Should I Post Business Content During COVID-19?

Back in early March, when it first hit me that we’d be stuck at home for quite awhile, all of my favorite small businesses would be shuttered for the foreseeable future, and people in my circles started filing for unemployment, the first honest question I asked myself about how I would run my copywriting business in the days ahead was: Should I post business content during COVID-19?

It seemed insensitive to roll out Stories and posts on Instagram the same way I had in January. I didn’t want to come across as tone-deaf, aloof, clueless or—worse—manipulative. Why would I pepper my customers with content about good copywriting when I knew good and well that they were awash in uncertainty, as we all were? As we all continue to be?

But disappearing didn’t seem like the right move, either. Knowing people in the throes of acute emotional and financial distress made me want to show up, as an individual and as a business.

To post or not to post? 

So, should we be posting business-related content during COVID-19? Now that I’ve had some time to think this question through, I have a pretty clear answer. Yes. As businesses, we should stay active online. In fact, we should be even more responsive and visible than ever. 

Stay engaged.

Why? Posting, creating blog posts, sending out emails, putting up Stories, and even taking on projects that have been on your list for awhile (like rewriting your website) will not only help ensure that your business stays relevant, it will help you stay engaged with your community of followers in real time. If you go quiet—even for a noble reason, like sensitivity—it’s likely going to be interpreted as unavailable, unreachable, and uninvolved. If you’re not part of the conversation, you can’t share experiences, offer support, or be part of a solution. 

Stay active on social media, keep your website updated, and be highly responsive. This will let people know that you and your business are OK and that you care.

Stay honest.

Fears about whether to post business content or not are certainly justified: If we continue showing up on social media as if there isn’t a global pandemic, it will come across as tone-deaf and maybe even offensive.

The key is to pivot. I post my thoughts about the coronavirus all the time: What it means to our family, how it’s affecting our daily rhythms, and what it’s like to do business (only and always!) from home. It’s all anyone is thinking about (including me), so that’s my new frame. This crisis is heartbreaking. There’s no reason you can’t acknowledge that in your business content. Being even more transparent and honest in your business writing is a way to authentically engage.

Stay relevant.

Should we forego business-only content, then? I don’t think so. I’ve been slowly and mindfully easing back into copy-centered content. I decide what to write about based on what I read about the experiences of others. 

What do my clients and fellow business owners want to read about right now? What challenges are my business friends facing as they scramble to create and promote online shops or set up door-to-door delivery service? How are they managing the acute need for promotional content right now? Any information I can give them helps me stay visible (see above) and helps them in a time of crisis.

Do even more. (If it’s realistic).

Instead of doing less, I made an intentional decision to bump up my marketing efforts. Why? To get my business ready for the eventual reopening of society. I’m getting more organized, more visible, and pushing myself to branch out into new mediums. (Video. Scary.)

If you’re busier than ever, then just focus on what makes sense for you, your household, your work, and your mental wellbeing. Maybe you only send out one email a month but that email is full of rich reflections and words of encouragement for your customers and friends. Maybe instead of posting every day on Instagram, you write two longer posts every week and focus on responding meaningfully to other people’s reflections out of solidarity and kindness. In other words, maybe you create less content but with more attention. 

If work has slowed down for you, and depending on your circumstances, the quarantine could be a time when you nudge yourself to do even more with your marketing. You could use the extra time to post more frequently on social media, start posting Stories, expand to a new social platform, create an e-book or other free offering, update your website, or even create an e-course. The point, of course, is not to force yourself to do anything out of guilt. It’s to think ahead and create a marketing structure now so you’ll be ready when doors start to open up again later.