Many enterprises have learned to navigate their business through a global health crisis, noting the importance of quick responses to a shifting environment for marketing in post pandemic age.
Those who were able to pivot and scale their operations during these unprecedented times enabled their company to stay afloat. Some were even able to grow their business despite current limitations. Conversely, others floundered to keep up with these rapid changes, negatively impacting their operations.
As enterprises gear past another year in the pandemic, they begin to look back on the successes and failures of their previous marketing strategies. Many of these tactics will continue to see an upward trend in the coming years, while others will likely be left behind.
Factors that Shaped Marketing in a Pandemic Era
Digital marketing became the most prioritized responsibility during the COVID-19 pandemic, as stated by marketers, according to The CMO Survey.
In 2021, digital marketing expenditures accounted for 58% of marketing budgets, indicating a growth rate of 15.8% in the past year. This figure is forecast to increase by 14.7% in the succeeding year.
Furthermore, the top investment areas included mobile marketing, search engine marketing, social media marketing, and video marketing.
Businesses and consumers migrated to the digital realm to facilitate movements amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Presently, more than two-thirds of the global population is already comprised of mobile device users, with these devices being used for a variety of reasons, including digital purchases.
Meanwhile, 68% of online experiences originate from search engine usage. Modern consumers often utilize them to look for answers to their queries. When searching for a specific product or service, internet users can simply enter a description of what they are looking for and browse through the results to select the most suitable option.
Social media sites also became more influential to people during the global health crisis. According to Beroe, a procurement intelligence firm, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter directly impact about 40% of consumers’ buying power. In addition, as much as 25.3% of purchasing decisions are affected by user-generated content on Facebook.
Consumers also showed a growing preference for visual content, like videos, since they are more attractive than written text. In a recent survey, about 68% of respondents report that the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the amount of online video content they have consumed. The survey also revealed that a staggering 96% of consumers had increased their online video consumption.
With these figures, it only makes sense why marketers shifted their campaigns to a digital-first approach. Although traditional methods are still used, solely relying on them might not be enough to sustain marketing momentum during and after the pandemic.
The Future of Marketing Beyond COVID
While some pre-pandemic practices might return once the global health crisis has been resolved, it is undeniable that many marketing trends that arose during the time of COVID are likely to stay in the post-pandemic age.
Accordingly, businesses should retain their focus on the following:
- Having a Flexible Marketing Strategy
One of the most significant takeaways from the pandemic is that enterprises should embrace change. For many verticals, their nimble response to unprecedented changes in the industry dictates not only their survival but also potential growth.
Stagnation is not an option, especially in a fast-paced, technology-driven world.
Enterprises need to diversify their marketing plans and note their performance, identifying the strategies that worked, the ones that need improvement, and those that should not be pursued further.
- Keeping Their Eyes on Consumer Behavior Changes
Technological innovation already sparked the shift in customer expectations even before COVID. But the pandemic catapulted them, forcing businesses to keep up as fast and effectively as they could.
Today, companies not only compete with other market players but also with their customers’ previous best experience. Modern consumers now expect companies to give them exactly what they need; otherwise, they will move quickly to another provider.
As such, organizations must align their marketing tactics with what will satisfy their target audience. Their messages must be relevant, timely, and oriented to consumers’ situations and values.
- Bolstering Their Online Presence
Having robust internet visibility is among the factors that can make or break a brand. In the post-pandemic period, customers will still be relying on online platforms to find what they are looking for. Consequently, businesses must ensure that their target audiences can easily find them to increase awareness and promote conversion.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) play a critical role in amplifying one’s online presence. Through SEM, businesses can use paid advertising to enhance their search visibility and improve brand awareness. These paid ads can help feature websites on top of search engines or social media feeds.
On the other hand, SEO helps websites to rank organically in local search listings, which significantly affects how businesses will get themselves noticed by prospective buyers. Users rarely navigate beyond the first few pages of search engine results. About 90% browse only the first page.
- Leveraging Social Media Platforms
Social media has been heavily integrated into consumers’ lives. As mentioned previously, what people see on social media can greatly affect their purchasing decisions. These platforms serve as a place of discovery and learning about brands and their offers. They are also used a mode of communication to engage with businesses.
Similar to search engine-oriented strategies, social media marketing should also use a mix of paid and organic posts. It helps to have a strong presence across various social media platforms.
- Incorporating Video Marketing in Their Campaigns
As mentioned before, relevant video content has a strong appeal among online users. Adding video content to one’s social media account and website can produce promising results. It also allows brands to connect better with their target audience.
Marketers can harness video marketing strategies like doing live videos, Instagram stories, or adding a website video to the business’s home page. It also helps to keep pace with new trends like TikTok videos, which boomed amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Final Thoughts
With the industry changes in the past couple of years, marketers are getting a clearer idea of what may lie ahead in the post-pandemic age. Indeed, the COVID-19 outbreak posed many challenges, but it also brought several lessons for the marketing industry.
It emphasized the relevance of adaptiveness and customer-centricity in this field, pushing businesses to explore new trends and implement strategies that enable them to make the most of their investment.
As enterprises make their way in this new normal setting, they must continue using the insights they gained while working in a global health crisis and ensure these are reflected in their marketing plans moving forward.
References:
https://hbr.org/2021/03/10-truths-about-marketing-after-the-pandemic
https://www.netdriven.com/News/ArticleID/189/Four-Post-Pandemic-Digital-Trends-Here-to-Stay
https://industrywestmagazine.com/pitch/now-what-marketing-in-a-post-pandemic-world/
https://datareportal.com/global-digital-overview
https://www.wyzowl.com/video-marketing-statistics/
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