Since the start of the pandemic in 2020, social media has proven itself to bring us closer together when there has never been more distance between us.
Social media has unlocked new doors that can keep us updated, informed, engaged and connected with not only our friends and communities, but also organisations and key services.
And while departments and organisations can’t meet up to collaborate, social media stepped in to continue those working relationships to keep driving organisations towards their business goals.
Unified Teams
During the peak of the furlough scheme in May 2020, 30% of the UK workforce was furloughed, leaving remaining staff to take on extra responsibilities alongside their day-to-day tasks.
Even with this reduced workforce, many colleagues were able to continue to represent their organisation while updating and engaging their audiences using social media. Swansea Council even highlighted team member changes in their campaign, #FacesOfSwansea, that showed how different council employees had shifted roles to help with Covid-related demand.
Unified Departments
As digital becomes a more and more integral part of an organisation, it is not sustainable for departments to work as separate silos anymore. Traditional press offices and digital teams must come together to work towards a unified communications strategy.
This can also be taken one step further by unifying customer service and communications departments, to break through traditional boundaries of collaboration for the best customer experience.
Leicestershire County Council are a great example of customer service and communications strategies unifying over the organisation’s Twitter channel; communications campaigns are published to promote positive behaviour change in citizens while customer service questions and queries are answered in the same place.
Unified Audiences
Throughout the pandemic and resulting lockdowns, many people across the UK have been using their spare time to make a difference and help their local community. Social media has been an incredible place for organisations like charities and local councils to highlight these amazing efforts from their audiences.
UK Community Foundations is a perfect example of an organisation using Twitter to bring different audiences from across the country together to spread a bit of positivity and share the impact that volunteers are making in their local areas.
Unified Organisations
With the lockdown, partnerships and collaborations between organisations has shifted into the digital world, allowing them to reach new audiences, especially on social media.
By working together on social media, organisations can help drive real change, increase awareness and truly connect with more people.
It’s not often that organisations come together the way that Yorkshire Tea and PG Tips did in response to a negative tweet against BLM. Social media giving them the perfect, spontaneous opportunity to show their #Solidaritea for such an important social issue.
While we still have some time to spend apart before the lockdown fully ends, social media has been instrumental in bringing us closer together than ever before with colleagues, friends, organisations and entire communities. This impact will continue well after the lockdown has ended, further cementing social media as an integral part of an organisation’s strategy.
