As we gradually make our way into a post-pandemic landscape, we can finally start moving away from the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity that have dominated during the pandemic and start building viable medium and long-term digital marketing strategies again. Here are some proactive pointers to help you adapt your digital marketing strategy to accommodate a post-lockdown future today.
Coronavirus lockdowns have created a unique marketing conundrum for a vast swath of industries: how to market your brand when your business has been closed down or restricted during lockdown measures without actually contradicting the lockdown measures?
Now, as lockdown measures begin to lift, digital marketers are faced with a whole new can of worms, but the formula remains the same. In these uncertain times, you need to have the type of flexible, adaptable digital marketing strategy ready to rise above uncertainty.
Here are some takeaway points to keep in mind:
1. Get Proactive
If 2020 was the year of reactive marketing, 2021 is the year to take the bull by the horns. As restrictions ease, businesses can finally drop any last-ditch short-term growth strategies in favour of more reliable medium and long-term growth initiatives.
People want to know what you are doing to create a sustainable business model for the future, so take this opportunity to show them you are ready to adapt.
2. Prepare to Adopt a Flexible Approach to Global Marketing
With different restrictions in place in other parts of the world, an ill-conceived global marketing strategy could easily hit the wrong note in regions where lockdown measures ease at a slower pace.
Your global marketing team needs to be ready to adjust its strategy according to daily changes in the worldwide marketplace. This means having the ability to pause or accelerate campaigns according to the regional variations in lockdown restrictions that are in place on any given day.
3. Let Your Small Shop Spirit Shine
‘Shop small’ was trending over the winter months, and rather than a passing phase, think of it as a harbinger of times to come.
People have rallied behind the plight of small, local-based businesses throughout global lockdown periods. If you fall into this category, now is the time to seize the opportunity to drive lasting long-term change in consumer shopping habits. Regional and geographic targeted ad campaigns are your friends here, as are powerful, emotional messaging slogans and strong call-to-actions. By tailoring your social media and Google Adwords marketing strategies to account for and cater to regional, geographic, and cultural differences you can rest assured you are always getting the right message across.
4. Diversify Your Offerings
Necessity breeds invention, forcing many industries to get creative and expand their offerings during the pandemic. For example, many B2B businesses have adapted their services to cut out the middleman and offer direct-to-consumer services. This is mostly a good thing, and if you have diversified your business model to open up new revenue streams, there is no point in moving backward. You just want to be sure that you upgrade your digital marketing strategy accordingly.
Targeted marketing is critical here. Your strategy needs to attract those who can benefit from your new services without alienating your long-term base. You need to have a strong vision that will allow for different messages across various channels, all of which should be continuously coordinated and managed. Remember to keep the big picture in mind. By improving your overall User and Customer Experience of your webpages, you will naturally speak to a wider, more diverse audience.
5. Cater to Your Local Audience
Click-and-collect systems are convenient, so why not keep them in place? Even as people start to venture out of the home more frequently, many will still enjoy the easy-accessibility and predictability offered up by the click-and-collect shopping options.
In the same vein, anybody who uses Google Shopping will want to make sure that their local inventory ads are activated. This will let your clients know what is in stock in their local store, and they start heading out and about while still relying more than pre-pandemic times on online services. As people start to get out and about again, they will likewise be turning into their mobile search bars more often.
If you have made cuts to your mobile search campaigns, it is time to start allocating more resources in that direction again.
The Takeaway
If there is one thing to take away from this all, it is that as we slowly start to phase out of lockdown, we can expect that some of the changes that took place during this challenging time are here to stay. The more proactive and flexible your digital marketing strategy, the more you can hope to seamlessly transition your business model into a post-pandemic future.
At Climbing Trees, we prioritise the type of value-driven marketing practices that will propel your online marketing strategy forward. Of course, we also believe in practising what we preach. We are currently obtaining our B Corp Certification, highlighting our commitment to sustainable business practices that contribute to the greater good of society as a whole. If you are ready to build a digital marketing strategy that will drive proactive growth in uncertain times, you have come to the right place. Let’s start working together to create a better future today.