Let’s face it.. everything has changed since the coronavirus 2019 AKA COVID-19 struck the world. This pandemic has been forcing people to adapt to the so-called “New Normal” and deal with things the different way, especially when doing business.
It has been almost a year yet we are still suffering from the global effect of the pandemic. Since then, the situation has changed drastically. It is no secret the COVID-19 has shifted our way of living in a drastic fashion.
Everything has come to a halt. Not just a person, a business, a state, a country, but the whole world is suffering. People are losing their jobs as businesses are going down. Thus, financial crises arise for both people and businesses.
The Struggles of Small Businesses During This Pandemic
COVID-19 brought a huge negative impact to small businesses. It affected them so hard and took away every growth opportunity that could take them on higher levels. Business plans have changed and strategies were altered which frustrates many business owners.
In order to adapt to the New Normal, both big businesses and small business owners needed to plan new marketing strategies. Not only for their business to survive, but also to take their business at a higher level.
Running a small business especially during this time of pandemic is truly as stressful as building a store in the middle of a dessert. The ways of doing things have changed and that includes how business owners go about marketing. Therefore, many business owners have given up, especially those who were not aware of innovative ways to promote or market their business.
Little did they know, there’s still a silver lining and a ray of hope for those who are willing to take risks and keep on moving forward.
People always seek convenience. Therefore, as technology evolves, people move towards convenient platforms – digital platforms, in which online marketing plays a crucial role for businesses. These platforms can be used as a leverage for small businesses to showcase their products and services and acquire returning customers.
Marketing Strategy During Pandemic
Every business, big or small, faces various challenges on their everyday routine. This is why business owners formulate strategies to overcome such difficulties effectively. There are several strategies business owners can invest on during this time of pandemic, and one of those strategies involves online marketing.
Online marketing, also known as Digital Marketing is now giving businesses new opportunities to sail once again. It is making them ready to enter the ocean of endless possibilities that they never expected.
Investing in Digital Marketing
Most business owners have second thoughts when it comes to investing in new marketing plans (especially in digital marketing campaigns) in this post-covid world. Some have tried but failed, and some just don’t know how or where to start due to lack of knowledge when developing an online marketing strategy.
It is a common challenge for many businesses, as they are still adapting to this new norm where digital and mobile channels play a vital role in acquiring and retaining customers. They still don’t have an integrated plan to grow and engage their audiences effectively.
Why Businesses Need Digital Marketing in This Post-pandemic World
Do not miss a single opportunity to grow your businesses, whether it is small or big. Below are some factors why businesses should invest in digital marketing in this time of pandemic.
- More people are now looking for products and services online
This means you can have a wider customer reach. Online platforms are almost limitless and during a pandemic, having your business positioned on these platforms and its vast audience can make a huge difference.
- You can reach more targeted customers
Although traditional marketing is still effective to some extent, it does not guarantee that your products and services are reaching your target market especially during a pandemic. Digital marketing is not only affordable compared to traditional marketing, it also offers audience targeting features where you can maximize your reach in a limited budget.
- You can take advantage of social media platforms
Not all businesses are aware of the benefits of social media marketing. In fact, 50% of small businesses aren’t using social media to promote their business. Social Media can make you grow your brand awareness. Use this to spread the word about your products and mission, as well as to promote your products and services.
- Your competitors may be doing it
Not to copy their marketing strategy but to establish your own brand. The reason why your competitors invest in digital marketing is because it works for them. If it works for them, it’ll work for you as well. Having an effective digital marketing strategy is crucial to outrank your competitors. With this being said, it is necessary to learn from your competitors. Analyse their strategy and come up with a marketing approach where you can showcase your products and services way better than your competitors.
Now, some business owners or even you might say that you already know this stuff and in fact, you are running a digital marketing campaign right now, at this very moment. But here’s the million-dollar question:
Are you getting the most out of your online marketing efforts during this pandemic? Are you struggling to see a return on your invested money and time in this time of uncertainty?
To answer these questions, we’ve compiled below some of the most common reasons why business owners are afraid or even fail when investing in an online marketing campaign during this pandemic.
- Lack of online marketing knowledge
Showcasing your products and services online during this pandemic requires both strategy and creativity. This transition may seem overwhelming for some business owners that is why they fail in their marketing campaign. Not having a general knowledge of basic business terms, or not knowing how to transition their business online might be their downfall.
- Don’t know how to set online marketing goals
Businesses fail because they do not have or do not know how to set marketing goals and expectations. Yes, you may have that vague goal of “make money by selling my products online”, but you should have some very specific goals beyond that especially during this time.
For example, using our home-made burger business example, these might be some realistic goals:
- Make $3,000 a month from online orders
- Sell 2000 burgers per month
- Reach a 25% conversion rate by the end of the year
- Heavy competition
Sometimes, the answer to the question of “why do online businesses fail?” is very simple: too much competition. Especially this time of pandemic, owners find their business difficult to differentiate and compete against their competitors.
- Weak social media presence
Establishing a strong social media presence takes a lot of time, effort, and patience which many business owners cannot afford to do as they are busy managing their physical business. This is why some owners exclude social media promotions as part of their marketing plan.
- No original or helpful content and materials
Customers are relying on content – not products or services – to determine whether or not a business is worth their attention and investment. Small business owners tend to ignore the quality, freshness, and originality of the content and materials they use in their online marketing campaign. As a result, potential customers find their products and services as a copycat and untrustworthy.
Digital Marketing gives off many opportunities and benefits in business, it is not just only profit but revenue that will last as long as digital marketing strategies are being carried. Unlike traditional marketing that uses print ads, phone communication and physical marketing. Digital Marketing can occur online and electronically, that can easily reach customers including email, video and search engines.
I can say that Digital Marketing is vital, especially in this post-pandemic period. At this stage, digital marketing is crucial for your business and brand awareness. It seems like every other brand has a website. And if they don’t, they at least have a social media presence or digital ad strategy. Digital content and marketing is so common that consumers now expect and rely on it as a way to learn about brands.
Long story short, to be competitive as a business owner, you’ll need to embrace some aspects of digital marketing. Because digital marketing has so many options and strategies associated with it, you can get creative and experiment with a variety of marketing tactics on a budget.
Perhaps you’ve been thinking about reasons to hire a digital marketing agency. We’re here to provide you with the details on digital agencies that you’re looking for!
Reasons to Hire a Digital Marketing Agency
A digital marketing agency will make sure your previous efforts were worthwhile.
When hiring a digital marketing agency, it’s common to do so with the expectation that they will come up with new ideas and be able to execute those ideas. While this is certainly a reasonable expectation, many hiring managers don’t think about what an agency will be able to do for them in terms of existing strategies and content.
If you are in doubt or unfamiliar hiring a Digital Marketing Agency, here are some overview of reason for you to hire:
- You can focus on running your Business
- You cut down the Overall Costs.
- Work with Experts
- Stay Relevant to your Industry
- You can get New Ideas
- Accommodates your needs and offers New Plans
- They Offer Measurable Results
- They have the Tools
- They know how to run Ads Effectively
- They will spread your Brands message across different Platforms
Check out our Blog: Reasons to Hire a Full Digital Marketing Agency in this Time of Pandemic! To know more why these reasons will exceptionally benefit your business.
As you can see, one of the best reasons to keep digital marketing throughout the crisis is to take over where your competitors have given up. As Neil Patel points out in his blog on marketing through the Coronavirus pandemic, notes that there is often less competition during an economic downturn. Businesses can take advantage of this to achieve faster results in terms of growth and market share. Take a look at your branding strategy, rework your promotional messaging, or fix technical SEO issues on your website. Play the long game and come out of this stronger than ever.
Here at Arrow Up Media, we’re currently operating 100% remotely to ensure uninterrupted operations while keeping everyone’s safety in mind. Fortunately for us, we’ve had remote working capabilities and a strong internal collaboration infrastructure for years, so it’s been a fairly seamless transition.
Stay safe everyone. Want to learn about how we’re helping our clients find opportunities in times of crisis? Contact us today for a Free Quote Today!
