Covid-19 has accelerated a shift to all things digital and companies are responding by focusing their marketing less on print media and more on social media platforms, online video and online display and search ads. They’re right to be doing this: online sales have soared since Spring 2020, with parcel delivery service Hermes announcing in the second half of last year that it would be recruiting 10,000 new team members to cope with the massive rise in home deliveries.
Since the arrival of Covid-19, many businesses have had to alter the way they reach and communicate with their customers, and in many cases, they’ve had to redefine their offering to satisfy customers living in the “new normal”. We now live in a world where, according to Deloitte, shoppers routinely use a mix of digital touchpoints along the buying journey, including search engines, social media feeds and influencers.
While for some companies digital marketing used to mean just having a website, it now requires the whole gamut of digital marketing techniques and channels to really thrive in this new environment. Here are 5 tips to help you win at digital marketing during Covid-19.
1. Redefine your offering with a mind for the fact that people are doing most of their shopping online. Many restaurants, for example, have had great success by pivoting to online delivery services. Look at what you sell, what you could sell, and how you deliver it, working to make it relevant, useful and convenient for your customers during this time.
2. Tailor your communications to individual customers. Deloitte highlighted that it is more important than ever to make sure you deliver the right message to the right person at the right time during Covid-19. Use the data you have on your customers to provide personalised experiences such as tailored shopping recommendations.
3. Make sure your business is easy to find online. More people than ever are now searching for products and services online. But are you showing up? Check how easily people can find you using voice search, search engines, and featured snippets.
4. Keep an eye on new search terms and shopping trends. These will emerge almost daily during lockdown. You can discover new search trends by using Google’s new tool, Google Trends. Look out for new trends in terms of online shopping preferences; for example, Global Web Index reported in a recent Coronavirus Multi-Market Study that consumers in the 16-24 age group now prioritise reliable same or next day delivery over free delivery. The same study also showed a decline in brand loyalty, with customers more inclined to shop around for the products and services they need. This creates an opportunity for newcomers, even in a crowded market.
5. Adopt a more friendly, personal approach. In a period when Zoom calls have brought our office colleagues into our living rooms and even shown them our families and pets, people are generally adopting a less formal tone of communication, and successful brands are keeping pace with this. Create campaigns that use language and images that connect with people’s lives as they are now. Aim to get your customers to see you as a friend; Deloiite highlighted the importance of engaging customers with empathy, listening to them and using real-time data to better understand their situations and needs.
Need help?
At Primedia Marketing we’re experts on digital marketing, working for a wide range of clients in Wales to ensure they survive and thrive during Covid-19. Get in touch today to see how we can help you.
