The Role of Digital Marketing During COVID-19

The Coronavirus has been with us for nearly a year, and it has changed a lot of things from living to making a living. It’s calling for a “new normalcy,” which most companies find complex and impossible to adapt. But that’s not how it should be because the pandemic is not something you can ignore and pretend that it’ll go away with time. Instead, you need to learn how to thrive during the pandemic.

According to Statista, in January 2020, retail websites generated around 16 billion visits globally, but that number went up to 22 billion in June 2020. The pandemic has forced billions of people to spend their time on the Internet so this could be the best time for a business to strengthen their online presence.

If your digital marketing strategies are carefully planned and perfectly implemented, you won’t have to consider it as an emergency fill-in. The very reason is that it could be a long-term value addition for your business even if the world turns back to normal. Moreover, it’s a great chance for companies to become resilient for future shocks. So here’s our take on why you need digital marketing to thrive during COVID-19.

Reasons Why You Need Digital Marketing to Thrive During COVID-19

When there’s a pandemic, spending money on advertising and marketing would be the last thing on your mind. However, if you let it pass and wait for the pandemic to be over, you might fall into serious trouble because your competitors might swoop in and get hold of your target market.

Businesses that take actions during the pandemic wouldn’t have to rebuild their business, but those who wait might have a hard time starting from scratch. Simply, you have to reach your customers in a different style, which could be done through establishing a good online presence.

Here are some points to help you understand the role of digital marketing during the pandemic:

1. People spend more time online

Now that the pandemic has forced people to stay indoors, they stay indoors almost all the time. When people are home, they are likely to spend more time on the internet. This provides a clear path for you to swoop into the online market. Getting on board at this time would provide more attention and visibility. Of course, it’s not going to be a walk in the park but it is worth the fight.

Regardless of your industry, you would have to put a halt to your physical business and bring your business online with the help of digital marketing. This may require a few genuine changes to your business, but it will pay off.

After a few months into the pandemic, people have become comfortable with online shopping. As the risk of going out increases every day, they find it better to meet their demands online. They can get groceries, medicines to non-essential items with the help of the internet. Thus, you don’t have to think twice about creating your e-commerce website.

2. Let your customers know your business is back on track

If you have no idea about digital marketing, then this might sound foreign. But you can always seek help from experts. Talking about PPC ads on Google and Facebook, you need them to generate sales and increase customers. You have to let your potential and existing customers know that you’re back with a bang with new products and styles to satisfy their needs.

PPC ads are one of the best ways to tell everyone that your business is online. Ever since the pandemic, online platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are experiencing high traffic. Hence, you can start promoting your business there to increase traffic to your website and get some sales. These marketing strategies are cost-effective compared to traditional marketing strategies.

3. Data gives you more power over your business

If you can handle data, it will help you make business decisions. You can use the data available online to find more opportunities, in-demand products and services, price expectations etc. and really understand what the new demands are in the market.

Google Analytics is a tool to analyze keywords, traffic, landing pages, traffic source, etc. Google Trends is another amazing tool to find what people are interested in. You can gather timely data to pivot your product or services to meet the current demands. For example, fashion brands are focused on stylish masks because it’s in demand. You have to feel and sense the market to understand what might sell.

All these tools lead to one big thing –cost efficiency. Digital marketing techniques are cost-effective, so you can promote your business while saving your money. Now, that doesn’t mean digital marketing is 100% free, but it is cost-effective when compared to traditional marketing.

4. SEO isn’t dead and it will never be

The pandemic has changed our lifestyle and it’s a no-brainer why people have opted for online shopping. Safety is everyone’s priority, so shouldn’t your business align with this message? This is a wake-up call for the business owners who weren’t considering SEO as an integral part of their marketing. We agree there’s a decline in search results for most companies during COVID-19, but you still need SEO for these reasons.

• The virus may go away with time, but SEO won’t. It’s consistent practice.
• Local businesses get more recognition now more than ever, so seize the opportunity.
• Evergreen SEO content will stay forever, so you don’t need a “right” time to do it.
• SEO benefits are long-term.
• The visitors you get now might be potential customers later.
• The post-pandemic situation will not deter the habit of searching online because it has become comfortable and easy.

SEO is like gardening. Initially, you wouldn’t see any beauty or benefits, but you’ll be waking up to a beautiful garden with time. Most businesses want a beautiful garden, but they are not ready to do the groundwork. This pandemic has blessed you with time, so invest it in SEO.

Conclusion

However, it’s unfortunate that most businesses push aside digital marketing given the reason that they don’t enough budget to do it. There are agencies like Inbound Hype that help businesses to keep thriving during the pandemic while keeping their budget in check.  So it’s never too late to be proactive and push your business forward through digital marketing.

Before you leave, let’s be socially responsible, so it would be great if you could spend a few minutes reading Why outbreaks like coronavirus spread exponentially, and how to “flatten the curve,” on Washington Post.