How Is Digital Marketing Advantageous During COVID Crisis

COVID has literally and hugely impacted all aspects of human life the world around. In this context, the scope of marketing a business does not exist in a silo either. Because of the pandemic’s colossal and awful repercussions, most businesses are involuntarily coaxed to take on digital marketing methods and get used to them for their survival.

Even though several companies have already adopted digital marketing and seamlessly adapted to its uniqueness, others are uncertain on how it can be successfully put to use. No matter the type of business, each of them may well utilize basic insights for pulling through these difficult times.

The role of digital marketing in trying times

Throughout the world, people have been taking refuge at cloistered places to stay away from coming in contact with others or transmitting the virus. Many countries have come up with stringent guidelines that necessitate citizens to come out of their homes only when it is indispensable.

As expected, nearly everyone has pitched into large-scale web browsing for entertainment. The statistics of an ever-burgeoning web usage bear witness to this new normal. Since the widespread transmission of COVID, the usage of mobile data too has spiked exponentially. Even organic traffic to websites has seen a tremendous rise.

Social media has turned into the best maneuver for people to remain connected with their loved ones and others outside the bounds of family and acquaintances. Practically every social media platform has observed a noteworthy swelling in user engagement over the past year. You can leverage the massive growth in online traffic by opting for an executive mba in digital marketing and putting your skills to use in the real world.

What is the significance of digital marketing amid COVID?

In COVID times because of the recurrent imposition of lockdowns, people stay at home most of the time. So, digital marketing for businesses can prove to be an efficacious means to remain in touch with their customers and increase pipeline generation.

In case the right, business-relevant digital marketing strategies are put into effect, constant customer communication and engagement can be maintained irrespective of whatever magnitude the pandemic takes form. There are no more trade shows or business fairs. So, channels that generate potent digital leads are the better alternatives.

Even though a few marketers might be at odds with digital marketing having the likelihood of increasing lead volume with different quality levels, the same holds for tradeshows and exhibitions as well. If the leads so obtained can be carefully verified, digital marketing can significantly help in pipeline generation.

In what way marketing strategies can be adjusted during the pandemic?

• By selfless helping others. This is the best opportunity to infuse more value within the community and put more emphasis on the long term. Even though companies may find it tough and time-intensive to break even, yet, the effort is worth every penny.
• By resorting to paid ads. Use different remunerative payment plans to lift dwindling conversion rates.
• By providing several online educational training. People searching for new opportunities in the midst of the pandemic can significantly benefit from such programs.
• By diversifying a business. Through the use of powerful SEO techniques, both local and global, wherever feasible, a business can be branched out to derive relatively more profitable outcomes.

Is COVID actually helping to fast-track digital transformation in companies?

Because of the massive COVID outbreak, businesses are compelled to reconsider their conventional operations and concentrate on digital strategies in their entirety. Companies that have totally depended on the traditional method of physical marketing do not have any other option but to embrace and accustom to digital marketing.

This is evident through the following observations.

• A remarkable increase in work from home preferences
• An increase in the number of people gaining access to telemedicine services
• The exclusive prevalence and application of remote learning
• The majority of events and conferences being held on the virtual platforms
• The emergence of technology as well tools that offer extensive backing to cloud-based meetings and collaboration

Proactive measures to help you take advantage of digital marketing during COVID times

It is all-important to have a suitable plan of action in place amid the COVID crisis as far as digital marketing efforts are concerned. Here is a list of six necessary guidelines that may help sail through this terrible adversity with minor glitches.

1.    All analytics and results should be monitored in real-time

Data analytics has always offered a robust foundation to rely on, in particular, for the duration of such turbulent times. At a time when all predictions and insights have failed, digital marketing professionals can fall back on real-time information to benefit from planning future advertising campaigns and solutions. They can have recourse to data collection and analysis to find out how industries and companies are impacted on both internal and external fronts.

Digital marketers can make use of industry-specific KPIs and metrics to compare pre-COVID results with those reported in the midst of the crisis. Also, they can resort to competitive analysis to determine how the competition is tackling instabilities and adjusting its digital marketing strategies to sustain the online presence.

This data in its entirety will help comprehend the current standing of a company. Besides, it will come up with ideas on cogent tactics that can be abided by to stay afloat during COVID.

2.    Separate visual standards should be adopted during COVID

Undoubtedly, COVID has radically impinged on the buying behavior of consumers. So, in the near future, digital marketing has to make room for the newly-evolved imagery, people have started laying their eyes on.

Regardless of whether articles are discussed, social media posts are presented, advertising videos are circulated, or email marketing campaigns are launched, the need to endorse COVID awareness in all these activities is imperative.

In keeping with this thought process companies are not anymore inclined to put visual presentations on the display of people standing in close proximity or crowds thronging confined spaces. In place of that, brands are currently putting the focus on fewer people and open spaces to signify and promote the social distancing standard.

3.    Analysis of user behavior and retargeting should be conducted

With an all-pervasive catastrophe like COVID, the overall perspective of a consumer towards a purchase can vary. It can likewise hugely impact industries across the board in terms of the perception of their advertising efforts.

Because of this reason the extent to which COVID will affect a company’s target audience needs to be taken into account and reviewed. In all certainty customers will have different buying behavior and habits pre-COVID and during COVID.

Each of these ramifications concludes that consumer purchasing trends have undergone a major overhaul. It also indicates the need for companies to evaluate their target audience afresh.

Once this is accomplished, comes one more need to do a fresh assessment of how existing marketing efforts put forward by companies play a part in building a new image of the business they want to typify.

Because of COVID, businesses for the most part have come down with drastic influences on how their brands are perceived. Digital marketing companies should contemplate preparing for and implementing re-branding strategies and support campaigns to retain customers.

4.    Changes in e-commerce operations and product lines should be prioritized

Product lines need to be utilized to plan and implement digital marketing strategies during COVID times. More emphasis should now be put on the online placement of products as well as services.

The basic objective is to offer a top-class shopping experience. More content needs to be created that focuses on different products/services instead of educational articles. The organic ranking of any website will very much depend on the way consumers discern the corresponding business during the pandemic.

5.    The advertising budget should be reallocated

The resurgence of COVID has changed the focus over digital media plans for the whole of 2021 anew. This has forced companies to do a fresh evaluation of business plans with regard to all activities. This implies revisiting yearly budget plans. This also indicates reexamining the following activities.

• Sales
• Advertising
• Production
• Software development investments
• Software upgrades
• Network expansions

This is perhaps the best time to set up a more robust brand presence through intelligent, effective use of digital media.

6.    Omnichannel strategies should be made stronger in the course of the reopening phase

The strategies adopted in carrying out digital marketing will come to aid in resuming intermittent operations of the physical stores that had to put up the shutter during the lockdown. A lot of factors will play a part here. And each of them has to be taken into consideration. These include:

• Updating the information on the Google My Business app
• Defining a solid communication plan to bring in more safety and hygiene measures
• Boosting the utilization of omnichannel
• Planning the employment of click-to-brick campaigns
• Allocating investment budgets based on locations

You too can become a master in the aforementioned strategies by learning advanced digital marketing from reputed institutes.

Conclusion

With the second wave of COVID worsening the overarching situation, numerous digital marketing experts have been spectators to an overwhelming rise in the number of companies keen on:

• Setting afloat new e-commerce outlets
• Creating websites or upgrading them
• Putting across focused social media campaigns for people remotely working from home
• Targeting SEO and social media influences to get to a new audience base

So this is the most opportune time to incorporate plenty of digital marketing channels. Once budgets are reallocated, setting the new strategies in motion will be easier. And, the best part of all this – prompt results can be achieved.