If there’s one lesson we will take from 2020, it’s that life is indeed volatile. This hasn’t been a simple year for businesses. The pandemic brought with it tremendous changes in customer behavior, extraordinary government restrictions, and an overall antagonistic economic environment.
If you managed to endure this crisis, pat yourself on the back. You managed to brave what was an unparalleled crisis.
So what’s next?
Marketing after the pandemic
According to Mckinsey, the speed at which businesses have adopted evolving technologies has been sped up by years thanks to the pandemic. More people now shop through ecommerce stores and connect with their friends through video conferencing than ever before.
And surprisingly, this won’t change once the virus is overcome. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed customer behavior forever for a few customers according to a recent survey by UNCTAD. However, there’ll still be those that will return to their previous ways without wasting a second.
Here’s how you’ll steer marketing in such a complex environment:
1. Utilize artificially intelligent writers
Among all the large stories this year, the news of an algorithm unlocking the power to use and comprehend human language nearly got lost. But it’s a huge breakthrough nonetheless and one which will be important in handling the content marketing requirements of 2021.
Wall Street Journal reports that the GPT-3 machine learning model can write memos, articles, and even short stories similar to human writers.
Going forward, AI writing tools would be tons simpler than those available right now. Content marketers would be ready to streamline content and generate quality blog posts within a fraction of the time.
This development might sound a touch scary for writers. But there’s no need to be alarmed. Past AI trends show that algorithms don’t necessarily replace humans but change their jobs to a good degree. The AI-generated content will need some editing and this is often where they are going to be needed.
2. Organize VR-enabled seminars
Life has moved online thanks to the pandemic. Millions are performing from home, doing grocery shopping online and full conferences are being organized virtually.
Most virtual conferences are happening on Zoom with participants speaking from tiny boxes with their bookcases conspicuous within the background. But some organizers have taken things a step further. HTC, the company behind VIVE headsets streamed its ecosystem conference in computer game this year.
The guest speakers dawned custom avatars to share their thoughts. A custom-built virtual location was created only for this conference and over 1,000,000 viewed the tuned-in to observe the extravaganza.
VIVE’s virtual conference was a staggering success and something that ought to inspire marketers to take VR far more seriously. There’ll be thousands of conventional conferences after the pandemic. Computer games are going to be the right tool in helping you stand out.
3. Reinvest in social media
Social media usage jumped significantly during the pandemic. Not only consumers but businesses became more active on social media. this suggests there aren’t just business-to-customers but business-to-business opportunities on these platforms also.
Likewise, brands ought to engage social media influencers who, despite all odds, have survived the lockdowns. These influencers have proven themselves to be extremely resilient. They’re now even more vital to business thanks to the surge in online shopping.
Businesses belonging to different niches can partner with these individuals to get their word out. During a recent survey, 40% of consumers said they purchased an item after an influencer recommended it to them. If you’re someone who hasn’t invested in skillful social media strategists thus far, you would like to reconsider.
4. Gamification galore
As we head towards a replacement year, the cookie-cutter user experience won’t cut it anymore. Customer expectations have increased tremendously and it’s time for you to deliver.
Gamification might be the right answer to those that demand quite just a seamless website experience. It capitalizes on the inherent human love for engaging during a fun activity and being rewarded for it.
Perhaps the most important thing you’ll gain out of gamification is getting your visitors subscribed to the company’s newsletter. A method to try is by placing a fun and interesting quiz on your most visited page and asking the responders to check in before showing the results.
Some brands take their gamification to an entire new level by developing entire apps around their niches. Fitness brands, as an example, create smartphone applications to keep their customers motivated through a series of challenges.
5. Target long-tail and ultra-niche keywords
No matter what percentage technologies you integrate, you’ll always need SEO. There’s simply no digital marketing without it. High-quality content including some old school program optimization would still be critical within the coming year.
In recent months, large corporations have invested heavily in their digital channels as customers are increasingly shopping online. This suggests small businesses, especially, would need to intensify their SEO game and target ultra-niche and long-tail keywords. The content here would wish to be more engaging and inventive than your usual listicles and guides.
So if you’re a startup looking to go big, think beyond the “7 Effective Ways to repair Your Refrigerator” and “Ultimate Guide to Online Shopping”. It’s time to actually probe your niche and find exactly what customers are searching while keeping in mind that you just also need copywriting to sell.
6. Give back to the community
It’s been a troublesome year for nearly everyone. A variety of individuals have lost their jobs thanks to the pandemic, this includes your customers too. Helping your customer in whatever little way you’ll go an extended way in establishing a robust customer-company bond.
You can participate in programs which will assist people to get back on their feet after the pandemic or take an initiative yourself to fund small businesses that have suffered in previous months.
Gestures like these won’t only help those that need a hand but also demonstrate your commitment to the community.
Conclusion
With an efficient post-pandemic strategy, you won’t just get back on target but have a significant advantage over competitors. Build upon the teachings you have learned within the past months and be open for changes which will occur.
It’s hard to exactly predict how customers will behave in 2021. But if past trends are any indication, digitization will continue to be the key going forward. AI and VR will play a much bigger role in marketing but conventional approaches will have their worth too. Keep your focus on how customer priorities shape once the pandemic is over. At the end of the day, it’s all about them and what they assume from your brand.
