Cater for online demand 

Amy Podrasky, the agency’s digital PR and social accounts manager, urged brands to interact with their online communities and focus on engagement over driving traffic. And she said now was a key time to get active as the likes of Facebook and Instagram report increases of around 40% in the time people are spending on their platforms since January. 

Brands should focus on choosing and sticking to key messages created using the ‘pub test’ as an indicator for good content, according to Podrasky. 

“Ask yourself if your content will get people talking about it positively in a pub,” Podrasky said. “Take a step back and think about the content you’d like to see at this point in time. Show some form of escapism, but do you really want to see a virtual hotel room tour – probably not. So instead a hotelier could use their sommelier and do a virtual wine pairing session.” 

She urged travel firms to use not only stock imagery but also Gifs and user‐generated content, adding: “This is a great time to test new content ideas – ask your audience questions, strike up conversation.” 

Aware that many travel firms have furloughed staff, Podraski said brands should be as active as possible with their diminished teams. 

“It may be difficult, especially for those running on limited teams,” she said. “But people are online and looking to interact, so if you can do that, don’t stay quiet.” 

She caveated that by saying brands whose travel policies were attracting consumer criticism may wish to focus on offering support rather than posting “for the sake of posting”. 

“Help [them] to navigate cancellations and refunds and try to leave them feeling confident about postponing rather than cancelling,” she added. 

Brands which are introducing policies around bookings or future travel were advised to signpost this clearly by ‘pinning’ tweets or adding ‘highlights’ on Instagram stories. 

Tailor your messages 

Asked whether brands should post the same content across all social platforms, Beki Hayler, Melt’s digital PR lead, suggested content should be tailored to suit the audience. 

“It is fine to publish the same across all platforms, especially when teams aren’t at full capacity,” she said. 

“But it’s important to understand your audience and demographics may be different on each.” 

Hayler said now was a good time for brands to experiment on different platforms as so many people were currently seeking online content. 

“If your team is smaller due to staff members being furloughed, prioritise your social media channels and focus on what works best for your audience,” she said. “Consumers want quick, lighthearted content
and videos that allow them to escape from what’s going on right now.”