The Coronavirus is in the middle of its second wave and the numbers in cases are increasing day by day. Around the world, countries are trying to keep the situation under control by implementing lockdowns which have resulted in the closure of educational institutions, public spaces and the cancellation of flights. Many workplaces have adopted working from home as a measure to help avoid the spread of Coronavirus.
Coronavirus has affected the advertising, marketing and media industries in particular. Brands and industries which have established themselves for their qualitative products and services have been forced to alternate their advertising strategies to meet customers in a new way. Digital marketing has witnessed an explosion of growth during these unique times. All brands, companies and industries have adapted digital marketing strategies in order to remain competitive and find new business. The pandemic and lockdown of 2020 has forced even the most fervent traditionalists to experiment with a digital approach.
A Global survey of over 35,000 consumers was taken in 2020 by kantar during the lockdown and the results were astonishing. According to the survey, 78% of respondents believed that brands play an essential role in providing services to assist with their daily needs, 30% advised that brands should be offering discounts and 8% advised that brands should end advertising completely during the pandemic.
Over the course of the Coronavirus pandemic, DDL Advertising has identified the most effective business practices our clients could harness to remain competitive. They are as follows:
- Conduct market research
- Track lead engagement for higher conversion rates
- Pinpoint the most attractive selling points
- Identify and target the relevant demographic
- Pick the proper marketing avenues
- Maintaining goals according to budget
- Regularly monitor, review, and adjust approaches
Web:
How to turn those goals above into action could be through better web presence, either through SEO or a new website. Search engine optimization, SEO, is properly identifying what keywords and search items are successful in leading potential customers to your website. It also keeps your website optimized to be listed through search engines, such as Google.
Once potential customers or leads find your website, make sure it is clear, up to date, and includes direct calls to action. In 2020, and most likely the future, a website is more than a virtual business card, it is your identity online, a tool for growth, and perhaps the only chance you will have to impress a possible conversion.
Digital marketing:
People are no longer watching traditional television, or listening to local radio in the same numbers. They are on computer screens, and increasingly more each year, looking down at the screen on their phone. It’s time to take some of that traditional spend budget and move it to a digital campaign to be competitive with younger demographics. This can include display ads on social media platforms, or ads placed on popular and relevant websites, and it can include an organic social media campaign.
With a beautiful website it then may be time to explore a new email marketing campaign, or even a paid search approach, to draw traffic to onlines offers. Email marketing is taking customers, past and present, leads, cold and qualified, segmenting them into relevant lists and sending offers, promotions, newsletters, and more. The advantage of digital marketing services compared to traditional methods is the ability to track the engagement and behavior of leads with a precision that is not available to other marketing avenues.
For ideas on how to incorporate email marketing for your business check out our email marketing portfolio and how we were able to help our clients in 2020 here.
Soft skills:
Finally, in the middle of a pandemic, it is important to find the appropriate tone and approach in your marketing material. Not moderating your messaging to reflect the seriousness of the times could land you in hot water and even drive away business. Over the span of 2020 we observed businesses reach new customers, and watched others essentially be boycotted by consumers based on their advertising. Review our blog on the importance of your advertising tone here.
The arrival of Coronavirus presented a challenge for all of our clients, regardless of industry. We helped them adjust their tone to reflect the seriousness of this emerging virus, while also remaining available and supportive for their clients. We made sure to coordinate messaging across all their channels to ensure the appropriate tone of compassion and empathy was hit during this transition. Our portfolio entries include several marketing shifts we made through the novel Coronavirus. Check them out here.