What Will Digital Marketing Be Like After COVID-19

After more than a year of battling the COVID-19 pandemic, the end is in sight—although it may be quite a while off. While many marketers have been forced to come up with creative solutions in advertising, one question remains: what does it mean for marketing in a post-COVID future?

During the pandemic, we saw an explosion in e-commerce, and therefore in digital marketing. Many businesses scrambled to carve out their space in the online marketplace, relying on the value of many digital marketing strategies, such as PPC, social media marketing, and SEO. As the end of this era draws near, however, it still remains necessary for businesses to try and prepare themselves for life after the pandemic. 

How do I deal with the uncertainty?

One thing business owners need to know is that the world was already trending in this direction even before there was a virus. More and more users were finding themselves online for their needs, from groceries to various services. We also can’t forget that in 2019, the number of internet users around the world grew to 3.5 billion people—over half the global population—and this number is only growing.

The numbers indicate that current practices are already the best practices. Economic instability aside, this was already the eventual path for commerce in general. That makes digital marketing incredibly valuable. Though external circumstances may change, it seems likely that users have gotten used to the convenience of online transactions. 

Certainly, many consumers may find themselves back more often in brick and mortar stores, but the only way to be prepared for outbreaks and other economy-breaking events is to be ready to profit through other avenues. 

Communication is key

One problem that many businesses faced during the pandemic is having to find their customers all over again—except this time, in the digital space. After all, many small businesses rely entirely on customers and clients coming to visit their brick-and-mortar establishments. If there appeared no need to keep up an online presence, why should you put the effort into it?

If yours was one of the businesses that managed to survive creating an online presence from scratch, give yourself a pat on the back. Not all were so lucky in 2020. 

Given the growth of the digital space, it is important for you to maintain an online presence. Not only should you have one, but you should make attempts to enrich your communications with your customers. This could mean getting them to follow your social media accounts, incentivising them to subscribe to your newsletter or email list, or even sending them personalised marketing emails. 

Whatever the case may be, it is important to keep yourself fresh in the minds of your customers. That way, they can not only remain informed of your promotions but also of how your operations might change during times of uncertainty. 

As the pandemic comes to an end, communication grows even more important. These emails and pathways of communication could be the key to them finding out that your operations have returned to normal. 

Final thoughts

The events and circumstances of 2020 have made us all sceptical and suspicious of changes. Nevertheless, the change will come, and it is incumbent on small businesses to adapt to this change—to return to whatever kind of normal exists after the pandemic. That means strategising your digital marketing before it is too late. 

If you need help with digital marketing for your business in Edmonton, send us at Rapid Boost Marketing a message. You can schedule a consultation with us about how your business can ready itself for life after COVID-19.