How digital marketing has changed during the pandemic
COVID-19 hit the world hard – and pretty quickly, too. What some people thought was just a passing phase has turned into something that has lasted much longer than expected. Many things have changed since the pandemic started. We have to simultaneously interact with and distance ourselves from people. How we work and do our daily activities has also been affected. As such, it shouldn’t be surprising that things in the marketing world have changed, as well.
Digital marketing, in particular, has grown exponentially during this time - what with people spending much more time at home and, in turn, on the World Wide Web. In fact, almost 74 percent of Singaporean consumers are shopping online more frequently because of the pandemic. With this in mind, it would therefore be vital to adjust your marketing strategies, put more digital marketing strategies into place, and learn more about the changes that are happening in the world of marketing, in general.
Here are three ways in which digital marketing has changed during the pandemic:
This is our “new normal”, and digital marketing has to adjust.
Let’s face it: the world is simply no longer as it once was. This is something we need to accept, live with, and adjust to. When creating marketing strategies, it would therefore be imperative to keep certain measures and guidelines in mind, as well. This may include wearing face masks and social distancing.
This is one reason why hotels are always pointing out their safety protocols and food delivery services are always mindful of mentioning that they have no-contact options. Safety is of the utmost importance right now and this is, in turn, important to mention in digital marketing strategies.
While it may be hard to put some creativity into the mix in this day and age, it will make more of an impact if you show that you care about the masses: focusing on their safety and well-being shows that yes, you are in fact aware of what is going on in the world.
It focuses more on local information.
Since most people are stuck in their respective countries at the moment and traveling is still, pardon the pun, not really going anywhere, people are more inclined to show interest in local information that directly affects them – particularly online.
Local print media in Singapore has moved online and advertisers are also shifting to more digital marketing campaigns. After all, the Internet is easily accessible, online information is largely free, and people are spending more time on the Internet during the pandemic. This brings about many opportunities for digital marketing in localised segments.
It is more truthful than ever.
While some people may have always been distrustful of marketing messages, what with so many exaggerated claims made thus far; telling the truth has become even more important during the pandemic. More than seven million digital ad posts related to COVID-19 have been removed from Facebook, for example; so it would be vital to be clear, honest, and transparent at all times.
Trust is key in attracting new customers and keeping your customers happy. Even if you aren’t marketing anything related to COVID-19, it is important to keep these things in mind to avoid fake news and fake information from spreading during a time like this.
In order to succeed in the world of digital marketing in this day and age, it is important to constantly stay up-to-date with new trends in the market. Keep in mind that rules and guidelines on different social media sites may change every few months – and things are moving even faster now that we are amidst a pandemic. Your digital marketing strategies need to be able to adapt and keep up with these changes if you want to keep your customers engaged and ensure your business keeps on growing.
The article was written by Soon Koon.