As we acclimate to the "new normal" in the workforce, brands are trying to navigate what the future of the industry looks like. In a time of crisis, brands don't stop spending, they just start spending differently. As summer comes to an end, and the reality of COVID-19 continues to grow each day, it is important to continue to restructure your marketing team to fit the new needs of the industry.
Your marketing strategy is key when establishing your reach and audience for your business. A detailed and comprehensive marketing plan will only fuel your social media presence, your SEO, your pay-per-click advertising, and your profits. Part of our new world of uncertainty means anticipating and embracing these unknowns by implementing an agile marketing culture, incorporating more flexibility into your current strategy.
One of the major shifts of your marketing strategy correlates directly to the transition to widespread remote work, which has only been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Alongside the future of work is freelance mentality, collaborating with freelance talent for your marketing needs is a great way to successfully navigate the new climate and further adapt to the remote work mindset.
So, what do brands do to shift their marketing strategy to fit the new normal?
Build a stronger digital presence.
According to Business 2 Community, the “great leap to digital” has been one of the most recent and significant changes to the marketing industry. Digital storytelling, in the context of enhancing your brand, has been a vital tool of the 21st century, and the need for it to effectively convey your brand’s message is only on the rise. As a result of the global lockdown and quarantine measures, the online marketplace has never been more successful. Learning how to adapt your marketing strategy to be digitally user-friendly and accessible is important in retaining your consumers and attracting new ones. This digital trend has manifested itself from every corner of the industry, from B2B to retail to campaigns.
Brand image and trust is more important than ever.
Another marketing trend focuses on continuously building brand image and trust with your consumers. Now, more than ever, it is important to establish a sense of mutual understanding with your consumers in order to keep them engaged during a pandemic. During this time of uncertainty, consumers want to put their trust in a brand that is confidence, reliable, and strong. According to INC., 96% of consumers generally don’t trust advertising, and shifting your marketing strategy towards the specific needs and values of your consumers is vital in retaining an audience. In order to truly connect with your audience, you need to be able to understand their wants and needs and be able to provide support during the pandemic.
Focus on detail.
Paying attention to detail is crucial in navigating your new marketing strategy. Part of figuring out what needs to be changed in the first place comes from attention to detail and finding a balance of what strategy works. The hiring of specialists, especially freelance specialists, is on the rise in order to fit the niche demand of skill work. If your brand is strong on the content creation side but needs specific help with SEO, there’s no better option than to hire a freelance tech specialist to strengthen your marketing strategy. Dividing up tasks into specialized segments and assigning them to qualified and experienced professionals instead of one entire team will help with overall productivity.
Find which social media platform works best for your brand.
Social media is key when trying to expand your reach and appeal directly to your consumers. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of each platform can help grow your company or business to the maximum. For example, Twitter can be great for consumer engagement, but LinkedIn may gather a wider reach for your brand. Social media marketing has seen immense recent growth because of the surge of social media usage while staying in contact with family and friends during the pandemic. It is important to understand which platform works best for the message you are trying to convey and the audience you are trying to reach.
Downsizing
A trend the industry has been seeing, and one that has only been accelerated due to COVID-19, is the downsizing of teams. Creating smaller teams helps with communication, cooperation, and smooth functionality of both internal and external departments. Daily communication with your team is important, and working with a smaller group of people compared to a huge company can help you all stay on the same page. Downsizing doesn’t have to necessarily result from layoffs, rather than smaller companies trying to grow as a business by working smarter, not harder.
The future of work is constantly shifting, and marketers must be able to adapt to the changes around them in order to successfully stay relevant in the market.