Even though it is impossible to predict how things would look like post-COVID-19 pandemic, businesses have understood the pivotal importance of digital marketing. Today, online channels are gaining phenomenal popularity and are increasingly playing a more critical role since everybody is spending more time online thanks to self-isolation and social distancing in numerous nations across the globe.
For instance, in Italy, when countrywide quarantine was announced by the government in mid-March, we witnessed an increase of 30 percent in online traffic. We are coming across similar trends in other nations across the world. In this utterly depressing scenario, digital marketers are relentlessly striving to communicate effectively with consumers.
It is of critical importance to respond and cater to unique customer requirements in a truly personalized way and at the same time, businesses must keep in mind the individual circumstances and personal limitations and restrictions.
Marketers must use advanced and diverse marketing technologies to enable effective customization. All businesses both big and small must review their existing digital marketing strategies and implement the strategies discussed below to sustain, stabilize, and thrive despite the trying circumstances triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.
We know that the world has undergone a major shift and you simply cannot allow your business to continue to run on autopilot and carry on implementing outdated marketing stratagems. Businesses are fully aware of the fact that brands would either break or make it.
Most certainly, your entrepreneurial experience and instincts urge you to reduce costs, however, it pays to remember that now is the crucial time for organizations to invest in ground-breaking projects and focus on innovation for surviving through the coronavirus upheaval. Businesses have encountered a collective behavior change across the globe. It is surely not simply a consumer shift, but it is as big as a consumer tsunami.
As per Forbes.com, the marketing and promotion teams are facing unprecedented difficulties and challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 has been successful in adversely impacting consumer mobility, economic volatility, supply chains like shortages of items produced in China.
Begin with a Thorough Competitor Deconstruct
You must keep track of the slightest movements made by your competitors for optimizing their overall digital presence. Find out if they have altered or modified their stratagem after being hit by the pandemic. In precisely, what ways? Even though it is quite difficult to focus your attention on another business when your business is going through a crisis! Once you are able to manage some time to find out precisely what your competitors are currently doing. This could be a significant leap forward for any business on a restricted budget,
Play the Omnichannel Strategy
A number of countries are adopting a model similar to the UK’s in these trying times- all shops that offer non-essential goods and services are mandatorily closed, while online retail is thoroughly encouraged. Given this, you need to pivot so that your business goals are aligned towards an Omnichannel approach. If your data-driven marketing strategies were directed towards driving customers to your physical locations, you must realign them to adapt to your new model. Encourage and promote online shopping at every step possible, including upping the incentives on digital purchases.
Identify customers who were extremely loyal to you in their on-premises visits and try to encourage them to switch to online channels. You must realize that your customers are scared and longing for some clarity in this messy situation, and if you make their shopping experience more personal, with enhanced convenience and the assurance of safety, they are likely to want to stay on as paying customers.
Use the profiles you have built for them over time to deliver personalized experiences through various channels and devices that they use. Mass personalization is the name of the game; while digital experiences are still a long way away from replicating offline shopping experiences, you can change the game by introducing individualization and recommendations. Contact a reputable digital marketing agency Auckland for perfect solutions.
Find Whether Inbound Marketing Plans Are COVID-Proof
If you’re a new player to the online marketing domain, or have had an online presence for a while but never paid it the attention it deserves, you need to know whether you are discoverable now or ready for a surge in online traffic in the time of coronavirus.
You need to rigorously test all your inbound marketing channels to see if you can handle people landing on your site directly (using the URL) or indirectly (using search links or ads). Look at your brochures, marketing materials like videos, social media and chat bots, and visualize all the search journeys that lead visitors to your site.
Suggested Reads: Four Ways to Market your Business Digitally
Look into local SEO, and whether you are accessible via voice search. See if you have content that addresses the pressing questions of the day, and add information pertinent to the ongoing pandemic. Look into data from contact centers, web sessions, and other publicly available sources to understand what your customers would like to see, and then serve it to them in the best manner possible.
Conclusion
We are going through a challenging situation as COVID-19 is proving to be quite stressful for everyone. Yet your business could withstand these challenges and continue to flourish if you are happy to experiment with a fresh new approach. A crisis like COVID-19 is the best time for connecting with your customers and staying with them every step of the way to success.
