COVID-19 changed the way the business world operates. In many ways, the flood of online traffic and the decentralization of the workplace has accelerated pre-existing digital trends.
Businesses soon realized that traditional marketing—which had already been fading—was suddenly rendered obsolete in a shelter-at-home world. It needed to be replaced with a digital marketing strategy that met would-be customers where they were—online.
But as the physical world reopens and we emerge into post-pandemic living, now is not the time to abandon your digital marketing strategies.
Here’s why.
Customer Personas Have Changed
Humans are social creatures that adapt to disruptions.
The conditions of the pandemic have altered consumers’ behavior and expectations, transforming how they spend their time, the platforms they utilize, and how they interact with others.
As a result, Americans are increasingly comfortable with online shopping, whether for groceries, consumables, or clothing.
- A 2020 McKinsey study found that all shopping methods which minimized contact with others increased in popularity with an expected growth after COVID rate of 20%+.
- Another survey discovered that online shopping for groceries increased nearly four-fold from 4% to 15%.
- Sensor Tower found that there was a 31.7% year-over-year rise in the number of app downloads.
These numbers in and of themselves are unsurprising.
But what is noteworthy is the shift of people who now prefer an online shopping experience to a brick-and-mortar one.
For many, it’s become the new “norm.”
So, although it’s unlikely that the rates of digital shopping stay as high as they were peak-pandemic once the world fully opens up, it’s demonstrative of a change in consumer behavior that will probably have staying power.
Digital Marketing ROI
A robust digital marketing strategy will be multifaceted and include several different sub-strategies, such as:
When managed strategically, every one of these mediums has a better ROI than traditional marketing strategies. Email, for instance, still delivers the highest ROI of all marketing channels—$42 back for every dollar you spend.
One reason for this efficacy is that digital marketing provides a treasure trove of customer insights—data that can help you understand your target market better and then shift your business and marketing strategy on both macro and micro levels. According to McKinsey:
“Marketing return-on-investment (ROI) approaches that use data to make rapid spend reallocations can often yield great returns in the shortest amount of time… As consumers increasingly try new brands, companies should consider shifting promotional spend to defend share in categories with surging demand and where there is a risk of switching.”
Social Media Is More Popular Than Ever
Social media is no longer just a place to connect through entertainment and content. It’s now a thriving marketplace and a digital marketer’s paradise, with more than half (3.78Bn) of the earth’s population actively participating on social sites.
Companies are increasingly prioritizing social channels because of the opportunities they create. Put simply, it’s social media marketing is one of the optimal ways to reach a target audience and encourage them to:
- Shop
- Read reviews
- Interact with the brand and its audience
- Check out new products
Whether you use traditional social media marketing strategies or influencer marketing, you open up a wealth of new opportunities to target potential customers and re-target existing ones.
Marketing In Post-COVID World
COVID-19 has shifted consumer behavior and expectations. It has spurred the transition from a retail economy to a digital one.
Going forward, digital marketing will be just as important to a company’s growth efforts, if not more so. And to thrive in a post-COVID world, a business needs to strategically encompass several channels, including content, SEO, social, and paid.
Are you looking for guidance on how to build a post-COVID digital marketing strategy?
Fantastic. You’re in the right place. At Semgeeks, we don’t just follow digital trends, we help you start them. We’re the digital marketing agency NJ is raving about. Whether you need help connecting digitally or face-to-face, contact us today to find out more.
Sources:
McKinsey. The great consumer shift: Ten charts that show how US shopping behavior is changing. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/the-great-consumer-shift-ten-charts-that-show-how-us-shopping-behavior-is-changing
