The spread of the novel Coronavirus has changed the way we live, shop, and do businesses forever. As businesses are moving more and more of their offerings online, digital marketing has become one of the lifelines keeping the lights on and the revenue coming in. Even in just the past few months, digital marketing trends have vastly evolved to keep up with the current climate of businesses navigating a post-corona virus world. Learn some of the largest digital marketing trends you should implement in your strategy to stay relevant and get seen.
Chatbots
For many businesses, the use of chatbots is more than a passing phase. Over half of all new websites these days employ the use of chatbots, and this number continues to grow every day. It’s important to note that most people still prefer to chat with an actual human, and chatbots aren’t quite ready to replace that. However, they are a great alternative to contact forms on your site. Chatbots aren’t what they used to be, and now are capable of saving businesses a lot of time when it comes to going through leads or answering simple customer service questions. By employing a chatbot on your site, you can obtain customer information easily and simplify customer service.
Social Media Advertising
If your business hasn’t included paid social media advertising into your strategy before, now is the time to begin. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more people are choosing to spend more time at home. This has led to an uptick in time spent online, especially on social media. Millions of people are using platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to stay connected while they practice social distancing. Social media advertising is no new trend, but rather one that has flourished while many are forced to stay home. Currently, Facebook ads make up the largest share of social media ads; and your business can’t afford to miss out.
Video Content
One of the best ways to convey a big idea in a simplistic way is through the use of video. Remember how we discussed the importance of social media advertising earlier? Using video in these ads has been proven to better resonate with customers. Additionally, using video in your organic social media strategy is important too. Due to recent algorithm updates from Facebook and Instagram, video content is prioritized in user’s timelines - meaning your content is more likely to be displayed. When using video in your strategy there are a few things to keep in mind:
● Make It Watchable Without Sound
Videos on social media often autoplay once a user scrolls past it, and many times they don’t want to take the extra step to turn on the sound. Incorporate the use of subtitles and use strong visuals to convey your message in case your video plays without sound.
● Videos Should Be Short
This is especially important when it comes to videos used in advertising. Most studies suggest that 30 seconds is the longest a video should be, otherwise users tend to lose interest. If you do choose to go with a longer video, be sure to put the most important information in the first 15 seconds of it.
● Optimize For Mobile
A good majority of people use their smartphones as opposed to a desktop computer. For this reason, it’s important to use square videos. This helps ensure that the video you worked so hard to develop won’t get cut off and create an unpleasant user experience.
Staying Relevant In A Changing World
Incorporate these tips into your strategy to stay seen by users. Times are uncertain right now, and “business as usual” is going to be vastly different than it was before. But, by staying on top of emerging trends in digital marketing, you can help your business navigate these strange times and continue to thrive.
