How Your Marketing Strategy May Change Post Pandemic

February 4, 2021

The events of the past 11 months have had a profound impact on businesses across all industries. 

COVID-19 has completely altered our way of life, from the way we shop to how we market our businesses. We’ve had to adapt, diversify and react quickly to rapidly changing circumstances, but it’s likely that some of the adjustments made are here to stay for the long term as we become accustomed to a more convenient and accessible way to get the things we need.

In this post, we discuss the ways your marketing strategy may change post pandemic. 

A virtual-first approach to sales

For businesses specialising in products or services that require in-person demos, the way you manage your sales strategy will no doubt have changed over the past year. 

With pretty much everything moving to a digital format, many retailers have made the transition from face-to-face sales meetings to online ones, plus helpful website integrations such as live chat software, video content and virtual product demos. 

As consumers adjust to a new (and perhaps more convenient) way of purchasing, it’s likely that you won’t be leaving these digital additions to your sales funnel behind once COVID-19 becomes a thing of the past. It’s probably a good idea to give consumers options based on their personal preferences when it comes to receiving product demos and having meetings with your staff. 

A more streamlined tech stack

Many businesses will have had to look at their current tech stack during the pandemic, to ensure that the transition from office-based to remote working runs as smoothly as possible. The last thing any business needs during a period of transition is too many tools that don’t really get the job done. These tools must integrate with your platform seamlessly – this will be easier for Shopify users with access to thousands of third party apps.

Different messaging & tone

It’s likely we’ll still be dealing with the effects of the pandemic long after it ends. It’s been scary, frustrating and has presented various challenges to so many people. 

Brands will have to factor customers’ feelings into their messaging to some degree, leading with empathy and being careful not to promote themselves in an overtly opportunistic way. Your messaging may well reflect this for some time to come – you may even change your approach for good.

Content should add value. This is by no means a new concept – but will be at the forefront of content strategies from here on out. It’s important to take a human approach, be transparent and think about your customers’ needs in relation to what’s happening in the world. 

It’s worth bearing in mind that consumers are bound to be more conservative in regards to their spending as the job climate begins to recover, which should influence the way you approach content and the topics you decide to explore. 

SEO will be the priority

With more people browsing the web than ever before, businesses may need to shift their efforts towards SEO and make this channel their main priority. An SEO strategy that incorporates both fresh and evergreen content that brings value to your customers will help to ensure your website is ranking for your target keywords.

In the past, SEO has often been placed on the backburner. But the pandemic has seen huge increases in search volume around terms such as “home delivery” and “takeout food”, according to Google. People flocked online to purchase the items they would normally go out to buy. Search trends around hobbies also reached an all time high in 2020, with a 48% increase in searches for homeware resulting predominantly from people looking for garden and DIY products, according to Pi Datametrics. 

Because of this shift in consumer behaviour, brands who did not previously adopt a robust SEO strategy found themselves left behind – but now it’s time for SEO to take its place at the forefront of your marketing efforts. 

Greater focus on custom retention

The effects of COVID-19 on the economy will likely be felt for a long time. This means there must be a focus on the long-term in order to remain profitable going forward. Whilst you still need to acquire new customers, you also need to keep them coming back further down the line. Email marketing will therefore be worth some investment, as you can utilise this channel to encourage customer loyalty with discounts and other perks, as well as reach customers directly with new product launches and content relevant to their interests.  

Need help managing your brand’s digital marketing strategy? From content marketing to PPC management, we pride ourselves on delivering measurable results – get in touch to find out more.