As COVID swiftly took over the world, many businesses were directly affected by a pandemic that showed no signs of slowing down. As the nation gradually pieces itself back together, how has the “new normal” caused by COVID affected overall consumer behavior, and how can your company adapt to these new marketing trends? The key is proper planning, maintaining a connection with your customers and making sure your company has a digital marketing strategy that resonates with current and potential consumers.
Keep the momentum going with personal touch
During the pandemic, many businesses shifted to working remotely, which had significant effects on consumer patterns. While businesses have had to redefine their digital marketing strategy in order to keep team members safe and maintain contact with customers, it’s important to remember that many people still crave personal interactions. As humans, it’s engrained in our DNA! And as COVID restrictions are lifted, many are ready to lift their spirits with in-person connections that keep the momentum going. Remind your customers that while you can still interact with them through ZOOM calls and other digital outlets, your company is ready to add a personal touch that stands out from the crowd.
Plan, plan, plan!
In a post-COVID world, you can never be too prepared or plan too much with your customers, especially when considering that many businesses will need refreshed insight into their marketing strategy. Marketing professionals need to help businesses renew their focus on brand experience, whether it’s through highlighting updated health and safety protocols, emphasizing a company’s new online shopping options or helping a company develop a crisis communication plan for future issues. Businesses never expected COVID to take over or have such long-lasting effects — now they need reassurance that they are prepared for the unexpected in the future.
Content reigns supreme
There has never been a better time to communicate with your customers through content. The pandemic shaped a space where people relied on quality content to get them through isolation and stay connected. The pandemic also shifted the type of content that consumers want, due to the country facing intense crises situations simultaneously – a ruthless pandemic, an economic recession and the biggest racial justice movement since the 1960s. Engage customers with content that highlights your brand’s community service efforts, protocol changes that keep customers safe and new technology, products and services your business adopted as a result of the pandemic. Not only will they be impressed, but they will have a vested interest in staying involved with your business.
Virtual events are the future
The pandemic brought virtual events to the forefront of business culture and, according to research conducted by MarketingCharts.com, they are here to stay. Make sure virtual events put forth by your company get the most bang for their buck by engaging attendees with high-quality sound and lighting, recording virtual event sessions so they can be viewed and repurposed later and creating networking opportunities such as virtual breakout rooms for individuals to mingle.
Give your brand a voice with a podcast
Allow your brand to be heard with a company podcast, which allows you to showcase your expertise as a trusted and valuable source for information. According to Forbes, in 2020 an estimated 100 million people listened to a podcast each month and it’s expected to reach 125 million in 2022. When considering podcast content, remember that your podcast should not merely be a sales pitch – content requires careful thought and planning in order to effectively relay an insightful message to your customers.
Boost digital marketing strategy
Post-COVID, digital marketing has become crucial to success for many businesses, particularly e-commerce. In fact, Amazon anticipates a permanent shift in consumer behavior toward online shopping, and reported a record-breaking high of $88.9 billion in sales for Q2 2020. Businesses can take advantage of this trend by reanalyzing their digital marketing efforts with revamped Google Pay-Per-click campaigns, sponsored posts on social media platforms and optimizing products and services pages on the company website to ensure higher traffic.