Since the start of the pandemic in 2020, our world has experienced significant and immeasurable change. From lockdowns to socially distanced gatherings and wearing masks indoors, we have adapted and altered how we conduct our daily activities to the current global health climate. While there is a lot of negativity surrounding this change, it is not all bad.
From a marketing perspective, COVID-19 has forever changed how we advertise and operate to remain competitive in a digital world. We have not just adapted but transformed. The changes that have resulted from the pandemic have kept businesses on their toes.
Perhaps the greatest change we are experiencing is having to keep up with and adapt to these new trends and tactics. Here we will discuss how digital marketing has been affected by COVID-19 and some of the positive new trends that have developed as a result. In our expert opinion, these trends are here to stay. So let’s welcome them to our nuanced digital marketing world!
First and foremost, the pandemic has changed how we use and perceive the internet. In a society that has become increasingly dependent on the digital world – due to lockdowns and physical distancing – our engagement in and dependency on cyberspace is now critical. For businesses, COVID-19 has changed how they operate online ordering, contactless payment, mobile shopping, decreased human contact interaction, and increased internet-based engagement.
As a result of businesses adapting to a digitally-dependent world, their online marketing strategies have also had to change.
With this shift towards digital dependency, the need for businesses to have a strong online presence is essential. To remain relevant and competitive, large and small companies have had to increase their digital presence through social media, multi-channel marketing, eCommerce, online stores, search engine optimization (SEO), and ad campaigns. As users rely on their devices (for both scrolling and shopping) now more than ever, the best way to reach potential customers is digitally.
Let’s break it down to understand how this accelerated shift towards digital dependence has affected businesses’ need for an online presence.
Due to COVID-19-related lockdowns, many small businesses had to shut down or prohibit in-store shopping. To stay in business, local stores had to become completely mobile (if they could). This meant opening online stores, offering takeout, curbside pickup or deliveries, and contactless payment.
Although in-store shopping has been reinstated, many people still prefer or feel more comfortable shopping online. Because of this, eCommerce stores are becoming a more popular alternative to in-store shopping. This trend is undoubtedly here to stay, as online stores have become the preferred way to shop because it is safer and less time-consuming to make purchases online.
With so many people stuck at home, mobile devices have become the primary form of entertainment, social interaction, and engagement with businesses. According to the Global Web Index, 43% of users surveyed said they had spent more time on social channels since the pandemic.
As a result of users’ increased engagement with social media, businesses have seen this as an opportunity to reconsider their marketing strategies. Social media marketing campaigns have become one of the easiest ways to reach and engage potential customers. With people spending more time on their mobile devices and social media channels, ad campaigns launched through Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms are ideal for businesses to brand their products and drive consumer traffic.
Conferences, webinars, and live videos have become an increasingly popular trend since the start of the pandemic. Digital events are an excellent way for businesses to engage and excite users, provide information on new products or services, directly answer consumer questions, and turn interested customers into purchasers. Virtual events are also a smart way to improve business-to-consumer relationships by directly interacting with potential customers.
Virtual events are convenient, easy to plan, and do not require travel. Even though face-to-face interaction is always a preferred method of communication, virtual events do support business growth and allow businesses to connect with people worldwide at the touch of a button – making this is a trend that will never go out of style.
Another new trend relative to businesses’ increased need for an online presence is multichannel marketing. Using multiple platforms to advertise to potential customers allows businesses to maximize their returns. Consider using multiple channels like social media, podcasts, mobile advertising, email, and SMS to reach a greater audience.
Simultaneously, businesses have also had to reconsider their search engine optimization tactics. Similar to having an online presence, SEO has become more important for companies to continue to be relevant and competitive – especially when it comes to content. For example, this means generating new content (or updating existing pieces) that are relevant and relatable to the current climate and optimizing Google rankings to increase competitiveness.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been a significant increase in businesses’ interest and investment in SEO strategies. Let’s dive a bit deeper and explore some of these new SEO trends to gain a more comprehensive understanding of how businesses are implementing them.
As a result of living through a pandemic, people are searching for (or have already developed) new interests such as indoor hobbies, outdoor activities, fitness, health and wellness measures, and more. Many of these interests and searches are related to information concerning COVID-19. Businesses can use their audience’s search patterns as an opportunity to appeal to these new interests.
One way to do this is to publish content or provide services relevant to these topics. Understanding the target audience and adapting content to speak to these new search trends, have become equally important to reach potential customers.
The popularity of content creation has skyrocketed since the pandemic. According to Verblio’s 2021 Digital Agency survey, demand for content has increased by 71%, with the three most profitable forms of content being blog posts (61% increase), landing pages (42% increase), and social media posts (35% increase).
Long-form content, like blogs, is more important than ever to the success of businesses. This type of content engages the interest of readers by getting them invested in an in-depth topic. For this reason, it has become essential for businesses to use long-form content to hold the interest of existing customers and engage potential purchasers.
Businesses are doing this by refreshing and updating content that has performed well to make it relevant and relatable to the current climate. To make the content more applicable to readers, you can add new information, update visuals, and change titles.
Ensuring your long-form content is significant to readers’ current situation(s) is important to remain relevant and competitive. Making small changes or publishing new long-form content that they can relate to will continue to be a critical adaptation for businesses.
It is equally important that a companies’ content is as relevant and relatable as it is interactive and stimulating. Since an increased use of social media has shortened users’ attention span, interactive and engaging content is critical to hold their interest. Implementing anything like infographics, polls, surveys, or interactive videos are all great ways to stimulate and excite user engagement.
If you’re looking to optimize your marketing strategies to stay up-to-date with these new COVID-19-related trends, trust the team at Zero Gravity Marketing. We are well-versed in how to stay competitive in these changing times. Visit our site to read up on our services, or contact us to learn more about how we can take your digital marketing strategies to the next level.