2020 was a year like no other, and we can’t currently be confident about what 2021 holds in store.
But one thing we do know is that the Covid-19 pandemic has been a catalyst for change in many areas, including digital marketing. Some of these changes were already beginning to happen, or would probably have happened at some stage. But Covid-19 has been instrumental in accelerating the pace of change.
Let’s take a look at five of these changes. We will also give you one recommendation from each. A key takeaway that you can start working on now to ensure that your digital marketing strategy keeps up with the sea changes taking place.
Virtual live events are here to stay
The Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions led to many people being home for most of the time. Gradually the rest of life had to catch up with that, meaning that more and more communication, activities, and events were brought online.
This growth of virtuality impacts both business strategy and digital marketing:
Strategically, whilst many virtual events started out of necessity, they are likely to become a permanent part of the way business is done from now on. Whether your business began hosting speakers, classes, live music, demonstrations or virtual consultations, you are likely to want to keep these going even when you are able to recommence operating face to face again.
There are various reasons for this. Many companies have found that by going virtual, their events become much more accessible and are therefore able to attract an entirely new audience. Virtual events also remove many potential attendance barriers to consumers such as high costs, travel logistics, and time away from work or home.
For many businesses, this has resulted in advantages such as higher attendance, more interaction and overall a higher ROI. They are also finding that live-streamed events have the additional bonus of being able to generate and facilitate communication from and between attendees.
Some businesses are also harnessing the power of online video and live streaming as part of their digital marketing strategy. People are increasingly turning to online video for both information and entertainment. Even before the pandemic, it was predicted that by 2022 over 80% of consumer Internet traffic will be online video.
Live streaming can be used to engage consumers at various stages of the digital marketing process. For example, Samsung’s August Unpacked event was live streamed, and also featured giant augmented reality versions of its devices. Meanwhile, Roger Federer, in partnership with Swiss shoe brand On, launched a brand new tennis shoe – The Roger – during a live streamed event.
Recommendation: Irrespective of Covid restrictions and social distancing, why not plan either an online event or online product launch later this year, either as well as or instead of the way you would normally do this?
Social commerce
Another key aspect of digital marketing is the evolving use of social media. There are so many channels available that many companies are now starting to refine their social media use to focus on doing fewer channels better rather than have a scattergun approach that tries to be represented everywhere.
For the social media channels that you do continue to use, take every opportunity to engage and interact with followers, and offer them a complete path to purchase. Most major social media platforms now support ecommerce. You need to make it possible for consumers to make a seamless journey from brand discovery to purchase, all within the one platform.
Also be aware of the growth of AR and its potential for enriching digital engagement. Many businesses have already successfully incorporated AR into the customer experience, for example Asos Virtual Catwalk, Ikea Place, and Sephora Virtual Artist. Now that Facebook owns the VR headset manufacturer Oculus, it is seemingly inevitable that AR will become a key aspect of effective digital engagement.
Recommendation: Select the two or three most relevant social media channels for your business to focus on, and ensure that you have end to end ecommerce capability set up on each of these.
Personal commerce
One of the trickiest issues facing digital marketers today is achieving that fine balance between personalising your marketing to each customer and, at the same time, making sure you protect their privacy. This applies across the board, whether your focus is digital marketing for finance businesses, retail, or other consumer services.
One the one hand buyers want to buy from brands that understand both their persona and their purchase history. If brands are collecting first-party shopper data, those shoppers will begin to expect brands to guide their future purchase decisions by telling them what they want, and when they want it.
On the other hand, consumers also want to be able to trust a brand. They expect their personal data to be treated with respect, and want to know how it is being used. With the phasing out of third party cookies, you will need to develop more innovative ways of online measurement that enable you to know your customer but also make sure that their privacy is paramount.
Recommendation: Invest in first-party shopper data and also ensure that you are respecting consumer’s choices by careful consent-gathering, tagging and safe storage of personal data.
Ethics and sustainability
There is a growing trend for consumers to shop more mindfully. Ethics matter, sustainability matters, and consumers may choose not to buy from brands that don’t meet their expectations.
Some of the issues that are key to consumers in 2021 are:
- Equality;
- Diversity;
- Sustainable goods;
- Sustainable packaging;
- Environmental impact.
These issues should not just be a key part of your business strategy but also influence the way you approach your campaigns.
Recommendation: Be transparent and outspoken about the ethical and sustainable steps you are already taking, and how you plan to grow these over the coming months and years.
The growing significance of apps
By August 2020 over 1.6 trillion hours had already been spent globally that year on our phones. This usage included increased usage in areas such as food delivery, games, online learning, entertainment, and shopping.
Underpinning much of this increased usage are apps. The mobile world is changing and it is becoming increasingly important for businesses to capture this new growth opportunity by developing apps if they do not already have them.
Even the act of downloading an app demonstrates a decisive level of commitment to a brand. And once a customer has an app, they tend to become a more loyal customer. Typically, an app user will spend three times more with a retailer than a non-app using mobile customer.
Recommendation: Invest in apps. If your business doesn’t have one, then develop one. If it does, then review its effectiveness and upgrade as needed.
We do not have a crystal ball and cannot predict what further changes 2021 may bring. But if your business can begin to incorporate some of the above recommendations into its digital marketing strategy, you will be in step with the current changes and moving your business forward in the right direction for the new normal.