The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted our daily routines in more ways than one. Our personal lives have been affected; families impacted. The business community has taken a tremendous hit financially and has forced marketing departments to get even more creative and cost effective with their marketing strategies.
This trigger reaction to pull back on marketing during this time, as logical as it may sound, may actually do more damage than good. On the other side of the fence however, those who have maintained a strong presence will reap the rewards of coming out ahead of their competitors.
Again, the operational landscape of businesses has changed. The marketplace is no longer limited to the traditional brick and mortar location. This means that we must maximize on the evolution of digital marketing. The world is our potential marketplace. Digital marketing is cost effective, can be tracked and analyzed and tends to be cheaper than traditional media. This means more ‘bang for your buck’. Talking your language now, aren’t I?
Do you have a digital marketing strategy? If not, now is the time to transition! Let’s discuss some points on how to leverage digital marketing.
How to Strategize During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Invest in a website
The first checklist item is a website. At some point during the past year, all of us have been forced to stay at home. Let’s evaluate and reflect on how we consumed goods and services. Without a doubt, we headed online! Those businesses which were able to pivot and increase their digital presence excelled at customer acquisition and retention.
You should therefore look into investing in an optimized e-commerce platform; it will only increase your return on investment (ROI).
With a website
- Customers can find you 24/7
- You will increase brand visibility
- You will increase the credibility of your business.
- You can collect data on your customers through analytics and re-market your products
- You can advertise and do so in a cost effective way!
So if you haven’t already, this step is one to strongly consider. You can start by purchasing your domain, securing your web hosting and researching the ideal web developer/ designer to get you up and running.
Social Media Marketing
Social media has been an important tool for retaining customers during this pandemic. It has been used as an outlet to maintain mental health. We have retreated to social media for humour, to vent or just connect with loved ones. And last but certainly not least, we have turned to social media to research the reputation of businesses we want to patronize.
So why not be smart about it and engage as your brand on these same platforms? During the COVID-19 pandemic, the hard sell has become less favorable and most have resorted to a more desirable and softer approach. Brands which use a social media marketing strategy of storytelling and relationship building are receiving more engagement over their competitors.
Consumers are clenching their pockets as much as your business is and that we must be mindful of. There are many social media platforms which exist and it is best to do a bit of research to determine which best suits your brand. For example Tik Tok tends to attract a younger audience (GenZ – 24 years and younger & some millennials – 25 – 40 years in 2021) while Facebook has a slightly older demographic using its platform.
So if you haven’t already, review your social media marketing strategy. Determine if you are in the right space and how you are engaging with your audience. You must also be mindful that if you take the route of building your page audience organically, especially on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram, you will have slower growth vs. using paid strategies.
Email marketing
Email marketing is still very effective. Ever sat and scrolled through your inbox and surprisingly some interesting subject line catches your attention?
The average email open rate for all industries we analyzed is 21.33%
Mailchimp.com
The reality is we are spending more time at home; a lot of that time is spent on the internet. If I’m not scrolling on social media or on a messaging platform, I’m checking my emails to see if any good stuff has come through.
Majority of the time people subscribe to a mailing list because they are interested in a product. This gives a business the opportunity to promote its products through personalized communication.
You can build a list of subscribers through prompts on your website or even your social media platforms. To do this you will need an email marketing platform such as Mailchimp or Constant. This is where you will manage your audience, create communications and track the performance of your campaigns. Without having to step outside, you have now gained access to your customer who is sitting right in the comfort of their own home. Something to remember would be that subscribers most times open emails with subject lines that are relevant to their current needs.
Tip: the best subject headlines can be emotional, under 40 characters & should be unique or ask questions
letnicbrandit
App development
One word, accessibility! I have more than 30 apps right now on my cell phone. This is because I download apps so brands I want to patronize are literally one click away. I also download apps for the ‘exclusivity’ they create for me as a customer. Everyone likes a little special treatment, even if it’s just a façade. But here goes, this actually creates customer loyalty.
And since I’m on customer loyalty, this goes further in creating the perfect environment to target your reward programs and promos. What brand doesn’t want high engagement? Customer retention will positively affect your bottom line and that is golden in this pandemic. So stand out from your competition and transform the customer experience. You just need a competent app developer.
The Future of Marketing
So what does the future hold for marketing? Truth is, it will 100% continue on the digital trend. As an effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of businesses have downsized their physical assets and pivoted to remote working conditions. This means more people will be at home.
I for one have been at home with my family. And while my crazy and bold toddler drives me crazy, I too, along with my A-team have gone through the process of leveraging our digital and social media marketing strategies. You would be amazed at the results we’ve seen.
I therefore encourage you to take the same step. Assess your current strategy and determine how you can make it more effective by shifting the focus to a digital marketing strategy.
So let’s recap.
Have a website? Look at creating a Google campaign or increasing your campaign spend rather than buying a print ad which is hardly ever measurable, unless you can use a discount or coupon code. No website? Consider your development options.
Utilize social media as a conversational tool. Get to know your customers and their wants.
Digital marketing is the way forward.
The marketplace has evolved along with marketing which is evolving. Join me along this journey and let’s not look back months down the line at missed opportunities.
All it takes is a change in perspective. Increase your digital footprint.
