Digital Marketing Evolved as a Result of COVID-19So, how has digital marketing evolved due to the disruption that COVID-19 brought to our culture? We’ve seen things change faster in one year than ever before and it’s changing how consumers respond and behave. As a result, our digital marketing needs to adjust and be nimble as well.

We’ve seen digital marketing change as a result of consumer behavior during the pandemic and it’s changing how we approach our strategies whether we realize it or not:

  1. Focus on essentials. One of the big shifts in consumer behavior worldwide is a focus on essentials rather than the fun fluff. Some items are just not necessary when you aren’t traveling or going to fancy parties. The things that are important are the essentials. If you offer something that is vital for survival, or you can find an angle where you maximize how your offering is essential, you can make a dent. 
  2. Shopping with a purpose. Consumers are hyper-aware of how the little guys are getting the short end of the stick in the pandemic. Shopping local has become paramount, as well as supporting cause-based organizations that are working to help others during this time. Lean into the shop local movement and even give back if your business can afford to. Now is a fabulous time to build some long-term loyal customers who come to know you for your values. 
  3. Go remote. It’s no secret that people are shopping online more than ever before. Yet, still so many businesses haven’t embraced online ordering systems, or e-commerce on their website. You have to make it easy for people to support you. We have a local Mexican restaurant in our town that refused to invest in a second phone line. Instead, their main line was always tied up from running credit card transactions and patrons trying to support their business couldn’t get through to call in an order. If you can afford to invest in a few simple things that make it easy for people to support you, do it! 
  4. Clear Communication. COVID taught us that communication is paramount. With changing restrictions and allowances from day to day, every business needs a way to quickly communicate how people can work with them. One of our past clients is a restaurant who has spent years investing in their organic Facebook following. When shutdowns first happened, they were able to still communicate to customers about daily specials, adjusted hours, limitations with indoor seating, etc. If they hadn’t spent that time building up their loyal audience, they would have been sunk! Instead, they communicated almost daily and their local community reciprocated by supporting them with take-out orders and generous tipping. 
  5. Virtual Products. Could you offer something great to the world, without seeing people in person? COVID has forced many industries to get creative about what they offer people and how they continue to operate. In some instances, the offer has actually become even better. One client runs a music lesson company and shifted to offering music lessons via web meeting. They now can provide recorded sessions, group lessons, and even expanded their potential student base to the entire world. Sure, there may be some limitations and not everything is perfect, but are there virtual offerings you could be creating and offering that not only serve your network now, but even after the pandemic wanes? 
  6. Flexibility. The big pattern for the pandemic has been flexibility to change. All those plans businesses had for their 2020 marketing plan had to shift slightly and have continued to be held loosely based on how the world is changing. We’ve always known we need to be flexible and willing to adjust to new behavioral trends, but the year 2020 forced us to put that into practice. Let’s not lose this spirit of flexibility as we move on to the next season of life. 

Digital marketing is always changing and so has life during the pandemic. We’ve seen COVID-19 shake things up dramatically for businesses and they’ve needed to be willing to adapt to the new environment. We will continue to see things change in digital marketing, pandemic or otherwise, and we need to be willing to observe, reflect, and then act to stay current with our digital marketing. 

If you’ve found yourself ready to pivot and adjust, but not sure where to start or how to execute your ideas, we’d love to help you out!