(UPDATED: October 2021)
Digital marketing remains a popular strategy that many businesses utilize. But as COVID variants continue spreading worldwide and people debate whether to vaccinate, companies must still function under extraordinary circumstances. Fortunately, this doesn’t mean they cannot conduct business at all. Instead, we must carry on with our new “normal,” which includes finding creative ways to leverage the brilliant tool of online marketing even more!
Get to the 5 new, down and dirty, ways to market online!
Like never before, our world looks to online marketing even more, to help make life better.
Since the COVID pandemic and the sheer volume of updates we receive daily, we’ve all continued to experience an unprecedented new way of life. With these changes also come changes in our business and professional lives. Just how much did we have to adjust? We didn’t know initially; however, we’re pretty aware of the significant disruptions this virus has caused today. For instance, companies now must embrace the idea of strategic online marketing as a necessity rather than an option to continue building brand awareness and feeding their sales funnel. Fortunately, online marketing offers a compelling opportunity for businesses to have flexibility. It’s a tool that helps companies make meaningful connections with people in various ways when we’re continuing to readjust to functioning at full capacity again.
As you continue to re-calibrate personally and professionally, this article helps you explore simple online marketing strategy options amid limited resources and conditions.
5 Ways to Use Online Marketing Services in the Age of Coronavirus
Although you may already have a digital marketing strategy, there are ways to enhance it and reach a wider audience during this pandemic. We’ve discovered five resourceful ways to help companies accomplish this goal.
1. Conduct Impactful Business Networking Online in Support of Social Distancing
In 2019, our business networking opportunities included marketing seminars and live events. However, with COVID still here, we’ve learned to maintain a network approach virtually, when necessary, for healthier and safer alternatives. Online networking provides the perfect solution over face-to-face gatherings. It can also help save time, money, and lives.
Social media platforms also present the ideal venue for healthy business networking. Use sites like LinkedIn and Alignable to build a system of small business owners that can spread the word about your brand. In doing so, you also decrease the risk of spreading and/or contracting the “novel” coronavirus within your community.
On the other hand, for those who still must travel, substantial improvements have been made to health and safety guidelines, accommodations, and travel policies.
Source – CDC Infographics: Domestic Travel During COVID-19 (October, 2021)
2. Leverage the Power of Digital Display Advertising
Print mail has been on its way out for a while as marketing trends shift focus from generation to generation. Thus, digital display ads have become even more critical since the pandemic hit. The notion that some people and employees will continue working remotely, further confirms the shift to digital ads as various organizations operate differently.
Ultimately, utilizing display ads helps build awareness of business brands and products. Online ads also provide an effective alternative to print mail as businesses continue to function remotely. The Google Ad Network, for example, reaches 90% of the world’s web users. You won’t see rates that high with print mail.
3. Develop Creative Videos and Electronic Newsletters
With more people living and working from home, it also means they’re likely spending more time online. So, why not allow your business to step up its online marketing game? Creating innovative online videos and resourceful newsletters offers another alternative to print media while also helping you reach more people.
These days, video marketing is one of the most effective ways to reach wider audiences. According to an article from Bitable, 78% of internet users watch videos every week, while 55% view videos every day.
4. Conduct Engaging Online Marketing Webinars and Meetings
Consider ways to host or facilitate events online rather than forgoing an in-person seminar or weekly meeting. Virtual conferences and webinars are commonplace for businesses that operate globally. At the same time, they work just as well on a national and local scale for smaller companies marketing their goods and services.
Over 75% of webinars have 50 attendees or fewer, and 67% of online registrations are one-hour webinars. These statistics are vital facts to keep in mind when creating an engaging virtual event in addition to building your marketing database.
5. Learn to BUILD and Enhance Existing Business Relationships
Always remember that your existing business clients and customers may benefit from other services or solutions you provide. We’re talking about services that may help them improve profitability during these challenging times. This pandemic has caused significant disruptions in the way we all typically conduct business. However, if you can provide existing customers with more valuable solutions and strategies, everyone has the opportunity to advance while you build business.
And with existing clients, this may be an opportunity to showcase your commitment to innovation, adaptation, and providing solutions that help them grow and get through this pandemic.
Lastly, referral marketing is also a particularly valuable tool. Over 90% of people trust referrals from their friends and family as they’re four times more likely to purchase when referred.
What Happens to the Marketing Industry After the Coronavirus?
Most business marketers already know how quickly protocol can change within the online marketing industry. Therefore, we’ve all learned how to change with the times and seasons. As the world now moves towards continued recovery and healing, everyone is starkly aware the virus is here to stay. Yet, businesses carry on with adapting and making the necessary adjustments to keep moving forward. Can business transition be challenging? Absolutely! However, when great minds with the same goals come into collaboration, we manage to get through these difficulties together.
It’s been over a century since the world has seen a pandemic on this scale. And although life is hugely different now than it was in 1918, the experience of “first time” remains the same. The coronavirus pandemic is the first time the generations of this present world have faced such an event, and we’re all still learning how to contend with it. Yet, as long as we focus on alternative ways to stay connected during this time, we’ll overcome this challenge and prevail.
Source: ABC News – The Future of Work, May 2021
What is your business and online marketing looking like post-pandemic?
As the pandemic trudges on, we’re sure by now you’ve learned to adjust. Yet, there may be some companies who remain uncertain about which sales and marketing best practices will work best for them. At BUILDINGBLOCKS, we’re here to help provide professional recommendations based on your needs.
Connect with us today so we can discuss your current needs and provide details on the latest projections for small businesses survival in a post-pandemic world. For immediate assistance, call 281-203-0529.
7 thoughts on “Online Marketing in the New Age of Coronavirus”
Great post.
Hi Justin, thanks for your feedback!
I appreciate your feedback Justin! Just so you know we will be launching a new marketing series called Let’s Build Business very soon. I think you are going to love it!
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Hi Arya, I appreciate your feedback. Let us know if there are any other marketing topics of interest and we will work them into our editorial calendar. Take care!
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Interesting article, thanks for the information.