Covid19 has had a massive impact on how businesses used to operate and how companies used to interact with their customers. With most of the industries trying hard to cope-up with the massive economic impact bought forward by the pandemic, companies are using every trick up their sleeve to maintain a solid connection with their customer base. Businesses are evolving with the changing times and are coming up with unique and innovative methods to connect with their customers to not only stay relevant in the market but also to create a solid foundation for the post-pandemic market landscape. With that being said, business owners have not really started to completely bridge the gap that the pandemic has created between them and their customers.

In this scenario, social media is one medium that companies across various industry verticals could use to not only create but also to maintain a cordial relationship with the customers during the pandemic. Recently, social media giant Facebook saw a 70 percent increase in the usage of all the apps owned by the conglomerate during the month of March. So, if planned and executed properly, social media can be the last resort that businesses should go for in order to reach out to their existing customer base while at the same time attracting newer ones. Although, the impact of social mediain helping organizations to create a bond with the customers is unquestionable, if not done properly, this will not provide the expected results that companies would have hoped for. Below mentioned are some steps that every business owner should go through before starting their ‘pandemic-special social media campaign.’

• Understanding your Target Audience: This is one of the first and most important steps that business owners should get right in order to have any chance of acquiring the expected results. By understanding the general aspects of your target audience that includes age, gender, location, and income levels, the organization will be able to comeup with plans to get the attention of that group and introduce strategies that specifically caters to the needs and requirements of your target audience. Another reason why this study and research is important is that it will also help the company even after the covid19 too.
   
• Creating an Emotional Connect: While it is clear that the primary motive of any business is revenue generation, at least during the current pandemic situation, it would be advisable to lose that cold corporate face and start connecting with your customers through a human aspect. Pre-pandemic, the return on investment (ROI) was the go-to metric for any firm when it came to analysing the success of a given initiative or strategy.During the current scenario, businesses should be looking from a different angle and right now, what is important is reaching out to as many customers as possible and staying relevant amongst them. So, the traffic and exposure provided by a particular marketing strategy should also be taken into account before deeming it as a flop.
   
• Expanding your Horizons: If you have ever thought of expanding your social media following and experimenting with new and innovative strategies, this is the perfect opportunity to do so. With most of the social media marketing techniques costing less when compared to traditional advertising and marketing strategies, companies could really try out new things. These innovative ideas might also help you to attract the attention of more customers and thereby including them into your existing customer base.

While the pandemic has put some massive dents in the current industry scenario, there are certain things that businesses could do to make the best out of the existing conditions. Social media opens new avenues for businesses to connect with their customers and stay relevant in the market. These above-mentioned pointers act’s as a framework that organizations can follow to get the best possible results.