5 Tips on Social Media Communication in Quarantine #StayAtHome

Content marketing expert Reina Rodríguez shows us how to get the right tone for your posts, strengthening you and your brand’s image

Weird times these, unprecedented for most. It seems the only thing normal about quarantine is our need to communicate, stay informed, or—equally legitimate—combat boredom on social media. However, should you to get your tone wrong, you could end up accidentally upsetting your followers with your message.

To understand what language to use or avoid, and how to make the most of the situation we find ourselves in to strengthen your social media presence, we’ve spoken with expert communicator Reina Rodríguez, who teaches the Domestika course Content Marketing for Social Media. She gave us her top 5 tips for getting the tone of your posts just right.

Out with fake news

"My first and most important piece of advice is never share anything you can’t verify the authenticity of. I’ve seen a lot of people sending videos and audio on social media from supposed doctors with miraculous cures for the disease, information that seems exaggerated or quite clearly false. Don’t do this. It could harm someone. I saw a video of a shaman offering alternative cures that could even risk people’s wellbeing. Nobody wants their name or brand tied to things like this. Before sharing anything, make sure it’s definitely true.”

Show solidarity and be understanding. Always

"Not everybody is living under the same conditions as you at home, comfortably isolated. There are people who have to go out to work and, for various reasons, must be on the street. I saw a post criticizing, even aggressively, unsuspecting people who had been filmed in the streets. There were lots of comments that were out of line. Let’s try to be understanding, empathetic, and show solidarity. There are many reasons why someone could behave different to someone else in a crisis,” she explains. Therefore, don’t hurt your image just to attack someone else online.

Be really, really careful with memes and jokes

"Obviously we all need to relax and brighten up our days a little. But you must be careful with memes and jokes. Something you might find funny won’t necessarily make someone else feel great. I’ve seen awful memes shared by celebrities and brands. This is an illness that kills and causes suffering. We don’t know who’ll see this message. Once more: let empathy and solidarity guide us. It’s something we already know but often forget.”

Don’t try to profit form this

"Here in Mexico, I have received promotional material related to the epidemic. A brand of snacks and nuts opened their campaign with a joke about deliveries during the crisis. My first question is: who wants their brand associated with a disease? We all want to sell and many businesses are worried about falls in income and the incoming financial crisis, but not everything is worth a profit. Don’t exploit fear and uncertainty with aggressive promotions. A good tone will do far more for your brand."

Be a force for good

"Any effort you make to help will be able to improve your personal and commercial image favorably. Sharing guides from certified sources about how to help, sharing useful information for the ill or those who have lost their jobs, contributing to services crucial to the population: all of this is great. When this is all over, people will likely remember those who contributed positively.

You may be interested in:

- Storytelling for Brands, a course by Claudio Seguel.
- Audiovisual Storytelling for Social Media, a course by Josune Imízcoz.
- Instagram Strategy for Business Growth, a course by Dot Lung.