Marketing teams who strive to remain current have often had to be early adopters and pioneers when it comes to technology. With COVID-19, marketing technology implementation has been amplified, and it is no longer an option, but a necessity.
Wondering how the use of technology in marketing has and will be impacted by COVID-19? This article explores how marketing can no longer only promote and sell the features of a product or service.
Savvy marketers will need to apply technology that demonstrates not only the features but further highlights how services or products will genuinely benefit customers. It even goes beyond that, and consumers are looking for something relevant that will impact their lives.
Here are the top three focus areas to apply to your post-COVID-19 marketing efforts.
Strategy Changes
A solid strategy is the core of any marketing plan. Everything in marketing starts with a clear strategy, and this is also the starting point to adapt your post-COVID-19 efforts. Here are a few exploration points to test against your plan to find where you can incorporate or update technology.
Supporting Causes
Many campaigns around the COVID pandemic promoted or supported fundraisers and causes. We found the folks at the Elite Sports Socks present easy ways to raise money or create awareness for purposes. Their strategy considers the way users shop and how they can supply while making a difference.
How have they done this? They have created a one-stop solution where you can design and order custom made socks in a few easy clicks. You also have the option to use it as a fundraiser or to promote a cause.
Consumer Needs and Budgets
Another vital strategy review question to ask is how the needs and habits of your consumer have changed. Consider possible changes in their shopping behavior as well as their budget.
Do you offer delivery of products, or is this a subscription service that will need updated technology as fulfillment?
How are your audiences using technology now, and will they continue to do so into the future? Users of your service and products may have experienced significant changes in their lifestyles or family life and now possibly work from home.
Look into how you can apply technology to make it easier to help your customers in an already stressful time. You may have to incorporate additional support services. Now, maybe the time to update your customer care assists functions in sync with your new way of doing business.
Retention and Loyalty
Embracing technology may not be the only change; you may also have to relook at your core target customer. Did your demographics change with you gaining new customers? How are they finding you?
Relook at the traffic sources your consumers are using to get to you. Can you find new avenues to attract them and see a return on your investments where you are already landing customers?
Are you able to retain new customers post-COVID, and can you win the loyalty back of the ones you may have lost? You may also want to consider asking why they are no longer using your service? Are they overwhelmed, and can you change something to lure them back?
If it is a digital service, is it a case of “subscription fatigue.” Can you make it worth their while for them to remain on your database, without compromising your core service offering?
Check the Touchpoints
Customers may have changed from brick and mortar to online shopping. Have you updated and incorporated technology into your website? Are your customers relying on online searches in their area, and are you easy to ‘find’ online?
If you have already updated your website and social media channels to reflect your service offer, are you tracking results and capturing insights?
Technology applications are the first prize when communicating with your customers. As with any form of change and progress, the best result will be achieved through trial and error. Then you can apply the learnings and move ahead from before COVID to after, with solid best practice guidelines.
Rethink Marketing Operations
Rethinking technology, as part of your marketing team’s operations, should be top of mind.
With people working remotely, you may have to investigate new ways for your team to collaborate. It is imperative to make team communication a breeze. It also helps with accountability and check-ins in the organization.
You may already have video calls set up, but how are you keeping track of all the conversations? Look into some new tools to help your team connect and streamline remote working with an efficient pipeline.
Regardless of your team’s size, technology can help you organize your virtual workspace and collaborate with internal and external role players in your marketing operation process.
Technology and advanced analytics can be applied to every step in your marketing operation. It works in all channels, from conception to implications right through to a campaign review and evaluating the insights.
We also urge you to apply some caution. Consider the trade-offs and maintain a balance between technology solutions, innovation, and consider the scale.
Never completely lose the interpersonal relationships within your teams. In challenging times your personal touch is essential. So don’t just leave your team to their own devices. Keep a few personal touches and make time for one on one interaction to keep your group connected and motivated. Even in the digital age, you should not underestimate the power of a human voice when the going gets tough.
You can set the tone for how your team embraces technology and communicates internally. Then ripple that out externally to amplify your efforts. Don’t wait for a problem to act. Be proactive and anticipate questions and challenges that may arise. Clear direction will lead to definite action plans, and smart preparation avoids panic.
Do a Reality Check
Marketing budgets are often the first to be cut in a time of crisis. This may leave you wondering if it is a case of adapt or die and whether technology can offer a more cost-effective business model.
It is wise to remember that you are not alone in this crisis. Most businesses have had to adapt and embrace some new form of technology to undergo their version of a digital transformation in recent months. We recommend that you remain agile and current. Read and review the latest trend and industry reports in the digital and marketing technology industry.
What is clear is that implementing technology into the post-COVID-19 marketing mix can transform and reshape a business. How marketers cope with this altered way of working due to the COVID crisis could become the new norm. It has become harder to retain customers, and it may very well continue to be the case.
Be realistic about what you can offer as a long term solution after the crisis. Have realistic expectations about the short term wins and windfalls. Do the same with setbacks and keep only the sustainable technology applications for the future.
Check-in with your team and circle back to your strategy and your core values as a business. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ answer. Decide what is essential and what may have only been temporarily required. Look ahead and visualize where you could be in the next five or ten years. Now work towards that goal, applying the lessons you learned during this crisis.
The Time For Change is Now
Technology applied right can hugely benefit your long term return on investment. It comes with a word of warning. Please don’t jump on the bandwagon for the sake of it. On the flip side, don’t ignore the opportunity to make technological adjustments rapidly. You may be left behind if you do not embrace the crisis and technology that works for you.
In conclusion, when your time is right, hit ‘restart’ with what resonates with your unique offering. We wouldn’t want you to become statistics that look back at the COVID crisis as a missed opportunity to take marketing technology to the next level.
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