The paid social segment is changing constantly during the coronavirus crisis and social squads are therefore adjusting and adapting to these changes all the time. In this article, we analyze and highlight the creative examples, campaign structures, and trends being witnessed in the paid social achievements of (DTC) Direct-To-Consumer creative currently, and also present creative recommendations going forward.
Present Trends in the Direct-To-Consumer Content Sector
Promotional content: Currently, both customers and brands are spending more cautiously. For this reason, many DTC brands are testing promotions as well as bottom- to middle-funnel messaging (retention/retargeting).
Requests for charity donations: A lot of brands are creating content that seeks to engage charity donors.
Brand narrative shifts: Brands are producing content to market products suitable for “work from home”, “any-occasion wear” and “ideal for outdoors and indoors” theme and narrative.
What’s Proving Effective in Paid Social Content
Utilizing Socially Conscious and Appropriate Copy and Imagery
Brands are sharing more informative content in order to create brand loyalty. They are focusing on crafting messages with less importance on call-to-actions while giving more emphasis to relatability and authenticity. For instance, Vuori has adjusted their messages in these difficult times by giving its audience something they can “look forward to.” Further, brands are leveraging products, services, and budgets to help needy people.
Focus on Social Content
Brands are concentrating on producing mobile-enabled content like Instagram stories. Most are witnessing a fast rise in screen time. Further, a lot of this screen time is used to peruse socials. This makes it important to create social content so you can engage your audience proactively and quickly on social platforms. Use social creative to extend the personality of your brand and leverage the popularity of mobile devices.
Utilize appropriate channels for your audience’s age group. For a younger consumer segment, go to YouTube or Musically. To engage middle-aged people, leverage Facebook. You should then curate relevant content for each channel you’re utilizing.
Publish content-driven hard posts and not sales-driven ones. Utilize user-generated content (UGC) as social followers love it when brands share and respond to their UGC. However, ensure to obtain their permission and acknowledge their contribution with a credit.
Try to evolve into a positive information resource by sharing inspiring content as well as articles on brands that you appreciate. Use direct messages to remain in touch with your followers and continue to post and be active at all times.
Recommendations for Paid Social Creative
Concentrate on Pertinent Imagery, Copy, and Messaging
It’s essential to keep consumer sentiment in mind while adjusting your strategy and campaigns. The media reports a darkening in consumer sentiment because of the Covid-19 crisis. However, consumers are continuing to spend, but with changed priorities. They are shelling out money for pet services and supplies, packaged beverages and foods, supplements and vitamins, home care products, preventive healthcare, and organic and fresh foods.
Whether your company sells these services and items or not, you should still adapt your messaging, strategy, and campaign to mirror current customer sentiment. Create copy and visuals around the present situation, like staying indoors, self-care, and working at home, and relate your client’s products/business to the prevailing situation.
Give more importance to efficiency and less to scale. Highlight feature use via ad content. If the item is a work/travel bag, produce images that display features like materials and washable, and not pictures of people working and traveling.
Test promotional content. The more people remain at home and go beyond purchasing only essentials, the more their purchasing tendencies will evolve. Already, DTC companies are seeing a rise in weekend buying.
Spend More on Retargeting Content
In these uncertain times, consumers will not likely spend on new brands and products that they are yet to trust. Therefore, place your money in retargeting content to address a target audience that makes efficient and reliable buying decisions.
Utilize Downtime Efficiently
Your creative process need not stop because customers have put a hold on non-essential things. Use the opportunity to create a bigger advert library and prepare your creative strategy for a post-corona virus market. Focus on priority items and identify the assets for which you should develop shot lists and treatments.
Utilize what you already have rather than attempting to produce new shoots. Creative professionals can provide new life to existing video and photo assets by removing multiple formats, messages, and iterations for more profound testing.
Utilize user-generated content in the appropriate channels. Use this time to remain linked with your brand’s influencer community and network. Create stories from their viewpoint at home.
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