5 Ways To Use Digital Marketing in the Post-Pandemic World

“The ability to connect via so many different platforms not only helps alleviate feelings of isolation but increases the sense of psychological comfort.”

— Pamela Rutledge, director of the Media Psychology Research Center.

With the advent of the Pandemic, it’s safe to say that 2020 was a year like no other. It is unlikely that things will revert back to the old normal. Not only have companies had to morph to adjust to this new normal, but consumers and ideologies that run the commercial world have also been altered forever.

Consumers vaulted five years in the adoption of digital in just eight weeks. Significant consumer segments have been trying digital for the first time. In Latin America, 13 million people made their first-ever e-commerce transactions. In McKinsey's global consumer sentiment surveys, it was found that consumers are turning to digital and reduced-contact ways of accessing products and services.

In the US, this digital trend is magnified for the younger population (Generation Z, millennials) and higher-income consumers. Social commerce is on the rise as well with 34% of consumers shopping on Instagram based on an influencer recommendation. This shift is not a transient one, simply because e-commerce is more efficient, cheaper, and safer for customers than shopping in physical stores. Moreover, as social distancing and protective measures remain the norm, shopping from home will seem even more convenient by comparison.

In times of crisis, a customer’s interaction with a company can trigger an immediate and lingering effect on his or her sense of trust and loyalty. Trust and integrity are fundamental to driving market momentum. Over 60% of US consumers have experienced out-of-stock items in the last quarter, only 13% waited for the item to come back in stock versus the 39% who switched brands or products and the 32 p%who switched retailers.

The question then becomes, how do marketers adapt to these changing circumstances and what would one need to know about their digital marketing strategy to ensure loyalty in their consumers.

A critical consideration would be meeting consumer expectations and creating personalized experiences across the entire customer journey. Creating these experiences requires companies to place data and technology at the core of their organization. This likely means building some degree of machine learning and/or artificial intelligence into the mix.

Armed with information and technology, companies can focus on providing their target audience with mobile-friendly User Experiences. They can leverage social media, email campaigns, content marketing to ensure a smooth customer journey.

The 5 steps to create a digital marketing strategy are outlined in detail below: