Month: July 2020

To succeed in 2020, brands will have to get back to basics, embrace the power of media platforms and avoid getting carried away by short term goals. 

2020 has thrown up a unique set of challenges for brands. Already they were having to contend with rise of digital technology and the shift of customers online and then, like a bull into a China shop, along came Covid 19.  The pandemic has had impacts across the board. It’s put budgets and revenue under pressure, but it has also accelerated the move online. With highstreets deserted, customers have been shopping online more than ever.  To thrive in this ecommerce arena, brands will have to adapt their strategy. It won’t be straightforward but by focusing on three key areas, you can give your brand the best chance possible.

GET BACK TO BASICS 

Establish the emotional connection:

Connect with your prospects before you start selling. Covid 19 has accelerated the shift online. Buying habits are different online compared to bricks and mortar and focus on larger, pack sizes. The challenge here is that these often carry lower profit margins and have a lower frequency of purchase. In other words, it can be tougher to make money from them and you may be tempted to jump-in and start selling. But build the trust through the brand story and experience before you start selling. Your digital assets like website and social media platforms should embody your brand.

Differentiate the experience you provide:

Customers will not be able to touch, feel or test items which creates a real problem when it comes to the big-ticket stuff. Online purchases are fine for small, cheap goods because they do not involve much risk. However, with higher prices come higher risks. Make sure that customers understand what makes you unique. Without the ability to provide physical proof of quality, you need to focus on the customer experience. Critical to this is a more integrated supply chain which incorporates marketing, delivery and after sales services.

Offer Value:

If your marketing team have done their job well, a campaign should generate a spike in demand. However, you need a supply chain which can satisfy that spike to avoid letting your customers down. The point at which customers receive and unbox items is a real moment of truth. Here you’ll either delight or disappoint them and the stakes are high. Having the basic brand visual elements like the logo, the packaging etc right along with a great product ensures the delight. Get these elements right and they will be more likely to become regular customers and enthusiastic brand advocates. Get it wrong and they may spread their disappointment to their friends and family.

PERFORMANCE MARKETING

The rise of ecommerce is seeing websites become media destinations in their own right and the most critical customer touch point. The website should be aligned with how you want your brand to be represented to customers. For this marketing team should understand the essence of what you are and compare it with what customers want. This will help them build a great communication strategy (messaging) for the digital platforms that creates a strong brand positioning in the minds of the customers. Positioning is not something you do but is the result of your customer’s perception of what you do. If you are confused as to how to get this correct the best thing to do is approach an online marketing agency in Dubai who can support you. In China, ecommerce and media are intersecting via live streaming which combines entertainment, retail and influencer marketing in innovative and successful ways. Key to this is continuity and the breaking down of siloes in the marketing process, ensuring that everything works as one.  By building on social media and WhatsApp groups, brands can create a network of loyal repeat customers who may even become passionate brand ambassadors. If successful, this network will do much of your advertising for you without your team having to lift a finger.

DON’T FORGET THE LONG TERM

Performance marketing seems great, but there are issues. Because ecommerce boosts your ability to measure outcomes, there is a temptation to rely excessively on performance marketing which focuses on short term outcomes rather than long term goal. With budgets already under pressure thanks to Covid 19 and the prospect of a major global recession, this short-term approach starts to look even more appealing. Businesses will be focusing on the immediate future with short term goals for a lower initial capital outlay, but this can be short sighted. Data can tell you a lot but it doesn’t even nearly approach the whole story. You need to take a step back and ensure you’re not overlooking the long-term development of your brand. It is especially important that you take the positioning you have created and put it to work. It should be the compass for your organization and every touch point the customer interacts with. Even your front desk and customer service processes should reflect it.

Thriving in 2020 

Success in 2020 will be challenging. The landscape has transformed dramatically in the space of a few months. Customers are moving online, and their habits and expectations are changing as a result. Brands will need to be agile, integrated, and imaginative to deliver the seamless omnichannel experience their customers want and expect.

As Covid-19 spread across the globe, businesses were forced to close their doors and adapt. With this has come a need to identify B2B digital strategies that will help businesses to continue some form of operation. Businesses want to remain functional and so, digital platforms have become the next solution.  So, this has meant that businesses have had to develop new digital marketing strategies to survive. These strategies are designed to help your business thrive under new and unprecedented circumstances.

It’s Time To Enhance Your Online Presence

Prior to the pandemic, you might have utilised different channels or opportunities to connect with clients but now you are going to have to focus on your online presence. Your website and social media channels are now paramount when it comes to reaching your audience. It might be time to streamline your website, enhance its functionalities and enhance your online brand presence. Before the pandemic, you might have relied on physical premises to meet clients but now this will have to be achieved online. Therefore,  your website and social media channels will need to be well-designed, ensuring your audience can find exactly what they’re looking for. The quality of your content is going to need to be enhanced while the design of your website is going to need to be simplified, especially if you are going to be adding more information or products to your website. The content, images and information will need to be valuable, clear and meaningful. What’s more, you’ll need to ensure that your website is responsive and mobile-friendly ensuring prospective clients can find exactly what they are looking for. You might also benefit from implementing chatbots or adding links to social media handles. All of this encourages communication and that provides your business with the ability to provide a personal service.

Focus On The Customer Experience

Customers are going to be receiving a new experience now that business operations have changed but you still need to ensure they keep returning. It’s vital that your marketing strategies place a clear focus on delivering a valuable service as this will continue to build trust that will remain in place way beyond the pandemic. Consider digital-first business operations by ensuring consumers can do business with you digitally. Whether that’s holding meetings, offering deliveries, providing order tracking and integrating e-commerce for online transactions, this is about ensuring your consumers can continue to use your service. Communicate with your clients clearly and honestly. If there is a shortage of staff or supply then tell them via every channel. You’ll be able to reply to queries via social media and ensure them that you are going above and beyond to fulfil their requirements. Your clients are also going to be uncertain but transparency will go a long way. Your business can stand out by providing honest information and ensuring clients remain informed.

Improve Media and Channel Performance

Did you know that digital marketing, according to Google, influences almost 70% of B2B buyers? Therefore, if there was ever a time to go digital, then now is the time. This doesn’t mean that you’re going to need to increase your digital spend budget. What it does mean is that you’ll need to consider which channels are going to be more effective under the current circumstances. You’ve got Facebook, Google, Tik Tok, Twitter and Instagram, all of which are significant content providers and so, social advertising is going to be especially important. Undertake a review of all of your media strategies and make changes where required. With the right analysis and understanding of consumer behaviour, you’ll have the ability to ensure you are occupying the same space as them online.

Consider Your Web Activity And Fine-Tune Offers

As more people have had to move online to do the things they need to do, it might be a smart move to gain an idea of your own activity online. This will provide an insight into how your customers and prospects have been behaving. It’s more important than ever to ensure that you CTA’s are more effective and apparent than before as well as any offers you might have. You might notice a drop in web activity which means that you might want to work quickly to implement conversion rate optimisation. This will give you a short term plan and an understanding of your long term performance across all digital platforms.

Use The Time To Optimise Content

Content is crucial but you should not create content for the sake of content. However, with a change in the way that you are running your business, this could be the ideal time to enhance your content, ensuring you have something that is valuable to your client. This could include useful guides, newsletters, blog posts, case studies and even step-by-step guides. If your content strategy is well-devised then it will enhance lead generation and brand awareness. This can be achieved through social media content, blog posts and even videos. Consumers are looking for information and you need to make sure you provide it because you’re going to need to make sure they choose your business over others.  It’s also the perfect time to nurture leads because if a potential client is still unsure, you might want to provide them with newsletters, special offers and even case studies. Whatever you choose, ensuring you offer them value will increase the chances of them converting.

Instil Confidence In Prospective And Current Clients

Everyone is nervous about the current situation. Uncertainty has left people struggling to make decisions but this is the ideal time to inform people of how you are operating. This level of transparency will go a long way and will ensure they know what you are doing to ensure their safety. Whether you have a store that is still open or you are operating solely online, give them every reason to trust you. Use social media channels and your website to provide information on how you are implementing safety measures with deliveries, the handling of items and how you plan to continue offering the first-class service that they are used to. This can be communicated efficiently using the relevant channels. Digital marketing is crucial to any business looking to survive the current pandemic. It’s about building a robust online presence, optimising content and improving the way in which clients access your products or services. Deliver a superior customer experience by utilising the correct digital marketing strategies and your business is highly likely to survive the pandemic.