Our society is experiencing a new normal amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and businesses have been transformed overnight. We are now past the first anniversary of the virus. People everywhere are learning to cope with a new way of living. While brick-and-mortar retailers are already losing popularity among shoppers as they expand their online presence, stay-at-home orders have reached record highs.
As online commerce grows in popularity and businesses increasingly enter the marketplace, competition for traffic will grow even greater. When competing against industry powerhouses like Amazon, Walmart, and Takealot, smaller brands face tough competition in being found on the web. Digital marketing is therefore crucial to establishing brand recognition and driving traffic to a company’s website. A comprehensive digital marketing strategy starts with developing a search-optimized website and includes social media marketing.
In what ways does this impact digital marketing?
The Audience Has Changed
A new customer persona is emerging, lockdowns and social distancing have shifted consumer habits and demands. People are becoming more self-sufficient as they readily embrace digital trends. From working, shopping and entertainment, every option is now available online.
Consumers Are Now More Careful About Spending
With constant changes in the economy and rising unemployment, people are worried about job losses and earnings in the future, prompting them to save more.
How Has Digital Marketing Altered to Align with This New Audience?
Digital marketing efforts are concentrated on offering more value to customers. Leveraging and curating content across several online platforms continues to accelerate and evolve. One of the marketing strategies that has significantly improved is social media marketing.
Those companies that were already pivoting to a digital marketplace, have an edge and are best positioned to survive in this environment. However, having a functional website and an e-commerce presence is only half the battle. Just as important is the ability to get customers to those product pages. Your consumers are now online, the same is true of your competitors.
