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In light of COVID-19, the world has changed significantly in the way that people behave socially. With social distancing on the minds of many consumers, more people are taking to the internet than at any other time in the past. Because of this, businesses that are prepared with a well-developed digital marketing plan are benefiting by being more visible and available to their customers.
Times are changing, and as a result, it’s more important now than ever before to work with a marketing firm in order to make the most out of your company’s online reputation and capabilities.
Businesses Need To Improve Their Online Presences
As part of the new norms brought on by the pandemic, people are spending far more time at home than they did in the not-so-distant past. In fact, recent internet usage is up 50% being that users have to field needs in so many aspects of their lives through online services and tools.
For this reason, it’s in the best interest of small businesses to increase and improve their online presence so that they create a higher likelihood of being seen by the myriad of people who fit their target audience. By improving marketing efforts with the expertise of a dedicated marketing firm, your small business can increase its audience engagement and easily spread the word about new promotions or products they’re offering.
Increase Sales and Customer Bases
By expanding a company’s online reach, owners are doing far more than getting people familiar with their brand and helping improve consumer engagement. A well-designed digital marketing strategy can help widen a business’s conversion funnel by drawing in more individuals from the company’s target demographic. As a result, sales and revenue increase for the business, and both loyalty and satisfaction increase for the customer base.
Marketing Is Heading for a Shift
Because so many practices in the business world are being conducted online, companies and consumers alike are striving to make the buying and selling process as streamlined as possible. Take, for example, customer service interactions. Many companies are choosing to field their customer service inquiries on Facebook via the Facebook Messenger option on the company’s business page. And business owners set up a tailored automatic response chatbot via ManyChat and the like. Rather than keeping customers waiting on hold with customer service lines, instant messaging or chat windows are answering questions faster than ever before.
In addition to servicing customers through instant messages, companies are also seeking automation services so they can constantly be available to their customers, even after hours. By utilizing marketing automation and business automation services like Manychat and other chatbot tools, small businesses can provide 24/7 support and assistance.
By providing customer support 24 hours a day, small businesses are showing customers that their patronage and concerns matter. By making the customer feel that their time is valuable, these companies are increasing customer loyalty even when human employees are off the clock.
Business and marketing automation has been shifting the way that business professionals are approaching marketing. Because so many helpful tools are available, businesses can take advantage of automation, chatbots, and applications that help their companies function online even better than they did in physical locations.
Prepare for the Future
Even after the number of COVID cases dwindle to a manageable size, it’s likely that the business and social changes brought on by the pandemic are here to stay. While things may go back to the old vision of normal in some ways, consumers are likely going to continue the newer, more convenient shopping practices that the pandemic has introduced.
So many people are shopping, working, and conducting important meetings online that even after recovery, these new practices are likely going to remain common. This means that even after the economy has recovered, massive numbers of people are going to continue working and shopping online.
Because of this, businesses that prepared themselves for a shift are going to benefit more than businesses that assume that things will one day reach the sense of “normal” that we once knew.
Because advancement and innovation were so necessary this year, the world is coming to embrace technology that they otherwise would have had no real reason to use. With this fact in mind, it’s safe to assume that the marketing strategies that are working well today are going to continue to work well into the future.
By developing smart marketing strategies with the help of a marketing firm, small and medium-sized businesses will be able to not only adapt to the recent changes brought on by the pandemic but thrive in spite of them.
If you’re a small business owner and you’re struggling to move your marketing strategy online, we’re here to help. At Automated Dreams, our team of marketing professionals can take an in-depth look at your current marketing strategy and develop it to where it aligns with your goals. Book a free call with us anytime. We can’t wait to hear from you.
Reach out to us at Automated Dreams today!
