The coronavirus has taken a direct hit on businesses, as job losses have been unprecedented. More people are staying home in order to avoid catching the virus, while hospitals in various hotspots throughout the country are over capacity trying to care for coronavirus patients.
There is one bright spot in all of this: digital marketing. It’s projected to take a huge leap forward due to COVID-19. The current pandemic has affected large populated areas and transformed lives in so many ways. It not only has an effect during the duration period but can serve as a catalyst for substantial changes afterward. People are making speculations regarding how the coronavirus will transform the way people shop and work, as well as on social lifestyles and attitudes.
Online Working Keeps Firms Going
The economy will be the main issue the United States will focus on once the country emerges from this deadly crisis. A recession is not only inevitable – it’s a certainty. The government is taking steps to place most of the country’s economy in suspended animation. It is their hope that eventually, people will be able to return to their workplaces to start the recovery process.
The story doesn’t end there. While firms have had to lay off hundreds of workers, staff from other firms have been able to continue working from home, and online retailers and cleaning products companies have shown some gains during this crisis.
The main difference lies between firms that rely on both services and staff to be in the same place as their customer base, from planes to restaurants, as well as firms that are able to sell, communicate, and market online.
This demonstrates the amount of capacity many firms have to be able to do the latter. What has been deemed as transformational has become something people have adapted to, which is an extent no one has ever set themselves up to do before. Fortunately, our digital marketing agency, NOVA Advertising, is well equipped and knowledgeable to continue providing our professional web design and SEO services remotely.
Remote work has a variety of benefits during the current COVID-19 crisis:
- It maintains continuity within businesses when workplaces cannot be used or are closed for any reason.
- It provides staff with the flexibility they may need to either attend an appointment or wait at home for a delivery.
- Staff who are ill (not just from coronavirus) can isolate themselves from their coworkers and not spread their sickness to others.
- It benefits the environment through less travel.
IT-literate staff are required, along with additional staff who are willing to learn more about the web and using IT.
Remote work isn’t only useful in the workplace. More people are finding that it can also apply to their everyday lives as well.
- Shopping online for groceries is a more practical alternative to purchasing them in the store.
- Non-essential services and goods can be purchased online which will keep eCommerce firms busy.
- The internet is an excellent source of entertainment when nothing else is available.
- Social media and e-mail have become useful tools to stay in touch with family and friends when someone isn’t able to see them in-person.
How Digital Marketers Will React to the Pandemic
The coronavirus has brought digital marketing to the forefront for many reasons. Billboards are currently sitting on empty streets and being seen by no one. Fewer people are purchasing newspapers, and large events aren’t being held.
More people are spending their time online for much longer than they used to, which means that ads on social media or content marketing blogs have a greater likelihood of being seen than ever before.
Digital marketers have new targets they can focus on as so many goods are in greater demand:
- Social Media: Links can be maintained easily through this medium.
- Sports-Related Websites: Online sports content will be popular while live sports are on hiatus.
- Emphasis on Ethics: Ethical firms will do anything to retain staff and pay suppliers or support food banks, which can all be highlighted in content marketing. Those firms that elect not to participate in content marketing may damage their reputations by not doing so.
The bullet points mentioned above will specifically focus on key changes that have happened over time as a result of COVID-19. Search engine optimization marketers will need to consider these changes with regard to how people are searching on Google for their needs. Services and goods, in turn, will need to be marketed to reflect what people are looking for.
The Lasting Effect of COVID-19
Once restrictions have been lifted, most people will be anxiously leaving their computers and running outside to visit family and friends, theaters and museums, and returning to libraries, gyms, churches, restaurants, and bars. Digital marketers should not despair as economists are expecting a gradual recovery to the economy instead of a strong rebound. In addition, most of the marketing strategies discussed in the above paragraphs that currently apply to the coronavirus crisis will eventually become obsolete.
The good news is that people will likely continue to use the internet for keeping in touch, shopping, searching for information, and other activities because it will become habitual. Consumers may also come out of this crisis with entirely new attitudes, values, and priorities, which could impact how they may wish to spend their money and time in the future.
For the above reasons, marketers need to research the changing habits of consumers. eCommerce has grown significantly, and internet usage has already become a major fixture in economics and in people’s lives. This crisis may accelerate this growth in the years to come.
Digital marketing’s importance, which has proven to be crucial for smaller firms that have gotten weaker returns on their investments from traditional marketing, will be greater during the coronavirus crisis as well as after it’s over.
Our world has become increasingly digital, and marketing will too. For the new, post-pandemic world, digital marketers will need to update their online marketing and 2020 SEO strategies in order for them to become more successful.
How NOVA Advertising Can Help
NOVA Advertising is currently helping clients through the COVID-19 crisis, but we can also assist firms long-term by helping them develop digital marketing strategies that are tailored to suit their needs, as well as the needs of their customers. We will upgrade and update your online marketing and SEO strategies to help your firm adjust to the changing demands of your customer base.
Give us a call today or fill out an online contact form for a free SEO and website audit.