With stay-at-home and social distancing orders in place in much of the world because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Instagram and other social media channels are busier than ever with people trying to connect and stay social.

Although you want to stay top of mind with your customers and fans, you don’t want to come across as insensitive or out of touch. The good news is that consumers know that businesses are struggling—and they want to continue hearing from you! The key to ensuring your company outlasts COVID-19 is changing your tone and sharing Instagram content that is thoughtful, helpful, and takes into consideration our new normal.

Here are seven ideas for what small businesses can be posting on Instagram right now.

1. Post Socially Conscious Content

Yes, many businesses are filling up Instagram with socially conscious graphics and videos — but it’s impossible to have too much accurate, helpful information out in the world right now! When brainstorming your content, keep in mind that there is plenty of guidance from the CDC and other local governmental recommendations to share. Boosted has a new category dedicated to Covid-19 related templates that you can customize for your brand:

Here’s a sample video template from the category:

Pro tip: During these unprecedented times, your customers and fans want to know that you’re staying on top of new developments, but they don’t want to think that you’re trying to take advantage of the pandemic to sell your product or service. Feel free to change the colors or look of your content to match your branding, but don’t throw your logo on every piece of content you create—it’s about helping, not selling, right now.

2. Discount Your Virtual Classes

Depending on the type of business you operate, you can be offering discounts on virtual classes, coaching, or meetings. Not sure how you can parlay your business’s offerings virtually? Here are some options beyond the typical workout videos or educational classes:

• If you’re a brewery that offers tasting tours or special events for a fee, create a virtual package with a discount in which you deliver the tasting options to customers and then do a virtual tour with a brewmaster.
• If you’re a small craft studio or art house, offer curbside pickup for supplies and offer your classes online with a discount.
• If you run a clothing store, offer virtual styling sessions with a discount and then give your customers a curbside pickup option.

To easily create graphics that stand out and encourage fans to take advantage of what you have to offer, check out VideoBoost’s templates.

3. Share Working from Home Tips 

With the current pandemic, most workers are feeling like they’re in some kind of massive work-from-home (WFH) experiment. Most workers weren’t prepared for the WFH switch, so position yourself as a pro and offer tips and advance on how to create the perfect home workspace. You could even tag some of your own products for purchase—if they’re relevant to the post topic.

Here’s an example of a helpful WFH post from @boosted_social:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9w5Kq8ArFo/

4. Discount E-Gift Cards

When customers can’t come in-store to shop—or are trying to save money—offering discounts on your gift cards can be a great way to keep people shopping. In fact, one great way to get customers onboard with e-gift cards is to encourage them to buy discounted e-gift cards for their friends, family, and coworkers.

Everyone—and we mean everyone— could use a pick-me-up during these difficult times, and what better way to do that then through a discounted e-gift card to their favorite store or restaurant?

Also, you can encourage your fans to buy discounted gift cards for healthcare workers or local police and fire departments to give back to those fighting the battle on the frontlines.

5. Ask Your Fans What They Need

If you’re still uncertain about what to post and want to know how you can connect better with your fans, put a poll up on your Stories and be direct: Ask your fans what they need or want during these unprecedented times. There is no better way to give your customers exactly what they need than to just ask.

6. Go Live and Party On

All businesses are looking for new ways to connect and engage with customers during these tough times. Instagram Live is great for connecting with your customers in real time, but have you considered hosting a party on Zoom? With a free account, you can gather 100 people for up to 40 minutes and host a happy hour, Q&A, birthday party or other celebration, and more. Spring for a paid plan, and you get even more perks for gathering with your customers virtually.

Some ideas:

• Schedule a weekly book club gathering—with wine of course.
• Host a weekly storytime for kiddos or adults.
• Hold a weekly party where everyone cooks dinner together virtually.
• Plan a daily 15-minute meditation session.

7. Share Positive, Inspiring Content

Social distancing doesn’t mean social isolation. Although we have to spend more time at home and need to rely on social media and video conferencing to get our social fix, the past month has left people feeling lonely and alone. Find some fun but accurate photos on a site like Pexels or Unsplash, and then share some inspiration in a creative and thoughtful way. Here’s some inspiration from @boosted_social:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-NWV62gs7b/

Action Items:

1. Stay calm! Be the calm in the storm for your customers.
2. Download Boosted and other apps to help you create Instagram content quickly and easily.
3. Practice social listening in order to provide your customers with what they need during these difficult and unprecedented times.