5 Digital Marketing Tips in an Era of “Non-Essential” and “Essential”
Little did we know that The 2020 Coronovairus Pandemic will split the market into two main categories:
Essential Businesses: They are critical for a functional society and provide life-sustaining services. They include supermarkets, hospitals, pharmacies, banks, etc.
Nonessential businesses — These are generally recreational in nature. It includes theatres, gyms, shopping malls, museums, etc.
However, all types of businesses need marketing to reach their target audience. Nobody can predict what a post-coronavirus reality would look like, one thing is certain for marketers: digital channels are more important than ever. Online channels now play an increasingly crucial role, as people continue to social distance and spend more time online. Companies must embrace this digital world and the ability to leverage digital marketing effectively has become an indispensable asset.
Five Tips for Digital Marketing Success in a COVID-19 World
- Transformational Leadership — First and foremost, leaders must acknowledge the uncertainty that businesses and employees face amidst a pandemic. It includes behaviors such as stating a vision for the group, communicating expectations clearly, and delivering realistic and positive messages on those expectations. As the COVID-19 crisis shows little sign of letting up, digital marketing has emerged as the nerve center of a brand’s pandemic response. The C-suite should realize the crucial role marketing plays in connecting various parts of any business, and especially in managing the relationship with consumers.
- Realistic Expectations — Different businesses have been affected in different proportions. Unfortunately, some businesses were forced to shut their doors, some are surviving and some are flourishing. Data from April 2020 shows the following online conversion rates according to the different business sectors.
Thus, setting realistic standards and expectations for marketing campaigns in a digital world is essential.
3. Accessing Multiple Touchpoints — In today’s environment, unified channels and customer service are more important than ever, as non-essential businesses closed their doors and pivot overnight to a digital-only reality. Many customers believe that while accessing multiple touchpoints during purchase there is a significant disconnect across departments. 75% of consumers expect consistent interactions across all departments. Thus, consistency is key when approaching customers through digital platforms. Companies must take a step back, set their brand voice and values, and implement them in sync across all channels. Additionally, companies must be ready for inbound marketing — including websites, chatbots, videos, and brochures — coming from a variety of search journeys.
4. Educate Customers with Empathy — Businesses must listen to their customers, use real-time data to better understand their current situation and needs. Companies must leverage social media to engage with clients as the most conversions originate from platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. The true winners have been those brands who cut through the noise with authentic, engaging, and creative messages. With the shift in physical experiences to online initiatives, there is a need to digitize experiential marketing. These experiences should be highly personalized, controlled by the customer, and multifaceted. Some examples of online innovation are in the infographic. Webinars, Podcasts, and webcasts are gaining traction today because of their personalized content and a complete focus on enhancing the customer experience.
5. Analyse and Measure — New search trends emerge daily, irrespective of COVID-19. Owning actionable data and the application of marketing automation in marketing strategies are crucial. Learning search history and page visits helps in the creation of relevant content and create campaigns derived from real-time data. By using these tools, companies can gauge what activities and content perform well in their target audience, identify channels that have maximum engagement, and the overall journey from prospect to customer.
A Digital Future
Digital Marketing is versatile and unpredictable. Digital transformation needs to become an absolute priority as the audience is clearly demanding it. Marketers must prepare for the future along with focusing on managing the present. In order to remain competitive, businesses must incorporate ambitious and innovative digital marketing trends to stay relevant in the market. Digital Marketing is the route to keeping the “non-essential” essential in the marketplace.
