5W Public Relations, one of the largest independently-owned PR firms in the U.S., has released data from a poll that shows a prominent change in social media behavior during the pandemic. The poll was conducted on April 14, 2020 during the firm’s webinar titled, “The Future of Social & Influencers: During & Post Pandemic,” and was taken by 77 participants. Notable results are as follows:

• 77% are more active on social media since the stay at home orders went into place
• 52% would prefer to see influencers post raw and authentically when coronavirus is over (versus going back to their regular travel, fashion, fitness and food posts)
• 44% have unfollowed an influencer or celebrity on social media recently due to the inappropriateness of their post or tone-deaf messaging
• 42% joined TikTok recently, eager to see what all the noise was about

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“The pandemic has put influencers in a tough spot,” says 5WPR Founder and CEO, Ronn Torossian. “Those who thought they could continue on as usual became targets, and those who stayed silent, kept their reputation, but faded away. The public wants authenticity now more than ever, and it’s proving as a challenge for some who are more comfortable portraying a lifestyle of luxury. I think we are going to see a big shift come in terms of what is expected of an influencer.”

In January 2020, 5WPR released their first Consumer Culture Report which revealed that 78% of people surveyed never checked TikTok, and only 5% checked it daily. Compared to the poll data reported this week, that 42% of people surveyed had recently joined TikTok, it’s clear the app’s popularity has surged due to the pandemic.

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“Over the last few weeks we’ve had numerous clients add TikTok into their public relations and digital campaigns and have seen some excellent success stories. I predict this emerging platform will continue to be a focal point for brands through 2020,” adds Ronn Torossian.

As an award-winning public relations firm and digital marketing agency, 5WPR is committed to being a trailblazer in the industry and providing clients with the most up-to-date insights. The information gathered from the firm’s ongoing research initiatives, guides strategy, planning and execution of consumer, corporate and digital client campaigns.

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