Digital Marketing Tips and Trends in times of COVID

A worldwide virus that puts a hold on everything isn’t ideal, obviously. But the one thing our generation has access to, even in a global pandemic, that previous generations didn’t have is the internet and its technology. Though it is by no means a magic fix-all solution, there are solutions the internet offers that—when leveraged properly—can increase your digital marketing’s response rate, increase your ROI, and lift your sales performance in such times of market uncertainty. And who doesn’t want that?! We’ve got some digital marketing tips and tricks that will allow you to connect with your customer base in new, meaningful ways as we all try to understand what the new reality of life and commerce will look like.

Interactive Content

Utilizing interactive content can provide so many benefits to your audience. It can inform and entertain them, all while giving them a nearly real-life tour of the product they are interested in—especially if you’re utilizing technology like 360-degree video. Columbia Sportswear, for example, worked with Google ads to create the 360-degree video below that allows the user to control the perspective of the video and experience the content to a fuller extent—almost as if they were there! They also created a standard version of the ad with the end goal being concrete proof of which unit would outperform the other, the 360 unit or the standard ad. At the end of the test period, the 360 unit drove 41% more earned actions than the standard ad and created more engagement with Columbia’s YouTube channel than the standard ad. The 360-degree video also had a 46 percent higher view count at the end of the experiment!

Stats: According to OutGrow, 88% of marketers feel that their interactive content is what sets them apart from their competitors and 93% said that interactive content has been an effective consumer education tool.

Augmented Reality (AR)

You’re probably a pro at AR and you might not even know it! AR is a technology that layers a computer-generated image on top of the real-world view of the user. This is most common through phone cameras in apps like Pokémon Go and ever-popular Snapchat filters. AR can be adapted to nearly every sector from fashion to automobiles to cosmetics, so there’s a good chance it will work for your brand! Ikea created an app that allows users to test their products in real-time through ARKit technology. The programming features realistically-rendered, true-to-scale 3D products that the user can virtually test in their space to see if they like the furniture or fixture—before even stepping foot into an Ikea store!

Stats: The Digital Marketing Institute reports that 61% of shoppers prefer augmented reality experiences and 41 % of shoppers would pay more for an item if they could first experience it in AR.

Voice Search and SEO

It’s no secret that algorithms across the internet are constantly changing and updating, and this includes SEO algorithms. With the addition of voice searches, SEO algorithms are likely to change to reflect the prevalence of voice searches—which make up nearly 50% of online searches according to comScore! Understanding and expanding your SEO tactics and terms are crucial when aiming to find favour with both onscreen Google searches and voice searches.

Stats: 2020 has seen about 30% of all searches done without a screen, according to Gartner. OC&C Strategy Consultants predicts voice commerce market size to reach $55.68 USD by 2026 as 22% of US smart speaker owners have made purchases from their devices this year. Need some inspiration? Take a look at what Purina has done to reach dog lovers looking for educational information!

Shoppable Socials

Combining the best of social media and e-commerce, Instagram has created a way for brands to promote their products directly in their curated feeds—which are fed directly to their target audience. Shoppable posts allow for greater interaction with your audience and leverage your brand’s storytelling ability to create sales right from your feed! Instagram has also become somewhat of a search engine for various communities and consumer interests which increases the rate of discovery in audiences and segments that may not be directly connected to your brand. Thanks to the way Instagram’s core functionality is set up, it’s easier than ever to show your audience exactly what they’re looking for, with even fewer barriers than shopping in a physical retail location.
(Needing something special? We can help out with your social media content, too!)

Stats: According to Hootsuite, 75% of Instagram users take action after seeing an advertising post. It’s also been reported that 1 billion people use Instagram every month, with 500 million people using the Stories function daily alone.

COVID has drastically altered every facet of how we live and work. But utilizing these digital marketing tips, and maybe a few tweaks to your marketing plan and media placements, you can lead your brand and clients fearlessly through the turmoil and into the next frontier of marketing.

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