The latest pandemic has literally affected our everyday lives. We have adjusted how we work together, our lifestyles, and the way we consume media. In general, user consumption has shot up the roof, greatly impacting our industry. Advertisers, brands, and agencies alike have massively adjusted their digital marketing activities to continue sustaining their businesses. Despite the discomfort COVID-19 has brought, we want to encourage online marketers to see the glass as half full rather than half empty with the current opportunities out there.
The online boom: staying indoors leads to wanting more
Since global social distancing recently took affect these past weeks, many people are naturally inclined to increase their online habits to remain occupied during this time. Thus, consumers have been adjusting in ways to fulfill their needs in terms of shifting a part of their social lives and daily habits to the Internet. Online users generally surf the web, but have since now increased their online presence via social networks, media site consumption, and online shopping. According to surveys by Contentsquare, the number of hours users spend online rose by nearly 22% between the first and second week after the outbreak of the Corona pandemic and recently again by +14%. With that said, online marketers are faced with opportunities to push their advertising messages.
News pages show considerable increase in traffic
News sites, i.e. the websites of various news portals, trade journals, television, and radio stations, have seen the most significant increase in traffic. In the initial period after the recommendation for social distancing was imposed, traffic on news sites increased by 16.8% in many countries and then again by a further 14.2%. This means that advertisers have the chance to still be able to push relevant content out to their target audience in terms of offering helpful products and services to the consumers’ current needs.
The Global Web Index brings a similar assessment, which even assumes a 44% increase in traffic to the news sites. Both surveys are not representative, nevertheless, the current boom in online media cannot be ignored. For you as a marketer, it is time to act and better position your online campaign during this time. Here are 5 tips that you should consider now. Let’s get started.
1. Act fast with captivating content
Our most urgent tip: don’t sleep on the open chances out there to sustain your business. During this time, online traffic continues to increase, and costs on this are low. Maximize and push your messages onto trusted content such as quality news sites and online magazines. Here, you’ll have the potential to further expose your messages and reach your target audience on a large scale.
2. The right message is more important than ever- advertise relevant content
We are experiencing sensitive times, so don’t forget to “think before you speak.” When continuing your digital marketing activities, remember who your audience is, think about what they may be going through during this time, and focus or emphasize on how your product or service will help them solve their current needs. Despite the times, there’s indeed an opportunity to tackle online shoppers.
The Federal Association of E-Commerce and Mail Order Trade reports that gross sales online retail in Germany rose by 11.6% in the last year. Also, online marketplaces pursuing a digital strategy and are offering a lot of products account for 34 billion Euro in revenue, which is equal to 50% of the entire e-commerce revenue. Thus, think about the context of the content you are pushing as well as placing your ads on- strategically plan your marketing message that fits the current time and the current needs of your target group to ensure more positive reception.
3. Adjust your campaign planning- transition your offline budgets to online
With the recent postponing and cancellations of major industry events and conferences, take the chance to adjust your budgets. Furthermore, with less people outdoors and in public, billboard ads, flyers, and posters are other components that may be on hold to avoid wasting budget. Therefore, it makes sense to review your budget planning once again and to invest your offline marketing funds that into more online advertising. Data from PredictHQ shows that the “direct economic loss” from cancelled events worldwide will surpass $500 million– think about what other alternatives that amount of budget could be used on.
4. Think about pushing more mobile content
In order to reach your target group with your campaign, you have to address the right users at the right moment. Think about it, since there’s many more people staying home during this time, chances are that mobile use consumption is also increasing. Users want to stay socially connected and are constantly reading the news. They are also finding ways to entertain themselves and stay in touch with their family and friends. According to eMarketer, there are nearly 1.5 billion smartphone video viewers, therefore, consider this opportunity to push your relevant messages to gain stronger reach.
5. Adjust your online marketing strategy
When it comes to times like this, reflect and think about what’s going on. There’s some verticals that are growing during this pandemic. This can help you indicate what kind of relevant content to put out. For instance, grocery stores and healthcare sites have garnered more traffic with a 7.1% and 11% increase respectively. This means that if your product or service can answer to the current needs of users, i.e. “How can I stay healthy?” gear your marketing message to answering that question. Also avoid potential negative perception by considering to adjust your targeting keywords and contextual content; stay brand safe.
In times of crisis, short-term adjustments of your marketing strategy are crucial. Adjusting will compensate any potential losses in sustaining your business. Don’t forget to utilize powerful marketing tools to help you in your agile campaign planning. We at plista are here for you. Our advertising solutions and quality consultative services are readily available here. Think about what opportunities you use to turn your content into business outcomes.