Marketing in the Age of COVID-19: Lessons from 2020

For people all over the globe, 2020 will stay remember as a tough year. The COVID 19 pandemic took a tow not only on our health but on so many other aspects of our lives. Businesses from almost every industry are feeling the negative effects of the pandemic and are still trying to decide how to get back on their feet. Marketers are feeling no different.

When it comes to marketing, COVID 19 brought changes. This means that marketers need to reevaluate their strategies and analyze the pros and cons of the situation. This article breaks down both the positive and negative effects of the COVID 19 pandemic and explains what it brought to marketers in 2020.

Let’s break it down together. 

1.     Target Audience Behavior

Every marketer starts building a marketing strategy by analyzing the target audience. They learn about their habits, online behavior, preferences, and taste.

But, with the outbreak of the pandemic, everyone’s habits and behavior had to be changed.

That means that your target audience changed as well.

Here’s what marketers need to reconsider about their target audience:

• Time of day they’re most active online
• People who aren’t allowed to leave home
• People on temporary leave
• People who lost their jobs
• Less traveling and commuting

People are no longer practicing the same daily routines and marketers need to act on it. Reassessing the patterns they’ve previously followed is a must, and they can’t simply continue as if nothing’s happening.

2.     Fear of Economic Crisis

People are aware that the COVID 19 pandemic made the entire world stop for more than a month. This influenced the world economy and people are afraid of what’s coming next.

This is why so many people are thinking twice before they spend every single dollar that they have.

For marketers, it sets a new challenge. They need to provide the answers to questions such as:

• Why should I spend money on this product now?
• Is this essential for me?
• Are you offering a discount or a special offer during the crisis?

People definitely need the extra push to continue buying from any business that doesn’t sell food, water, or health-related products.

 For marketers, this means a change of approach and a shift in the message they’re sending.

3.     Safety

On top of being worried about their financial situation, consumers are also worried about their safety. The World Health Organization recommends:

• Staying home
• Minimizing contacts with other people
• Keeping a distance

This means that marketers need to put focus on safety and let people know they care about their well-being. Customers need to know:

• Is your home delivery system safe?
• Are you doing everything you can to keep your stores clean and disinfected?
• Is it safe for me and my family to interact with you?

Addressing the issue of safety is key in the days of the pandemic and marketers should invest their efforts into making this clear and emphasis the safety precautions businesses are taking.

4.     Change in Search Queries 
Another major change that marketers all over the globe need to take into account is the change in search queries.

People are changing their scope of interest due to the pandemic and are spending more time online searching for health-related topics.

Marketers need to react to this since it is affecting their ranking, SEO, organic traffic, and engagement.

So, for example, if a business is selling gardening equipment and supplies, the topics on their blog could change to:

• How is gardening improving your immunity?
• What healthy herbs do you need in your garden?

“Marketers need to respond to the shift in focus and search queries that are happening due to the pandemic. In each industry, there’s a way to respond to this change and give people more of the information they seek,” says Diana Adjadj, a digital marketing expert and writer at TopEssayWriting.

5.     Losing & Finding Clients

The COVID 19 pandemic has unfortunately caused many businesses to shut down, either temporarily or for good.

For marketers, this brings in a whole new problem:

• Losing clients
• Finding it hard to seal new deals
• Reinventing their offer

For instance, if a marketer has been strictly doing business within the travel industry, now is a time to reinvent their offer and switch to something else. Otherwise, they’ll start struggling to survive as well.

6.     More Social Media

Since so many people are staying home and have extra time on their hands, there has been a significant increase in using social media.

Marketers need to use this opportunity and sort out their priorities when it comes to the platforms they’re using.

Now more than ever, social media can help marketers:

• Raise brand awareness
• Get new customers
• Work on customer retention
• Communicate with customers
• Gather feedback and useful data

Social media marketing is getting stronger during the pandemic and marketers need to make the best out of that situation.

7.     Training & Education

The pandemic is allowing marketers to get more people on board with their business.

With the unemployment rate going up and so much free time to spare, people are looking for ways to improve their skills and knowledge.

This is why now is the right time for marketers to offer:

• Online courses
• Training
• Educational webinars

People will be more open to giving it a try and you’ll have the chance to win them over for good.

8.     Working Remotely

Just like people from all the other industries, marketers are facing the challenge of working remotely. For those who are used to working in an office, surrounded by people, it could be a challenge.

Therefore, marketers need to work through this new situation and overcome:

• The feeling of isolation
• Lack of inspiration
• No one to brainstorm with
• No one to ask for advice
• Lack of communication

Luckily, collaboration tools and conference call apps are there to help marketers stay in touch with their colleagues and stay connected to their professional side.

Final Thoughts

The world of marketing is going through a period of changes and adjustments. COVID 19 pandemic shook us all, but with the right insight, we’re able to overcome the unexpected situations that have happened.

Some changes bring negative effects while others bring positive. For marketers, it’s all about reassessment and adaptation to those alterations.

About the Author: Kristin Savage nourishes, sparks and empowers using the magic of a word. Along with pursuing her degree in Creative Writing, Kristin was gaining experience in the publishing industry, with expertise in marketing strategy for publishers and authors. Now she works as a freelance writer at WriteScout, and Studyker, Kristin also does some editing work at ClassyEssay and Subjecto.