FIVE Most Important Tips That A Marketing Strategist Won’t Tell You
There is always a huge interest in digital marketing trends and innovation in marketing around the turn of each year. 2022 will be no different, in fact, especially since the pandemic has forced downward pressure on marketing budgets, which means marketers are looking for new cost-effective technologies. According to Gartner’s 2021 State of Marketing Budgets report, marketing budgets have fallen to their lowest recorded level, falling from 11% of company revenue in 2020 to 6.4% in 2021.
As a marketer, the marketing plan and strategy should adapt to the current market environment and make timely changes and adjustments. In this blog, I will list the FIVE most important things I would want my potential client to know before I create a digital marketing strategy for them.
№1 Develop a Strong Social Media Presence
According to a February 2020 article from Hootsuite, 43% of internet users leverage social media for both work purposes and consumer product research. That figure has only risen in the wake of state-mandated lockdowns, travel restrictions, and in-person networking being replaced by video calls on Zoom and Teams.
Having a strong social media presence increases a company’s online visibility while ensuring its key messages reach the right people and drive engagement.
However, an effective social media strategy involves much more than the occasional social media post. It requires careful planning, a solid strategy, and succinct storytelling. For instance, it’s important to consider which social media platforms best fit your target audience. B2B companies, for example, tend to see greater results with LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter — so they should craft a social media strategy based on what works best for these platforms.
№2 The influence of COVID-19 on online sales
However, the use of the internet for communication has changed as a result of the lockdown. In June, the Retail Sales Index time series (DRSI) released a dataset that depicted internet sales as a percentage of overall retail sales.
From Spring 2020 onwards, there has been a significant increase in internet sales. Internet sales as a percentage of overall retail sales increased from 13.8% in Q1 2020 to 43.7% in Q2 2020, with no sign of a slowdown in sight as summer approaches. Intriguingly, Hermes, a transport and logistics firm that specializes in delivering online orders, has revealed that it will be hiring over 10,000 more team members in response to the rise in online shopping during the holiday season.
№3 Review changing adoption of social networks, especially video social platforms like TikTok and Reels
During the pandemic, social network usage has naturally increased, so changing the relative importance of social networks as a method of generating awareness. According to the Datareportal reports shows:
“Social media user numbers have surged in the past 12 months too, with 520 million new users joining social media in the year to July 2021.”
More generally, their research shows the relative importance of different social networks on purchases. We would expect that Facebook and Instagram would be important, but this report highlights the influence of TikTok, Snapchat, Twitter, and Pinterest, suggesting the importance of consumer brands having an effective presence on all of these networks.
That will be the point that I would like to let the potential customers know about the trend in social media development and the importance of choosing the right social media tool.
№4 SEO is more Important than Ever, even during COVID-19
SEO is important right now because internet use is the highest it’s ever been, but “internet use” does not refer exclusively to online search. In addition to search, it includes a wide array of activities such as electronic transfers, virtual meetings, gaming, movie streaming, mobile apps, social media, and more.
This chart from Statista (published pre-coronavirus) shows us that internet use includes more than online search.
That is not to say that online search has not increased. In a time marked by so many questions and a significant uptick in at-home pursuits, search volume certainly has, but with a focus on health, news, and other highly relevant industries. As a result, this has caused a decline in traffic to nonessential business websites (many of which are small businesses) — from both paid and organic results.
This means that SEO looks very different depending on the industry. For all SMBs and essential businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, SEO is important for standing out and getting chosen over competitors in search results.
№5 Create a Crisis Communications Plan
As the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated, every organization is vulnerable to the ever-looming threat of a crisis. The last and most important I would like the potential client to know is how they respond to a crisis. In fact, only 49% of organizations have a crisis plan.
Businesses with a crisis communications plan reflect better post-crisis compared to those that without. In fact, some even reported revenue growth as a result of their crisis management. Plus, those that keep their crisis plans up to date and conduct crisis response training are 4x more likely to emerge on top.
In order to successfully survive a crisis, preparation is key. Having a crisis communications plan in place ensures the organization is ready to respond in a prompt, accurate, and well-coordinated manner, ultimately minimizing the impact of the crisis.
Regardless of whether there is a pandemic or not, the more people interact with technology, the more they appreciate it and make it a regular part of their lives. It’s apparent that digital marketing is changing to keep up with new technology advancements and shifting customer tastes.
Originally published at https://medium.com/@KathyXue on April 17, 2022.
