3 Global Marketing Trends in Response to Covid-19

The pandemic has changed everything about our old ways of life. How we shop, socialise, dress to how we do marketing. Companies have had to pivot their strategy and discover new ways to reach and connect with customers. Digital has become the new reality.

More than a year into the pandemic, we look at how Covid-19 has boosted digital marketing and rendered its traditional counterpart redundant. In a time when financial grip is lost and spending levels are at its lowest, efficient marketing is needed more than ever to succeed.

Digital Everything

Zoom and Facetime will go down in history as main channels friends and families used to stay in touch. Amazon’s pandemic profits alone have trumped the last three years of its operation and Netflix hit a growth spurt of 17% in the last year. With travel plans cancelled and more people stuck at home than ever, screen time has skyrocketed by 76%, a trend indiscriminate of background, age and trade.

Contrastingly, billboards, TV advertisements, catalogues and other traditional forms of media are fading out of popularity. Who even owns a TV anymore?

It is only wise for your business therefore to jump from offline marketing to the big, not-so-bad world of the internet. It’s trendy, too. Internationally, more than half of European companies have increased their investment in digital and technology innovation. In Australia, more businesses are opting to spend on online marketing over traditional media.

A social presence is of paramount significance in 2021 and beyond. Brick-and-mortar stores will continue to play a big role in the shopping journey. However, customers are much more likely to check out your brand online before they ever step foot in your store. You’ll want that first impression to be a good one.

Digital marketing also allows for flexibility and creativity. Paid ads and organic posts occupy much less manpower, time and money to design and install as opposed to traditional billboard displays. With rules and regulations changing almost daily during the pandemic, it can be difficult to plan your next point of play. The ease and spontaneity of the online world means you’ll be better able to maintain your balance act.

Google Analytics and consumer behaviour tracking tools like Hotjar are useful to keep track of where your visitors are coming from and what they do once they’re on your site. Online data helps you understand what’s ticking the boxes (or not), so you can spend where it counts.

Rise of E-commerce

Non-essential retail was forced to shut down at different points of the pandemic, which left them no choice but to adapt to online shopping. With four in five households having purchased something online over the course of Covid-19, however, the time has come for E-comm to not just survive, but to thrive.

The reign won’t be short-lived either. As one in three shoppers say they plan to spend less time in-store even after the pandemic, the E-commerce industry looks like it’s here to stay.

For your website to be in tip-top shape to cater to at-home shoppers, you will likely need a few upgrades to your tech. Most importantly, the site will need to be mobile-optimised and quick-loading; You want to be able to handle the surge in orders and traffic. Consider also implementing a Content Management System (CMS) to go with your content strategy.

Personalisation

Everyone wants to feel valued and important. It’s why personalisation sells. The Digital Marketing Maturity Growth Report released by Datisan shows an active personalisation strategy can boost your revenue by up to 20%. As our lives and shopping habits continue online, personalisation in marketing is no longer an added bonus but an expectation. Customers expect their shopping journey to be seamless, customisable and enjoyable. After all, the algorithm should know them better than any store attendant ever will. With the vast collection of data now made possible, personalisation is set to become a brand’s greatest asset.

Dynamic marketing is a fail-proof way to get started at personalised marketing. At its core lies this: To deliver the correct message to the right person at the right time.

Facebook and Instagram offer dynamic ads where creatives and offers are adapted to each individual user based on interest and intent. Display advertising is another way to leverage brand awareness and consideration by targeting likely prospects as well as those already familiar with your brand. Lastly, remarketing can optimise your full-funnel strategy by showing relevant ads to previous site visitors. Dynamic remarketing even shows them specific products they’ve viewed to encourage conversion.

You don’t have to do it all alone. Smart automation platforms like ActiveCampaign or Unbounce can help with email personalisation and dynamic landing-page creation. Soup offers services in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), organic and paid media to launch your business for the digital scene.

Become a marketing leader by adapting to online strategies such as E-commerce, personalisation and audience segmentation.