Written by: Emma Tessler, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
At the beginning of June 2022, the US National Bureau of Economic Research declared that the US had officially entered an economic recession. This marked the end of consistent economic growth from all the way back in 2009. As we enter the recession, most brands are looking at budget cuts and ways to reduce overhead in preparation for the unknown. It can be tempting to look at your social media marketing – a potentially new addition to your overall marketing efforts – and feel that it is something that could be cut, especially if this is something you yourself are not fully intuned with or knowledgeable about. Maintaining the costs of digital marketing strategies may not really feel like the best option, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
The reality is that cutting your social media marketing presence is the worst thing you can do going into recession. In dark times, people are looking for entertainment and creative outlets more than ever. Beyond that, the research simply supports pushing your social media presence during a recession more than ever.
Just check out these numbers:
Instagram has 1 billion monthly active users accessing the app globally every month.
TikTok maintains more than 1 billion global daily active users as well.
59% of the world's population uses social media.
The average daily usage of social media apps is 2 hours and 29 minutes.
These stats alone showcase the immense value and importance of social media to your brand's overall online reach and brand presence. Without these tools, it is incredibly difficult to build brand awareness in today’s online world.
In particular, TikTok is an app that most brands should actively be on. The fact that they have more monthly active users than Instagram right now should tell you everything you need to know. TikTok rose to popularity during the pandemic. Released in 2016, TikTok had a growth rate of 180% during 2020. With more people working and studying from home, feeling overwhelmed and lonely, consumers reached for the comfort and camaraderie of social media. Since then, TikTok has changed the way we consume and create content. TikTok consumers value trust, authenticity, and participation, which has redefined how users interact with brands across other social media platforms as well. It is very possible that this exact trend will repeat itself in the next 12 months with a new app (we’re looking at you, BeReal) or a form of content. While no one can predict exactly what this will be, I can tell you that people will be spending more time on their phones, and YOU want to be there when they are.
So now that you’ve decided to NOT cut social media marketing going into this recession, how can you strategically approach it during this next season?
Entertain Your Audience
Lean into the entertainment factor with your content. While your ultimate focus is always on selling, people are getting on social media to seek entertainment in their everyday lives. Your content needs to provide them with this escape while subtly pushing your service or product as a background theme. Brands that are being too sales in their content will get left behind in this next wave of social media trends. Video content is strictly entertainment, and this is one of the biggest reasons to be creating these types of posts for your brand starting now. Look at memes, carousel posts, and fun ways to poke at yourself that not only entertain but connect with your audience as well.
Need vs. Want
Work to create a feeling of “need” around your offer rather than making it a “want.” As wallets become tighter, presenting whatever it is that you sell as an essential in the lives of your target audience will help you increase sales as compared to being considered an accessory or “nice to have” purchase. This can easily be achieved by creating hype through UGC (user-generated content), which shows other consumers using, loving, and raving about your offer. This will help shift the presentation of the offer in your content to a “must have.”
Become their happy place
Become an outlet or refuge for your audience. In a time of worry and fear, make your brand a place where your consumers can come to feel calm and happy. While the difficulty of this varies between industries, you will want to curate an online space that builds a community where your target audience can come and find an escape or solace away from their struggles during this season. Remember that community is absolutely everything right now ‒ so focus on building this first and foremost. Your consumers should be able to create connections between themselves and share your brand with others who fit the profile as well.
None of us know exactly what we are walking into these next few months/years to come. What we do know is that digital marketing is how consumers find and buy in today's world. As tempting as it may feel to cut, this is the time to do the absolute opposite. Go all in and apply these strategies to see incredible results during a time when your competitors may pale in comparison. This is your opportunity to stand out ‒ it’s time to take advantage of it.
Emma Tessler, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Emma Tessler is the founder and CEO of Ninety Five Media, a new-age Digital Marketing Agency. After discovering digital marketing at a college internship and falling in love with it, Emma put this on the back burner to pursue her major of Interior Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. However, just a few years later, she left this career to form her own Digital Marketing business, Ninety-Five Media. Today, Ninety Five Media works with scaling brands to monetize their online presence on social media platforms using strategic, current marketing strategies ‒ this is their signature Ninety Five Media Method. This Method helps their clients connect with ideal customers, build community, and convert audience members into paying clients. As a former Designer, Emma brings both creativity and strategy to her client's accounts to exponentially scale their online brand awareness.
