The past two and a half years have seen an unparalleled change in how we live and work. The traditional 9 to 5 office day hasn’t disappeared, but we’ve seen a dramatic rise in hybrid and remote working. In turn, companies have had to reassess how teams work together and communicate. As the world returns to the ‘new normal following the Coronavirus pandemic, we’re looking at the best ways to utilise different post-pandemic marketing channels.
eCommerce boomed under lockdowns, and even with shops reopening, many customers have grown accustomed to the familiarity and convenience of shopping online. Online retail giants like Amazon posted record profits during the pandemic, but they weren’t the only winners. Secondhand sites like eBay, Vinted and Depop rose in popularity as we emptied our wardrobes and sheds, while smaller businesses used social media to reach new audiences.
Companies without an online presence were hit hard by the pandemic. Customers were forced to eschew brand loyalty; if you couldn’t buy what you wanted online, customers would move on to a different site or brand. A number of retailers were unable to weather the storm and never returned to the UK high street.
When major chains were forced to shut their shop doors, we found ourselves looking locally for essentials. Whether it was asking in your neighbourhood Facebook group if anyone has seen toilet paper in a local supermarket or finding a crafty local artisan to create a bespoke gift, we saw an increasing number of customers shopping locally.
With customers spending increasing amounts of time engaging with social media, influencer marketing thrived. Customers were turning to screens for entertainment, and influencers put customers at the heart of marketing activity, encouraging that final click to purchase.
Social media platforms have responded by making themselves the perfect place for brands to promote and sell their wares. Social commerce is booming, with the global social commerce market projected to reach $604.5 billion by 2027. Customers can now make purchases directly within apps, and there are even augmented reality try-on apps so you can see how a lip colour or the latest pair of trainers would look on you before you make the purchase.
One of the greatest lessons that many businesses learned from the pandemic is that you need to be prepared for anything. While nobody can claim to have foreseen the events of 2020, the companies that thrived were those who had prepared for a sudden change. They were able to swiftly deploy remote teams and adapt their marketing messages for their newly housebound audiences. The agility of marketing teams had never been tested in quite this way before, but those who could embrace the challenge saw real results.
One of the major hurdles of converting to remote working was the lack of infrastructure. Remote workers need reliable internet connections, suitable hardware and the correct software to do their jobs and keep in touch with their colleagues. Cybersecurity has also come under the spotlight, as teams using outdated equipment and software can pose a huge data security risk.
As customers found themselves at home more, so did employees. Although remote working had been steadily on the rise in the late 2010s, the office exodus took us all by surprise. The hasty arrangement made the overnight transition tricky, but many workers and companies found that remote working had a lot of advantages. Post-pandemic, 59% of UK employees favoured a hybrid working arrangement to a full-time return to the office.
The rise of remote working has changed marketing recruitment as well. Your talent pool is no longer restricted to those living within commuting distance of your central offices. Spotlight Recruitment can help you to find the right marketing team for this new landscape – contact us today to find out more.
With mass gatherings off the table, many large-scale events went virtual in 2020 and 2021. Building on the popularity of webinars, larger-scale online events allowed professionals to continue meeting, learning and discussing ideas. Technology meant that businesses and event organisers could host events without having to reduce their offerings too significantly. Virtual events not only circumvented the restrictions of the pandemic but also allowed more people to attend and dramatically reduced costs.
Many organisers are planning to keep their events virtual or retain an online element when they return in person.
In the end, marketing post-pandemic relies on relationships. Trust and integrity are the key driving forces of marketing momentum, and we must build on those relationships to thrive in this changing landscape. The right marketing team are the cornerstone of success, and we can help you to secure the right talent.
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