Opinion: Emerging trends in digital marketing post Covid-19

Have you also felt the brunt of the irreversible damage done by this vicious pandemic? Covid-19 has not just killed people but has caused massive destruction in the way our life functions.

 

However, digital media has evolved exponentially in these critical times. We can now seamlessly do anything and everything with the help of technology. The pandemic has helped us optimize it’s use in a better way. From connecting with our loved ones to shopping for essentials, life even though we are locked away in our houses has become easier. 

 

Businesses now more than ever are inclined towards digital media to reach out to their audience and connect with them. Businesses haven’t changed but the way of doing it has definitely changed a lot. Brands have now realised the importance of digital media and its efficiency to help them penetrate through the market. Earlier, everyone was inclined towards the traditional ways of marketing but gone are the days when you will witness brands investing heavily in a billboard sign. Instead, they are now wisely investing their money on social media advertisements. 

 

However, we have managed to come around with these new emerging trends in the digital marketing industry. Following are the top emerging trends in digital marketing post Covid-19.

 

Outsourcing the key: In today’s situation outsourcing of digital marketing jobs have become an emerging tool for several companies across the globe. Huge layoffs by companies across the globe, pay-cuts and the work from home (WFH) options have given rise to several domestic and multinational companies outsourcing their digital tasks. With the growing needs for digital marketing services, customers have moved their eye-balls to advanced digital devices to get their work done within no time.   

 

Increasing use of multi-channels for marketing: These are the most sought-after tools in the digital marketing industry in the current scenario. Omnichannel marketing is the practice of marketing across multiple platforms, including social media, apps, website blogs and use of SEO/SEM for increasing the traffic on the designated digital space. Organizations are opting for paid media promotion where in you bid for the top spot for your desired audience and basis Google’s calculation you get ranked on the top. This has become the easiest and the quickest way to position yourself in front of your audience. Similarly, Search Engine Optimization or SEO is ensuring that the brand gets positioned rightly amongst your target audience in order to nudge them to browse through it. This approach enables businesses to connect with the customers on more digital touchpoints, effectively offering a better user experience. 

 

Content is the king today: The internet is filled with content. Without which the entire electronic media is one hollow space. Content is a crucial part of digital marketing and there are ways of presenting certain ideas to your audience. It has to have the hook, the purpose and the call of action in order to successfully convert it into sales at the end. A good piece of content will keep you engaged and nudge you into purchasing the service or product offered. The right choice of words, images, references, are very important in content marketing as it can make or break a campaign. Today, there is a lot of space for interactive content wherein people can click on, swipe, or interact online. By delivering a seamless, consistent voice and cohesive brand message across all channels, you can generate much better results.  

 

Artificial Intelligence/Augmented Reality: With the availability of huge amount of data and the growing needs of the audience, the seed of artificial intelligence in marketing has sprouted and shall grow exponentially. This will help the brands to conduct competitor analysis, understand customer sentiments, help with product positioning and will help in enhancing customer experience on a whole new level. AI in marketing is the next step forward and sooner brands will tap on its potential, the better for them as it will help them gain first mover’s advantage. Augmented reality on the other hand will help customers experience their products without having to go to the store. Augmented reality and video content offer people more immersive and engaging experience. Recently a telecom company in India launched AR glasses that took the nation by storm. AR is the way forward when it comes to enhanced customer experience. 

 

Return on investment driven marketing: Brands today are crunched for cash and are looking at avenues to market their product/service in the most affordable yet effective way. Gone are the days when brands would spend millions on billboards or newspaper advertisements, hoping that the right people would see it and they will buy their product. Today brands have become more matured. They want to know about every penny being spent and digital marketing is doing just that for them. With the use of Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, etc, now brands know how much money is being spent on which segment, what type of targeting was used, who were being targeted, what has been the result, what is the conversion rate, so on and so forth. It is very transparent now with the help of advanced tools that makes it easier to optimize advertisements and devise a better one.

 

On the whole, the entire digital marketing evolution has just changed the way we do businesses and has changed it for good. Things have now become contactless but the experience has only enhanced, thanks to technology. The pandemic tried to slow things down, but the community has found ways to fight back and have come up with amazing solutions to make our lives easier. 

 

The author is managing partner, Being Digitalz