COVID-19 forced businesses large and small to think outside the box and move to a digital-only marketing strategy in 2020. As things open back up and we begin to settle into our new “normal,” what should your marketing strategy look like to make the biggest impact?

Don’t be distracted by emerging market trends that aren’t quite ready for prime time. You know them, the buzz-word bingo game of AI, VR, etc. Stay focused on a sound multi-channel marketing strategy that leans into today’s digital behavior.

Here are the trends you should invest in:

• Privacy is more important than ever. With the implementation of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in 2020, the new GDPR laws in 2018, and now Apple’s iOS 14 release, privacy laws are more strict than ever. Make sure you’re keeping up with the industry news to stay compliant. “These changes will underscore the need for first-party data and the importance of permission-based marketing. If marketers hope to continue to deliver personalized content to their customers, they’ll need to be more adept at collecting, processing, and activating customer data.” – CMSWire
• Stay digital. With the global shutdown, everyone – even grandma and grandpa – were forced to rely on technology for everything from communication to groceries. And even now, people are still spending 10%+ more time on screen month over month over the last 12 months. Keep your shoulder to the wheel and stick with your digital campaigns! No doubt, they’ve served you well so far, and we anticipate they will continue to.
• Re-invest in research. Data tells a story, and likely, your data has changed since the last time you did deep research. It might be time to engage the help of an agency (like us) to dig into your data, do some research into your buyer behavior and target market, and make sense of it all for you.
• Focus on current customers. Additionally, focus your marketing efforts on the customers you already have. If they stuck with you through the pandemic, when business budgets were tight and people had little expendable income, you know they’re committed.
• Nurture campaigns and website retargeting. If you have a long buying process, focus on the prospects already in your funnel – running campaigns that nurture these leads. Use targeting lists and website retargeting to reach them with multiple touchpoints and stay top of mind.
• List retargeting. And if you have a short buying process? Retarget your customers who have already made a purchase in addition to nurture ads and retargeting! As they say, it’s less expensive to keep current customers than it is to bring in new ones.
• Go multi-channel with your strategy. The more touch points you have with a prospect, the better chance you have of them converting. With greater cash flow and even some companies’ fiscal years about to restart, now is the time to expand your marketing budget and use it to build out a much more connected digital marketing ecosystem. We continually see the greatest success when we combine tactics to reach a full-funnel approach.