Blog – Girlpower Marketing

3 Ways COVID-19 Has Changed Marketing for 2021 and Beyond

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot about buyer behavior, from online ordering to contactless payments and so much more. The world looks different now, and many of those changes will stick even after the virus fades.

Many of the changes made have been in the works for years, but without a pressing reason to widely adopt or even use them regularly, some of the technology we rely on so heavily today may have languished forever.

Instead, QR codes have made a considerable resurgence at restaurants, where diners can view menus on their mobile devices instead of handling menus. Uber Eats and other restaurant delivery services have seen demand soar. Meal kits and grocery delivery apps are booming as consumers seek more ways to stay home while ordering the food they need. Most, if not all, of these changes are sure to remain in place and even continue to evolve even further.

The same is true for marketing strategies. Many of the tactics used before COVID-19 were beginning to find a footing as consumers prioritized their importance. Now that we’re months into the pandemic, those strategies have taken hold and helped brands not just maintain their bottom line but often increase it.

Which of those marketing tactics can we expect to see long after the coronavirus is gone?

Purposeful Marketing

Brands throwing their weight behind specific causes was nothing new before 2020, but the act didn’t quite have the gravity it does now. And, while 90% of consumers expect brands to put their employees and suppliers’ safety first, it’s not all about the virus.

social responsibility marketing

This year saw hundreds of brands take a stand for racial equality, diversity, and inclusion, as well as new “green” practices and sustainability. Social responsibility is something many consumers now expect their favorite brands to adopt, and beyond 2020 this will become even more commonplace.

Ecommerce Marketing

With many shoppers still uncomfortable going into stores due to COVID concerns, it makes sense that ecommerce shopping has significantly increased in 2020. Compared to $266.84 billion spent online in the first six months of 2019, the first half of 2020 saw online sales skyrocket to $347.26 billion.

Ecommerce requires specific digital marketing strategies to achieve the best results, some of which have been in use for quite a while, including SEO, product reviews, content marketing, social media marketing, and influencer marketing.

This won’t be enough as we move into 2021, however. The trend toward ecommerce will continue to grow, even as consumers begin to feel safe again in stores. Some of those tactics will include “buy” buttons on social media posts, more detailed Google shopping information, apps with push notifications, better email marketing, Amazon advertising, increased payment options, and a more streamlined landing page experience.

Marketers need to continue adopting ecommerce marketing tactics and innovations to maintain their competitive edge.

Empathy and Customer Experience

Big Data was the name of the game for years, as more and more companies relied on numbers to learn what their customers wanted. The pandemic changed that as the convenience consumers thought they wanted made possible through that gathered information now seemed cold and impersonal.

In the face of the world-wide virus, consumers began communicating that what they want is comfort and understanding from the brands they’ve come to trust. Though supportive messages like “we’re all in this together” worked for a while, in the future it won’t be enough. Consumers will expect brands to walk their talk to earn their loyalty and hard-earned money.

In response, brands have stepped up their personalized marketing strategies, from AI programs that help them solve consumer problems as quickly as possible, to personal shopping sessions, both in-store and online. Consumers will continue to gravitate to this individual attention, and marketers should make sure that personalized marketing strategies are here for 2021 and beyond.

With lights, decorations, and sidewalk Santas, it’s beginning to look a lot like the holiday season. Unfortunately, it’s also looking like the pandemic will put a damper on our usual holiday fun. Most brands have considered what socially distanced store capacity and the danger of COVID exposure may do to their bottom line. Their marketing reflects that understanding, not only for the potential danger that holiday shopping might bring, but also for consumers’ desire to experience some normalcy during the holidays. More

Expected Food and Beverage Trends for 2021: The Light at the End of a Long, Long Tunnel

2020 has been an extremely long, difficult year for many brands. COVID-19 has changed the landscape for many industries, perhaps none so much as for the food and beverage industry.

Interestingly, many of the food and beverage trends that first appeared in 2019 actually prepared consumers for the sheltering-in-place and social distancing required beginning in early March throughout the country. In 2021, we can expect to see new food trends and marketing strategies that have evolved out of necessity throughout 2020. More

How to Nail Your Content Marketing Strategy: Part 2 (Plus Our Content Strategy Checklist Download!)

Promoting branded content is more than just creating a blog post and sharing it on social media. To be successful, you must have a content marketing strategy that ensures you’re creating content your potential customers need, and then getting that content in front of them to achieve your sales objectives.

Consider the following tips when creating your content marketing strategy, and download our content strategy checklist. More

How to Nail Your Content Marketing Strategy: Part 1

Consumers discover brands through various media, from television commercials to YouTube videos, from roadside billboards to social media boosted posts, and from print ads to a website. The delivery method varies wildly, but there is one thing all of these have in common: content.

With 77% of US adults online every day—and many saying they’re always online—brands must understand how to deliver online content to their target audience. Because without content, your potential customers will know nothing about your brand. Critical to creating your content marketing strategy is making sure you have a framework for developing and delivering content that meets their needs. The following are key points to address when creating your content marketing strategy. More

Food & Beverage Marketing: Creativity Goes a Long Way

In an increasingly crowded food and beverage industry, finding fresh ways to communicate your brand message can set you apart. But often it seems like every good idea has already been used. And while that might be true, revisiting old ideas with a fresh approach can jumpstart your food & beverage marketing to better engage your audience. More

Marketing CPG Brands to Build Online & In-Store Sales

With online, direct-to-consumer, and click-and-collect options, buying CPG products is easier than ever before. When marketing CPG brands, providing those flexible options to consumers, and building awareness through social media marketing, are both essential for staying competitive and building online and in-store sales.

Social media marketing gives marketers the ability to reach vast numbers of potential consumers while getting instant feedback about their brand. More

COVID-19 Has Changed Everything, Including Consumer Behavior

COVID-19 is changing consumer behavior across all industries. Some of those changes are easy to see, and others were easy to predict. Who could miss the worldwide shortage of toilet paper that we’re still experiencing, even today? We probably could have predicted the increase in online shopping and stockpiling our pantries as well.

We don’t know yet how permanent these changes will be, though we can take a few hints from history. For instance, smart gyms and telehealth services were already on the rise before the pandemic. Continued popularity with consumers once life returns to “normal” isn’t hard to foresee. More

Protect your Brand by Understanding Influencer Marketing Fraud

Influencer marketing is nothing new. Ninety-two percent of consumers say that recommendations from people they know or follow are more powerful than brand advertising, and 74% say that word-of-mouth influences their purchasing decisions. It’s also why 67% of brands plan to increase their influencer marketing budgets this year.

In our new reality, with US consumers currently sheltering in place, influencer marketing has become even more powerful. With less access to non-essential items, consumers are relying on word-of-mouth recommendations more than ever before. More

Clean Your Hands, All Surfaces, and Then Your Marketing Program

The current state of the world has most of us housebound and cleaning everything in sight—especially our hands. As important as spring cleaning the house may be, now is the time to also consider spring cleaning your marketing program.

If you’re planning to do some spring cleaning for your brand, here are a few things to address. More