Every business has been adversely affected by the pandemic in some way ever since it took the world into its clutches. Almost all companies have been forced to reevaluate their strategies in order to minimize the impact of the pandemic. Consequently, businesses are also considering whether their digital marketing strategy is effective anymore or whether they need to come up with a new one.
Small businesses have been most vulnerable, as many have been forced to cut costs by laying off employees or have even shut down completely. Many big companies also discontinued their operations temporarily. In all the chaos and confusion that COVID-19 has caused, digital marketers have been left wondering: what is the future of digital marketing post-COVID-19?
You might have faced this crisis too if you are using digital marketing to boost your business. We are going to shed light on this matter to help you decide whether to cancel digital marketing or continue using it. We will also discuss how the marketing industry has been impacted by the Corona virus.
COVID-19 has had everyone going haywire. And in case you are confused about whether to continue or discontinue your digital marketing strategy, we will help you make up your mind. We have summarized the main questions that will be lurking in your mind, and by looking into them, we will help you find the answers.
- Do customers make online purchases after the pandemic?
The audience that you have targeted will make or break your business. Online shopping trend has substantially increased as a result of the pandemic. As the number of internet users has greatly increased, the online shopping trend is expected to up in the future. If your business is making good online sales during the pandemic, it is sure to succeed post pandemic as well. Therefore, you should make use of digital marketing to attract the target audience and maximize the outreach of your business.
- What are the long term prospects of your industry?
This will help you understand where your industry will stand post covid-19. Will it even survive the pandemic or not. If the prospects look good and the industry will make it through the pandemic then you should take advantage of the latest digital marketing trends to grow your business further.
- What is the future of digital marketing? Will it flourish or die down?
Different people will have different opinions about this. However, according to the trends and statistics, digital marketing is sure to rise in the future. Internet has proved to be a savior for people during the lockdown. It has become a companion for people stuck at home or away from their loved ones. A record level of online traffic was reached during the pandemic which has given the perfect opportunity to businesses to get the most out of their digital marketing strategy. You should also jump on the bandwagon and reach out to the masses through digital marketing.
- Where do you see your business in the long run?
Digital marketing works best if it is employed for a long term. A minimum of 6 months is required to reach the optimum result. If you abandon your digital marketing campaign in the middle, it will only hamper your growth as you will not reach the optimum results. Your search engine optimization (SEO) ranking will also drop, which will make it hard for people to find you and consequently you will lose your sales. Hence, if you want your business to survive in the long run, it is strongly advised that you optimize your digital marketing strategy.
- Whether SEO is still financially viable?
In order to cut costs, many businesses have abandoned their search engine optimization campaigns. In response to this, small and upcoming businesses should use this to their advantage and work on improving their SEO ranking. In present times when new companies have to survive in a cut throat environment, they should take all measures to outmatch their competitors. However, before you decide on your SEO strategy, you should perform a thorough research about the industry you operate in. This will be beneficial for a successful SEO strategy.
If you have found the answers to the above mentioned questions then you have found the solution that you seek. If your long term prospects and budget is compatible then you should definitely advertise your business online. Digital marketing can prove to be game changer for your business and will be monumental to the success of your business.
Coronavirus disease has led to many businesses closing down, mass layoffs, fears about the anticipated duration of the crises. Many countries have had multiple lockdowns to counter the second and third wave of the virus. These disruptions have also negatively affected the digital marketing industry. With companies going into survival mode, many have decided to let the marketing operations take a back seat by either cutting them down or stopping them altogether.
Many companies that decided to quit the services they were availing from a digital marketing agency experienced a decline in traffic on their websites. This led to reduced sales and lower search engine ranking. While other companies kept working on their digital marketing to create an online presence and grew their online following, resulting in increased traffic, greater sales and higher search engine ranking. Many companies that earlier did not have any online presence, have started to sell their products and services online to take advantage of the online shopping surge after the pandemic. As mentioned earlier, digital marketing is not an overnight thing. It takes time, a consistent effort as well as a budget to create and grow an online following for your business.
It was a dark time for everyone as the whole world struggled to make it through this pandemic. We have suggested some strategies that businesses should adopt to persevere and overcome these dark times. Hopefully, they will help you find a solution to your queries. We have already established that consumer behavior has changed drastically, which is indicated by the massive increase in online shopping. Therefore, companies need to change their marketing approach to adapt to the changing market and consumer trends.
- Develop short term strategies:
In these uncertain times, digital marketers should have a short term approach when working on their digital marketing strategy. This will give them flexibility as well as the opportunity to adapt to changing market and consumer trends. As change is the only constant in life, it is vital for a business to adapt to any situation. Speculating whether a strategy will work or not is like shooting in the dark. The result will only be known once a strategy has been implemented. A digital marketing strategy should be based on the demand of your product or service, an understanding of your target audience and an assessment of your traffic. Thus, keep your digital marketing strategy short term so it may be improvised as and when needed.
- SEO:
SEO techniques can be employed to improve the visibility of your website. Search Engines such as Google and Bing use search algorithms to look up on the internet for relevant keywords. When a search relevant to your business is made, you would want your page to show up among the top search results. The primary source of traffic for commercial websites is online search. The key factors to optimize your content are keyword research and content quality. Therefore, you should use relevant keywords on your site that people would search for and improve the quality of your site. Website quality can be improved by attractive graphics, user-friendly interface and completeness of information. If your website is impressive then people are likely to revisit it and there is a higher chance of making a sale. Hence, higher ranking in search results will give you greater visibility and an edge over your competitors.
- Social Media Marketing (SMM):
In the aftermath of the corona pandemic, social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Pinterest and Tumblr, etc. experienced massive traffic as people were stuck in their homes. These platforms gave people an opportunity to remain connected with the world, stay updated to latest news and most importantly become aware of products and services in order to shop from the comfort of their homes. It is an excellent time to connect with your audience through SMM. By running advertisements on social media, you can engage with the masses to build your brand and as a result increase sales and website traffic. If you are not reaching out to your customers through social media then you are missing out, because SMM is a very powerful tool to reach and interact with a wide audience. Businesses of all sizes can employ SMM to generate leads and sales. Main benefits of SMM include creating brand awareness and a positive brand image, interaction with target audience, increasing website traffic and building conversations.
- Use PPC marketing:
Pay per click marketing is a very efficient tool to get traffic to your website. Getting organic traffic is usually a very tedious process. Stats have indicated that PPC marketing can generate more clicks to your website as compared to other methods of marketing. Social media and blogging platforms such as Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr, as well as search engines such as Google or Bing can be used to promote your business. However, you should be clear as to what objectives you want to achieve through PPC marketing before you get started with it. You should also determine which platforms are used most by the target audience and would be most effective in generating clicks. The strategy should be short term and any further strategy should only be implemented after assessing the outcome of the earlier one.
- Conclusion:
As the whole world has been engulfed by the coronavirus and with no end in sight, people have been struck by uncertainty and fear. Now is the right time to make the most out of digital marketing to grow your business as almost everyone relies on the internet for information. If you are not out there then customers will not be aware of your business and you will lose a large portion of your potential customer base. Ignoring digital marketing now will be nothing short of preposterous. Your company’s image will suffer and you will lose business. An investment in digital marketing will definitely pay off. Digital marketing is easier to understand and its results are speedier than traditional marketing techniques. Hence, we highly recommend that you avail the digital marketing services of Optimal Creations to uplift your business. Ranked as one of the best digital marketing agencies in Pakistan, Optimal Creations will certainly maximize the prospects of your business and take it to newer heights.
Written by: Issa Saleem Malik