The pandemic has brought a shift in every profession. Digital marketing has got more intricate and competitive now. A digital agency has to work double and think out of the blue to stay ahead. This article caters to the effect of Covid- 19 on digital marketing agencies and the tips for a better future in this arena.
HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC
AFFECTED DIGITAL MARKETING AGENCIES?
If there is any
profession that has benefitted from the world pandemic, it’s digital marketing,
because now every businessman and every customer goes online. But with benefit,
there is hard work.
Any and every digital agency agrees to a permanent
shift in the consumer behaviour. Here are a few statistics to prove that:
-In Q2, alone, there
was a 31.7% year-over-year rise in the number of app downloads, in
the year 2020. It depicts a huge shift in people’s behaviour, and it’s
just a small sample of how people have embraced the online realm.
- With the start of
pandemic there was a drop in the click-through rates (CTRs). The CTR for Google
search ads dropped to 41% year-over-year as opposed to Q1 2019.
If such trends
continue, people will be more immune to online marketing, and a digital agency will have to innovate
and invest better in quality to drive success. The core impact of Covid-19 is
that more people are becoming accustomed to digital platforms. There is more
competition and hence a need for superlative marketing.
Digital agencies have
to plan more strategically, research deep, and be consistently active. That
calls for more investing in top-tier copywriters and graphic designers, and of
course taking advantage of tech innovations to prioritize user experience.
The COVID-19 pandemic
has led mostly everyone to search, buy, and sell products and services online
due to social distancing laws. The online growth has made many businesses alter
their supply chains, by switching from selling products in brick-and-mortar
stores to selling products online. The service-based companies, on the other
hand, now connect through video meeting platforms like Zoom, and as a
consequence quotes can be secured through new business ventures.
TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY POST- COVID
A digital agency must cope with the
changes that the Covid pandemic has bestowed, and here are some brilliant tips
to do so:
Create an agile
structure
A digital
agency needs to be more nimble and agile because of leaner and flatter
structures. They must hired an empowered human resource, and hire the best
talents for decision-making.
Hire data-driven
talent
Next, digital agencies must shift from more
traditional marketing backgrounds to industry-specific, analytical, and
data-centric profiles. They need better skills at problem-solving, analytics,
data analysis, strategic thinking, and in-depth knowledge of technology and
data.
Promote varied
work culture
Remote working culture is now applicable everywhere.
A digital marketing agency will have to lift this stigma attached and initiate self-starters
who feel trusted and safe to work away from the office.
Embrace technology
and automation
Technology is the key to a better digital
marketing. Now, with less staff and an increased requirement from advertisers
for quicker insights, digital agencies will need a robust technology
infrastructure to make data accessible to local staff.
Reshift priorities
in business models
With the changing scenario, customers have more and
diverse expectations from a digital
agency. The agencies must help to generate profit and tackle business
challenges. The few key areas where digital agencies must work to build their expertise
or enhance existing capabilities includes ecommerce, performance marketing,
user experience, technology-driven creative, content management, training, data
visualisation, and omni-channel measurement.
Reframe pricing
structures
Once a digital
agency gets clarity on its market position and the services that it should
offer, it can decide the price and structure that will lead to profitability.
Flexibility and transparency definitely guides principles, but the main focus should
be on assessing the value that they are delivering and charging. Partners and
vendors must also rethink their incentive models with agencies for funding
resources, sharing data and expertise instead of cash rebates.
Shifting to a digital/virtual work format
Digital agencies present in the cities where adopting
remote working is mandatory must equip better work- from home situations. For
the businesses operating online the most efficient step is to adopt a
cloud-based work format. The virtual work infrastructure gives digital
marketing agencies a good edge to scale up despite the challenges.
A digital agency
can explore different digital work functions and re-imagine them without a
physical workspace. It can work upon minute to major functions to serve better as
a foundation and provide an improved and safe operating model. Digital agencies
must also a hybrid operating model by leveraging the best of in-person and
remote work functions.
Humanising the Brands
Furthermore, a digital
agency is responsible for crafting the creative communication strategies
for the brands out there. When people are confined to their homes, they automatically
spend more time online. As a result their expectations on the internet are
changing and hence the brands need to transform their communication strategies
and present themselves online, evolve. Digital agencies will have to boost
their online presence, in order to sail successfully through the
pandemic. Digital agencies need to humanize the brands while maintaining their
core values.
They must produce a healthy relationship with customers, the
brands should try more to humanize their approach in such a way so as to
maximize engagement and brand reliability. To do so, a digital agency should incorporate strategies like simply pushing
forward the offerings of the brand so as to be more empathetic towards their
audience and have a winning edge over their competition.
Understanding the increasing dependency on
digital for brands
Lastly, since the digital landscape is transforming at a
high speed, the marketing landscape, and marketing will have to understand how
they need to adjust their business targets and strategies accordingly. Now,
it’s not being about just social visibility but also using digital techniques to
create the business’ success. Every day brands are becoming more
performance-driven and their expectation regarding ROI from digital is going up.
A digital agency, therefore needs to
understand the changing conditions and prepare strategies that encompass the
same.
To conclude, the pandemic will not completely change the
digital marketing scenario, but it will heavily impact the working. Some
changes are necessary while the others are new, and the agencies will have to
remold themselves. If these necessary changes are adopted positively, then
digital agencies would be able to position themselves creatively in the market and
will be at an advantage. A digital marketing agency must focus on the client’s
objectives in the changing times, and link it with the employee’s changing needs.
