Digital Marketing and COVID-19 - Why this period is a strategic opportunity for any eBusiness
With the emergence and spread of the virus COVID - 19 from China, to Asia, and the rest of the world, it is more than ever necessary for this crisis to be immediately addressed by the leaders of all countries. As the global economy tries to balance and mitigate any losses, some businesses are on the verge to change their strategy to save as much as possible. In some cases, they even prefer to cease most or even all the actions that have been done to enhance their online presence.
But the reality is a bit different, as, in difficult times, businesses that decide to continue investing in online practices can turn out to be quite profitable. Both directly and in the long run, with more gains than others and by developing a more meaningful relationship with their audience.
We choose to analyze some of the key pillars of Digital Marketing and cite the reasons why it is worth continuing your digital strategy campaign.
Google Ads
The current situation for most people, locked up in their houses, gives them even more time to surf the internet. In a quick and brief search for specific products or even just to read content (see SEO & Content Marketing) every company will strive to appear in the first results. This can be achieved with Google Ads.
In such situations, it is necessary as ever, for each brand to raise awareness with its audience, focusing on actions and suggestions that will benefit both the company and the consumers themselves. With the implementation of paid Google Ads, any business will be enhanced more in traffic. Some examples that can be applied to many businesses include offers through discounts, gift cards, as well as the opportunity to buy through online shops from any available mobile device, desktop, laptop or tablet.
At the same time, many businesses can improve their traffic due to pandemic conditions. With many people searching for information as e.g. how to treat and prevent the spread of the disease on them and in their communities, the likelihood of selling related products are increasing as well as the clicks on ads from companies in the hygiene, medical and pharmaceutical industries. Also, with social distancing, more content is being consumed from entertainment and leisure products, which can benefit companies in the field of on-demand services. Besides, services related to business management, e-commerce, distance learning, accounting, and legal services etc. can also be enhanced, as they can be carried out without the need for physical presence.
An important factor for the continuation of Google Ads is the maintenance of the business position on the Ad Rank. The better it is, the greater the chances of a more frequent (and cheaper) advertisement running, as opposed to competition. This can directly be by the extension of the use and duration of a campaign's run on Google. With a possible termination of a Google Ads campaign, one company's position will fall enough compared to other companies that will choose to continue. When the company might decide to return to the forefront, considering it the most appropriate time, it will have to make more effort and spend even more money on its reinstatement.
Consequently, the positive gains that can be reaped from a business in a world of social distance due to the COVID - 19 virus is much more than the potential short - term losses. The option of maintaining and optimizing a digital marketing strategy through these conditions will be critical for the development and expansion of a business.
Social Media
As the fastest growing trend in human history, Social Media has been the leading mean for growth and interactivity in the world. Through their use and spreading, the needs and habits of both the consumers and businesses have been constantly changing.
During those difficult times, social media should remain active and “listen” better to their users. As the citizens in many countries are restricted to their houses, to avoid the transmission of the COVID-19 virus, it is necessary to maintain the company's contact with its audience, which monitors daily its social networks even more.
Creating a stronger trust relationship of the audience with the product or service is also of paramount value, amid the virus containment effort. Either through a targeted description on Instagram or by interacting with Facebook users and campaigns, a business will be able to get its message across. In this, the audience could play an important role, as it can be involved in spreading the message to more users.
Of course, the main reason for not stopping Social Media campaigns is for the business to maintain a continuous flow of information and to appear as it operates normally as always. Also, creating and distributing engaging content, always adapted to the trends, can be "discussed" more by users and, eventually, might become viral.
Email Marketing – Newsletter
One of the fundamental pillars in digital marketing is sending newsletters regularly. Through newsletters, sent to several subscribers, a business can inform them of new releases of products that may interest them or to inform them of developments that are directly related to the service concerned.
The spread of the virus COVID - 19 can be detrimental both for humans and for daily life. It is to the company’s obligation to keep the audience informed of the latest developments that can affect the functions of the company or the audience itself. Always in a way that brings breathing of renewal and freshness in the pandemonium that prevails.
Also, the company's presence in the daily lives of its customers, who are waiting for new developments, can be strengthened. A business will develop a more intimate relationship with its customers by making use of proper content marketing, through newsletters and emails with more personalized content, tailored to their profiles and their needs. Some examples may include e.g. the purchase and utilization of certain items while staying at home (fitness equipment, toiletries, books, tools for the home, etc.) or other means to make use of their time (learning a foreign language, distance learning, etc.) through a website or a mobile application.
Also, given the opportunity to polls and questionnaires to be completed by the audience, a company's product will be able to grow and evolve without remaining stagnant, despite constant changes in developments. So that when the situation will improve and things will return to normality, this company will have managed to come out less impaired than the rest.
SEO & Content Marketing
SEO, or search engine optimization, is one of the leading strategies for a company's integrated digital presence. Through targeted initiatives, it is possible for a company to be more visible and rank higher in the top positions on specific words or key phrases.
What SEO accomplishes, even during critical situations, is the continued attraction of audiences, organically, seeking for a solution to a problem and looking for a company’s product or service.
As conditions have changed and the universal ban on unnecessary movement of citizens has been implemented, more and more people are spending much of their time indoors. Among their activities, is browsing on the internet, either for entertainment purposes or to fill some of their immediate needs.
Moreover, shortages in some products, lead consumers to further search, or even to change their searches for other alternatives and solutions. Based on this logic, an up-to-date company, with a market-based service or product, can enhance SEO and claim share from customers’ searches. The objective of a proper business should be to rank high with relevant products or alternatives, through proper content marketing and by using the right keywords around them. As a direct result, it will be to boost the demand for those products, and hence the company itself, with both short and long term benefits.
Implementing an SEO campaign can bring benefits, not only in the short term but also in the long run for a company's goods. By following and maintaining this tactic, it can earn even more, both in the current period, as in the months ahead. But the most important objective is to create content that will preserve the company's relationship with the audience and will keep it away from obscurity, while there is a great possibility the content been created, might become viral and projected strongly, because of its value to the users.
In conclusion, these are several of the benefits that a company can take advantage of. Eventually, the epidemic will cease and life will get back to normal. When that time comes, will you want to start your digital marketing strategy from scratch? Or to have made leaps ahead of your competition by maintaining and reinforcing the efforts made in previous months?
For sure, it is better to keep the long-term mindset than to let COVID-19 discourage you and cancel your plans. Now is not the time to stop digital marketing, but it is the right moment to apply them more systematically and purposefully. And for that, we are here to guide you through every step!
