the app. Tap Settings and then tap Account to get started.

Step 2: Switch to Instagram professional account

Once in the account settings, you’ll see a blue call-to-action at the bottom of the page for you to Switch to Professional Account.

Tap that to move forward with your big switch.

Step 3: Choose between a Creator or Business account

Instagram recently rolled out a new type of business account – an Instagram creator account. These are more specifically for influencers, public figures or other types of content producers, whereas a business account is better for brands and businesses that sell a product or service.

This is a part of Instagram’s effort to further separate influencers and businesses, making it more obvious for its users when a partnership is an influencer promotion rather than an ad.

The tools surrounding a creator account are slightly different from those accessible in a Business account, but they were created with influencer marketing in mind. There are also more features surrounding messaging and profile flexibility.

The core business profile features are still available, including shoppable posts. This means influencers will be able to tag the products they’re recommending directly within their Instagram posts, offering even more streamlined shopping for all parties involved.

If you plan to partner with businesses as an influencer, you’ll want to create an Instagram creator account. If not, including if you plan to partner with influencers to promote your products or services, you’ll want to create an Instagram business account.

Step 4: Connect your Facebook Page

If you’re moving forward in creating or switching to a business profile, your next step is to connect your Facebook Page. You must have admin access to your business Facebook Page to take this action.

Once you confirm which Facebook Page you want to connect, your business profile is ready to go!

If you’re switching to a creator profile, all you need to do is select a category for the type of creator you are.

How to switch back to a personal Instagram account

If you decide an Instagram business or creator account isn’t for you, it’s possible (and extremely easy) to revert right back to a personal account.

You can also switch between business and creator accounts to find the one that makes the most sense for your brand.

All you have to do is head right back to your account settings, and this time the blue Switch to Professional Account call-to-action will be replaced with two different options: Switch to Personal Account or Switch to Creator Account.

Start taking advantage of Instagram business profile tools

Ready to ramp up your Instagram marketing strategy? By switching over to an Instagram business profile, you gain access to so many more great brand tools and perks, allowing you to really wow your audience on the platform.

To learn even more about the power of Instagram for your business, check out our guide to organic Instagram strategies that work.

This post Why and how to set up your Instagram business profile originally appeared on Sprout Social.

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