Since the pandemic began two years ago, businesses have adapted to changing market conditions. A new normal was established to address the larger crisis, affecting both consumers and the marketplace.
Some enterprises maintained their dominance despite the drastic drop in customer numbers. Some businesses failed to keep up and were left at the top of the heap. However, some companies grew despite being subject to strict restrictions due to the health crisis.
The business owners collaborated with their teams to develop new strategies to reach customers. They had to adhere to the most current protocols, lockdowns, and quarantines. These changes were necessary due to the ongoing pandemic threat. As the world adjusts to meet all its needs, they will be the norm.
FACTORS THAT SHAPED MARKETING IN A PANDEMIC ERA
No one could have foreseen the impact of the pandemic on the mass market and the population. Due to the high demand for contactless services, digital marketing was the priority.
Last year, digital marketing accounted for 58% of total marketing budgets, showing a 15.8% growth rate compared to the year before and is forecasted to have a 14.7% increase this year.
Consumers and businesses have moved to digital platforms since the COVID-19 global crisis. This allows them to conduct business through contactless transactions. Search engine marketing, social media marketing, and mobile marketing were the top three investment areas in digital marketing.
Because consumers increasingly rely on their smartphones and other smart devices to find what they need, search engine optimization is being used more. According to research, 68% percent of all online experiences resulted from searches through search engines. As people become more tech-savvy, even seniors can use search engines and other social media platforms to answer their questions. Search engines make it easy to find products and services online by entering just a few words. The results will then be displayed to browse the results and see what they need. It’s no surprise that social media marketing companies in the Philippines are also increasing in number.
Social media is becoming more popular nowadays. Beroe, a procurement intelligence firm, said that Instagram, Youtube, and Twitter had a significant impact on around 40% of consumers’ buying power. In comparison, Facebook user-generated content influenced 25.3% of all purchasing decisions.
Visual content is also more attractive than plain text and more likely to be accessed by consumers. Recent surveys revealed that 68% believed the COVID-19 outbreak had affected online video consumption. A survey found that 96% of respondents had increased their online video consumption.
These surveys and numbers prove that marketing campaigns have changed. Although some businesses still rely on traditional methods, it is unlikely they will withstand the current crisis.
THE FUTURE OF MARKETING BEYOND COVID
While it’s not clear when or where the future will take us, we can be certain that the marketing changes that have resulted will continue in the post-pandemic period.
Businesses should be prepared for any change and remember these things to adapt to future shifts quickly.
- Flexibility is key to your marketing strategy. – the pandemic is one proof of how the global situation may change within just weeks or a few months. The unforeseen spread of the virus and its casualties brought drastic shifts to the current market and the buying behavior of consumers. Enterprises should be flexible from here on to quickly respond to any changes in the near future.
- Pay attention to the behavior of your customers and their changes. – even before the health crisis the world is facing now, consumers’ behavior is already changing, and the pandemic heightened it more. Keeping an eye on your audience and target market will surely keep the business running despite any circumstance.
- Strengthen online presence. – because of the market shift to online platforms, social media presence is highly profitable as consumers now rely on their smart gadgets to find and order anything they need. Being known on social media sites will boost its presence and connection to its audience.
- Utilize social media platforms. – relatively connected to the third number, using social media platforms is a way to strengthen online presence. From using aesthetically pleasing photos to short, entertaining video clips, these posts through social media will welcome audience engagement, resulting in a better connection. This makes one company easier to find whenever a consumer looks up for it.
- Include video marketing in campaigns. – as people are now into visual presentations and like to watch short clips through their phones, video marketing can bring any marketing campaign to another level. Other companies even join or create trends themselves where audiences or consumers hop in and enjoy.
Changes are inevitable, as the old saying goes. The pandemic caused massive changes in business practices. Companies can learn from the pandemic many lessons about adapting to new challenges. Everyone around the world is adapting to the new normal, and companies are moving forward in their marketing plans, including outsource search engine optimization, and many others.
If you want to learn more about marketing in post-pandemic age, you can read this infographic from Digital Marketing Philippines.