It’s a challenging time for all of us as COVID-19 has changed the way we interact. It’s also impacted businesses as people are asked to stay home. But while we’re distancing in real life, social media helps people stay connected with each other and our local communities.
In March, Verizon found a way to support small businesses and bring people together—virtually, that is. Partnering with Twitter’s Live Brand Studio, it launched#PayItForwardLIVE to inspire community action through entertainment.
#PayItForwardLIVE is an eight-week livestream series featuring performances by the world’s top artists and entertainers. Its goal is to raise money and rally support for small businesses affected by COVID-19. The result: 100% net positive brand sentiment, the highest for a Twitter live-stream.
Getting ready to rock
The series kicked off March 26 with Dave Matthews as the first act:
We are pleased to announce that Dave Matthews will give the debut performance on @verizon’s Pay it Forward Live, a weekly streaming series in support of small businesses affected by COVID-19. The entertainment series kicks off on March 26 at 8 PM ET with Dave’s performance. pic.twitter.com/vMJxUhcXlZ
— dave matthews band (@davematthewsbnd) March 25, 2020
Verizon promoted @davematthewsbnd’s tweet and followed up to raise awareness about the series.
The company announced it would be donating $2.5 million dollars to support small businesses through the campaign and asked people to tweet their support for their favorite local companies using the hashtag #PayItForwardLIVE. For each tweet, Verizon pledged to donate another $10, up to an additional $2.5 million. It also shared a video highlighting other ways people could help:
Right now, small businesses need us more than ever. #PayItForwardLIVE by pledging how you will support small businesses during this crisis. We’ll donate another $10 to small businesses every time you use the hashtag to show your love! pic.twitter.com/EsYOWwkjYc
— Verizon (@Verizon) March 27, 2020
A few days before the event, Verizon shared a reminder card so fans could opt to be notified when the livestream show began.
When the big day finally arrived, Verizon kicked off the livestream on Twitter’s Live Event page, where people could watch the performance while keeping up with the conversation and other updates.
#PayItForwardLIVE strikes a chord
People on Twitter loved the event and expressed gratitude for both Verizon and Dave Matthews Band.
Decompressing with #PayItForwardLIVE @davematthewsbnd Thank you from this Registered Nurse! #StayCalmStayHome We are cut from the same star. pic.twitter.com/tMzux4dUh0
— Bridget Pasalacqua (@BPasalacqua) March 27, 2020
Afterward, Verizon followed up by sharing a video replay encouraging people to continue supporting local businesses with purchases and reminding us to follow along every Tuesday and Thursday for future streams, with entertainers such as Ryan Tedder from OneRepublic, Alicia Keys and eSports stars Pokimane and Cizzorz.
Thanks to everyone who tuned into #PayItForwardLIVE to watch @davematthewsbnd perform in support of small businesses. Tune in every Tues/Thurs at 8pm ET/5pm PT right here on @Verizon and https://t.co/1x6DmT67bk. And here’s the show in case you missed it! https://t.co/vgSNTsRHHw
— Verizon (@Verizon) March 27, 2020
It was a huge success: The livestream got the attention of people everywhere and quickly became the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter in the U.S. And more great news for Verizon: It drew 100 percent net positive sentiment about the brand after the event, the most ever for a Twitter livestream.
With #PayItForwardLIVE, Verizon used Twitter to create a fun and entertaining way for people to come together in a time of isolation to support their local communities.
The article Verizon uses Twitter to support small businesses in uncertain times first appeared on Marketing.Twitter.com
