As the coronavirus pandemic moved across the United States, the stock market plunged and many of the country’s businesses closed, a major platform for social media influencers had a rosier message: “Good news in consumer shopping trends!”

RewardStyle, which connects retail brands with thousands of Instagram personalities and bloggers, told influencers in an email on March 30 that orders through its app, LikeToKnow.It, had surged. It encouraged users, who earn commissions on products they help sell, to “keep posting to capture this demand while using a softer approach to drive shopping.”

“We recommend that for every 5 posts, you make 2 posts relatable about life at home and 3 posts about shopping,” the company said in the email, which a recipient shared with The New York Times. “This approach creates a softer sell in your feed while continuing to provide guidance to your followers during this time.” RewardStyle also provided an image that said “Staying In is So In,” that could help “give context and balance” to shopping posts. People stuck at home could be a good thing, a company representative wrote, adding, “Nothing like a little retail therapy to help pass the hours.”

The messages were jarring to influencers uneasy about promoting new fashions in the midst of a public health crisis that was crushing the economy. But they provided a glimpse into how desperate retailers and marketers are tailoring their sales pitches for newly homebound consumers, who are fluctuating between panic and ennui while scrolling through their Facebook and Instagram feeds. Retail sales plummeted 8.7 percent in March, the largest decline since the data started being tracked three decades ago. With online business now crucial for many brands whose futures are threatened by store closings, the sell itself has become a delicate dance.