Businesses across the globe have suffered during the COVID-19, and UAE is no exception. The full impact on all the sectors is difficult to assess right now, but it is clear that the Real Estate, Aviation, and the Hospitality industry has suffered the most.

Emirates Airlines Group chairman and chief executive Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum was optimistic, just at the start of September 2020. He was expecting that the Dubai-based airline would restore its full network, connecting 143 cities by the summer of 2021. But that was before UAE again started to report 800-1000 daily cases during the last week of September. And then came the announcement, which is not good news for the aviation industry around the world.

On 30th September 2020, the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) predicted that the travel slump and slow recovery could make 4.8 million aviation workers lose their job. And more than half of the 87.7 million total jobs related to the aviation sector, like leisure industries and supply chains, are also at risk. This was backed by data showing the second wave of the virus in certain European countries like France, Spain, and the UK.

What’s the Scenario in the Small Business Sector?

After going through the above scenario and prediction by ATAG, you may be wondering if there is any business sector doing well in UAE. Thankfully, the situation remained under control, and the economy of the UAE didn’t entirely crumble. The online shopping and e-commerce activities saved the day for the desert nation, and things have now started to look good.

VISA surveyed the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to assess the impact of the pandemic on merchant revenues and profits. When asked to evaluate their customers’ purchase frequency during the quarter April to June 2020, merchants from all the regions reported a decrease with UAE and Russia, seeing the highest dips at 86% and 84%, respectively.

VISA saw that as a wake-up call before things may go further downhill and started helping small and micro-businesses bounce back from the peril. Marcello Baricordi, the Group General Manager – MENA, Visa, looked to change the scenario for the better. With 61 million merchant locations worldwide, VISA’s priority is to help small and micro businesses, and it enabled 50 million such businesses to recover from becoming bankrupt. SME focused campaigns were launched in UAE and Pakistan by offering tools to the businesses to start the recovery.

Social Media to the Rescue

Can businesses survive just through the assistance of big groups, and there is no other way out? Social media has the answer, as consumers who like to shop online use social media posts and recommendations to decide. We all use various social media apps or platforms, but during the lockdown, the use of the Internet and social media increased.

Brands cannot change the way a person uses a particular platform or compel them to use a specific app. But they can make a difference but sticking to a time of the day during which their posts are more likely to be seen. Businesses frantically do many things and create strategies, but this is one aspect that they do not pay much attention to.

Let me offer you information about four social media platforms and how businesses can get support from them to get their business going. Using the best time slots during the weekdays according to the audience, which uses a particular platform, the engagement can increase dramatically. And subsequently, the ROI can also make an uptick.

1. Facebook

Facebook is the most popular social media platform globally, with over 2.7 billion monthly active users as of 30^th June 2020, as reported by Statista. Many active users like to see new posts from their favorite brands at a particular time. Take a look at the chart below to know how businesses need to post on Facebook to get maximum engagement from their audience.

The chart has been updated with how people used Facebook during the lockdown and what has been the overall average for 2020. Clearly, the 10-11 time slot on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays is the best.

2. Instagram

What started as an app to share pictures became a rage over the years, as this is the preferred way for many people to show off their new images to the world. Facebook is next as the social engagement on Instagram is much larger. For companies, making their brands prominent is the top priority, and with over 854 million users, it is always a good idea to showcase them on Instagram.

A single glance and you can get to know that, just like Facebook, the 11 a.m. slot is best for putting up new posts, with 2 p.m. on Tuesday also a good option.

3. Twitter

The microblogging website, since its inception in 2006, has been a hit with people looking to stay up to date without reading much. With around 330 million users, the figure is far less than that of Facebook and Instagram, but Twitter is a reliable source of breaking news and trends which are followed worldwide.

Your domain authority on Twitter and followers can make your brand go to the heights you deserve.

During COVID-19, Friday at 9 a.m. was the best time to get you the highest number of engagements, with the 2020 average also mentioned.

4. LinkedIn

LinkedIn, now owned by Microsoft, is a professional networking website aimed at connecting people professionally and also connecting employers with job seekers. Over 700 million users as of May 2020, it is the largest such professional network on the Internet and commands a huge following by people from all industries and business sectors.

Not many people use this platform in the first two days of the week. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are the best days for getting the most engagement from your target audience.

Over to you

It is just a brief overview of how businesses can get the most of the top social media platforms to engage people during such pandemics. With the second across the world looking imminent, the information in this blog and the related charts can be instrumental in your future success.

If you think that you can add something valuable to this blog or want to ask a question, you are more than welcome. For any feedback too, please use the comments section below.

Meta: Thinking about how to do social media work for your business to achieve your ROI? This blog will help you in getting your target with in-depth information.