By Jean Carl
The coronavirus has accelerated the use of digital platforms to conduct marketing. With the absence of trade shows, user-group meetings and other in-person forums to meet existing and prospective clients, companies are using a variety of digital tools to interface with different audiences.
For example, a client of mine that manufactures electronics is now holding a series of webinar to introduce new products and share information about its technology. While once participating in sponsored webinars once or twice a year, the company now implements its own digital platform to conduct monthly sessions. E-mail blasts and a monthly newsletter promote a schedule of events for the next few months as well as links to past webinars to increase attendance.
Using a similar tactic, a higher education institution is conducting open house webinars in lieu of high school recruitment visits and college fairs. Conducted by in-house staff, the webinars address timely topics such which jobs will be in demand after the pandemic, what type of education supports these types of careers and how to finance your education.
Another company introducing a significant new product created a series of videos to create excitement and maintain its momentum over time. In addition to posting the videos on their website, the company promoted them on social media and through e-mail blasts and press releases. They are also used as a sales tools instead of traditional PowerPoint presentations.
While email remains an important tool for communications, Zoom, Microsoft Team and other web-based applications have broadened capabilities to communicate in person while sharing documents. As the masses follow stay-at-home orders, businesses rely on these audio and video conferencing tools to provide online sales support, applications engineering, customer service and education.
While digital marketing is important, don’t forget to maintain traditional outlets such as press releases, blogs, articles and case histories. Magazines are still publishing and looking for new substantial sources of material. As larger audiences are at home – maybe with time on their hand – they probably are referencing trade publications, website blogs and social media more often.
It will be interesting in the months ahead to see if businesses continue to utilize newly-adopted digital platforms to market products and sustain customer relationships. While companies have tip-toed into the water of using different digital platforms to support marketing efforts over time, it only took a pandemic to take a full plunge into the waters.