When the world was in lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the internet and social
media were the only ways to stay connected. Businesses were forced to quickly adapt their
strategies overnight, which saw a rise in digital marketing and caused many businesses to go
completely online. With more people working from home and an increase in online
consumers, there has never been a more important time to adopt digital marketing. If your
business hasn’t already gone digital, now is the time.
In recent years, we were already seeing an increase in digital marketing and online business,
but since Covid-19 hit, this escalated rapidly. Naturally, being at home means people are
spending more time than ever on their phones and computers consuming content and
surfing the web. People are beginning to shop online rather than in-store. More events are
being cancelled and held virtually instead. People are seeing fewer billboards and are
instead being exposed to ads while scrolling through social media. These are trends which
we are likely to see continue long after the pandemic.
This change in consumer behaviour means that it is now vital for your business to move
online where your audience is. Businesses can do this by building a social media presence,
running social media or Google ads, building or updating their website, optimizing their SEO
(search engine optimization), email marketing, blogging, and much more. For retail stores
adopting an e-commerce strategy is a great way to combat a decrease in in-store traffic.
There are also numerous benefits of adopting digital marketing over traditional offline
marketing methods (billboards, radio, magazine and newspaper ads, etc). Digital marketing
is low-cost, and results can easily be measured, something which is a lot more difficult to
track offline. Social media is also instantaneous, meaning ads can be edited and budgets can
be adjusted in a matter of seconds. Using multiple online channels also ensures your
business stays at the forefront of your customers minds.
Despite physical social distancing, there are no boundaries online, meaning your business
can find new customers and reach more people much easier than ever before. Having a
social media presence allows your business to stay connected to your audience, which is
especially important during Covid-19. You can engage with your customers instantly, which
can build trust and help maintain long term relationships with your customers past the
pandemic.
Although we are almost two years on from the beginning of the pandemic, it is safe to say
that digital marketing is here to stay. It is important for the survival and growth of your
business in these uncertain times. If your business has not moved online yet or need help
with your digital marketing, talk to the team at Oxygen Media.