Digital Marketing has been on the upswing over recent years. But the unexpected pandemic caused by Coronavirus linked Covid-19 disease has led to a downturn and even closing down of many conventional marketing channels that used paper-based personal advertising and marketing.
This combined with new social distancing and personal protection norms has given a further boost to digital medium of marketing. Here’s how:
- Beating of Print Media and Newspapers
Recent outbreak of Covid-19 disease has led to an expected boom in digital marketing space. Since December 2019 and subsequently, different governments have realized the importance of social distancing and personal protection through use of masks, gloves and PPE kits. Print media-based advertising and promotion strategies have taken a beating due to the public concerns suspecting potential spread of virus through fomites.
- Soaring Advertising on Leisure Channel
Due to isolation and quarantine of asymptomatic and minimally symptomatic persons, many individuals have more time for using digital media. On a rough estimate, internet consumption has increased by up to 50-100% in different age & social groups while millennials observed just an average increase of 5-7%. Channeling of marketing media straight to digital mode, coupled with availability of extra leisure-time with potential customers has brought unique opportunity to digital marketing strategies. There is no quarantine in internet media! (unlike the disinfection times and isolation times in various forms of contact)
Bonus Tip 1 – However, it is very important to send only subtle hints to potential customers & business-partners. Register your presence and retain visibility on digital media like E-mail, Facebook, etc. on regular basis without seemingly being too intrusive. You can also offer free tips/advice to them for keeping your engagement alive in their minds and heart.
- Changing Trends in SEO and Keywords
Techniques and expert advice are available to help in digital online listing of your products and services, by adding keywords in your digital posts, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and by staying active on Social Media. The keywords like health, wellness, nutrition, immunity, stress, quarantine, isolation, social distance, remote life, online shopping, etc. will be used much more now. However, the keywords that focus more on in-person contact like conferences, seminars, trade-fair will see a downtrend, because of Covid-19 precautions.
Bonus Tip 2 – In order to be effective, our digital marketing strategy must be skillfully-designed, focused, and directed at well-defined target audiences and capable of attracting and engaging them. One must provide the customers the value for money by reducing costs, focusing on the areas of critical importance to them and by providing thin-sliced services.
- Growth of Personalized Digital Consultation
Digital marketing will help in not only attracting more customers, but also in retaining the customer base. However, you must connect regularly with your customers through consistent interaction via direct digital means and social media optimization (SMO). Provide free consultation and advice or counseling to help the customers correctly choose their product or service. Contrarily, customers can also become a partner in digital marketing if rewarded appropriately on per view / message basis.
- Increased Scope in Digital Job Market
Digital Marketing technology is set to be used predominantly not only by product manufacturers, but also by service providers, social organizations and even by governments and health industry. Major finances will flow not only into the businesses which directly support disease control, but also into the support and infrastructure development projects that generate employment for the masses. There is huge scope for digital media in public domain due to the unemployment that has been brought about by major economic slowdown of the manufacturing and services sectors.
Bonus Tip 3 – Covid-19 is also an opportunity in updating your manpower in digital know-how and re-skilling because of more free time during the current period of slow business.
Higher use of digital media during Covid-19 times will also help in getting connected to new business partners, finding better domain experts, and enlarging your sphere of operations by exploring new markets on digital platforms.
Though Covid-19 may last longer but uncertainty looms over its fate. It may linger on and bring persistent changes in the way we live. In that case, digital marketing will have a much bigger and more sophisticated methodologies in its fold. The impact, will accordingly be, much stronger and permanent.
