Digital Marketing shines as the ‘golden nugget’ for businesses during the pandemic
Not being able to communicate with customers face to face due to the pandemic resulted in businesses having to change how they communicate and engage with their audiences. For many, developing a robust digital marketing strategy has been instrumental in building a stronger online presence, particularly when their traditional routes such as networking, face to face sales and exhibitions were all put on hold.
Let’s take a look at why some businesses have done so well, how local businesses are capitalising on opportunities and what to keep in mind when planning for the future.
What’s behind a lockdown business success story?
Some businesses had already capitalised on the plentiful of opportunities online selling and marketing offered them. E-commerce businesses such as Amazon already sell all of their products and services online and benefited from their huge online community, without having to make any changes. Online gaming companies like Microsoft, Nintendo and Twitch are also clear winners as demand for their services significantly increased when people started to spend more time at home.
The businesses that had to make the biggest changes are start-ups and SMEs, where previously utilised face to face sales was their main route to market. For many small ventures, one of the keys to success was to quickly adjust their digital presence according to their prospects' new online habits and to adhere to new restrictions. There’s no denying people have been spending more of their lives online since the beginning of the pandemic, resulting in more opportunities for businesses to capture their attention. Making the most of a bigger online audience, countless local businesses who didn't have an ecommerce platform quickly turned to social media to sell directly to customers and keep their business going through tough times. Many other local businesses have tapped into digital marketing to keep the show on the road.
What does adapting successfully look like for local businesses?
A good example of a company who pivoted quickly at the start of the pandemic is Printclan, a screen printing studio in Glasgow. Central to their offering was providing a hands-on screen printing workshop package in their Glasgow studio, where individuals could learn about the intricate skills of screen printing in a face to face environment. They quickly realised in March 2020 that they needed to move their services to an online offering to maintain customer engagement communicate effectively with customers and keep the business afloat. Through a Just Enterprise project, delivered by CEIS, Taylor Communications was appointed to support the business to develop a digital marketing strategy to help shape and promote their new online offering - Print from Home.
Arianna Mele, co-founder of Print Clan said, “We engaged with Anna-Marie through a Just Enterprise funded project delivered by CEIS. At the start of the process, we knew we had to make some huge instrumental changes to keep the business afloat, as we wouldn't be able to offer face to face workshops and training. Anna-Marie helped us explore the possibilities of virtual workshops and packages for customers to create elements of screen printing from the comfort of their own home and on the back of this, she helped create a digital marketing strategy to promote these to new and existing customers.
Following her guidance we now have a very successful Print from Home package, funded by The National Lottery, which has been really well received. Our website is completely refreshed and we are now very active on our social media and digital marketing channels. The help Anna-Marie provided has meant we have been able to offer an alternative solution during the #Covid19 pandemic which we will continue to deliver post-lockdown."
Another great example of a business that has embraced change is Glasgow Life, a charity that promotes culture, sport and learning in the city. Previously promoting fitness classes in gyms around the city, they made a quick U-turn to offer online classes through their Glasgow Club digital membership. To keep their audiences engaged and build a sense of connection, they have been sharing videos of short workouts and friendly messages from the instructors on the Glasgow Club Facebook page.
For both businesses, the changes implemented are a win-win. It keeps them trading and provides valuable services to customers. One of the instrumental features of successful adaption was to recognize the need for change early on. This gave businesses such as PrintClan and Glasgow Life much more time to develop their offering, their digital marketing strategy and online presence. But as we’re all facing constant changes and new periods of lockdown, it’s never too late to adapt and learn from the successes of the businesses that have already done this.
How should businesses approach digital marketing going forward?
Businesses that have taken a strategic approach to increasing their digital marketing during the pandemic have developed novel ways to build relationships with their audiences. They’ve woken-up to the power of digital marketing and started to reap some of its rewards: better brand loyalty and healthy surges in sales. Organisations who are relying less on face to face sales and events are also building all important resilience and inclusivity into their business models.
For businesses of all sizes across the UK to keep competing, it’s crucial they embrace the digital marketing lessons 2020 has taught them, and keep the good practices going beyond the pandemic. Businesses that don’t develop their online presence in a strategic manner are at risk of losing customers, stalling their growth and wasting time and money.
If developing a strategic online presence feels daunting, here are a few questions to ponder before diving in:
Who will deliver the strategy
What budget should be set aside
What marketing channels to choose and why
How to create content and assets
If you would like some support to build a strong digital marketing strategy so you can better engage with your audience and stay competitive, get in touch at annamarie@taylorcommunications.co.uk