By Nyah Scott
The normalization of remote work is one of the many effects of the pandemic in regards to the professional world.
You and your business may still be feeling the lingering effects of the pandemic felt back in March when public spaces in the U.S. were shut down, nonessential services were instructed to close, and the general public was unsure of when they would return to “business as usual.” Eight months later, the pandemic still affects most facets of business management and the rest of the professional world. We’ve established new and innovative ways of interacting while physical distancing, and even more ways to diversify marketing strategies during a time when PR can make or break your brand or business.
Most consumers are online.
There was a significant uptick in average online daily traffic after quarantining and physically-distanced practices became more widespread. Investment into physical content, adorning storefronts, paying for billboards or bench ads pales in comparison to the investment you should be making into digitally-oriented marketing campaigns that capitalize on the platforms that have millions of users flock to them everyday (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn) and even more niche online means of publication like digital trade magazines or collaboration with influencers relevant to your business or brand.
Most consumers are at home.
While physical accessibility became limited during the pandemic, locating audiences physically became easier. A greater dependency on mailing services came with consumers’ need to send and receive products and documents from the safety of their own homes. Online marketing campaigns and strategies can operate in conjunction with mail campaigns (yes, letter, envelope, and all). The transition of the “workplace“ from corporate buildings and business complexes to the home office or living room presents a newfound opportunity to reach potential customers and clients in a way that feels less invasive than sending content to someone’s personal residence pre-COVID. This phenomenon plays into the idea that businesses should be tailoring their marketing angles to be “COVID-conscious.” Integrate your products or services into the “home,” present them as something supplementary to working remotely, or formulate a way to extend what you or your business were able to accomplish pre-COVID beyond physical office spaces.
Most consumers are finding free time they didn’t have before.
Spare time to research a product or service increases the likeliness that possible customers and clientele will come into contact with your business. All it takes is one post on their personal feeds, one email in their inbox (post-expression-of-interest), or one search engine recommendation to initiate the exposure needed to widen the net cast over an audience that will commit their newfound free time to pursuing business with you or your company. With that pursuit in mind, it’s important to remember that your business is only as good as the presentation of your brand online, so make sure you convey to your audience that you’re committed to safe practices (e.g. remote accessibility, safe / sanitized spaces, etc.).
To sum it up…
Marketing and public relations are everything to a brand or business. In the age of remote work and quarantining, the return on investment for COVID-conscious media campaigns is greater than ever. It’s just up to you or your business to remember why marketing during the pandemic is important and take the first step to get closer to that untapped ‘return.’