By now, you have heard of the coronavirus, or Covid-19 and have likely been reading the media coverage on a regular basis. The sad reality is that it is spreading at an alarming rate, with new cases being discovered on a near-daily basis; however, many people are recovering from this virus, which means there is a positive outlook to be had. Â
When it comes to the world of digital marketing a global outbreak such as the coronavirus can have far reaching effects, Already, the travel industry has felt a blow due to the fact that people cannot or do not want to travel, which in turn has impacted the travel marketing industry. The event marketing industry has also felt the effects of Covid-19, as many large-scale events have been cancelled.Â
If you are concerned about what this new pandemic could mean for marketers, we take a look at this below.Â
Exploitation Should Be Avoided
Sometimes, those in the digital marketing world see an opportunity during a time of hardship and try to exploit this to drive leads and generate sales. During the Covid-19 outbreak, the stock on medical-grade face masks started to dwindle in some countries, which led to some people buying large volumes of stock and reselling them at a higher price.Â
It is vital to remember not to exploit the virus and the difficulties it is causing – this is not marketing and it is contributing to the problem. Rather, you should focus your digital marketing efforts on positive outlets, such as providing resources for improving mental health like an infographic or a thoughtful video. Avoiding a hard-sell of your clients’ products during this period, especially if they sell medical or hygiene equipment, is vital.Â
Event Marketing Will Suffer…
…but we can make the best of the situation. Due to how quickly the coronavirus has been spreading, it makes sense that many large-sacel, international events have been cancelled. This has even been implemented for smaller, more local events, but there is a good reason behind this…and a chance for you to use digital marketing to showcase remote event planning and video content creation.Â
 If your event can be live-streamed, your audience is likely to watch, which will still encourage brand awareness and interaction. Consumers today are already embracing the idea of streaming content – Netflix binge-sessions, anyone? – and if they were interested in attending the physical version of your event, they will be interested in live-streaming it. Be sure that you use high-quality streaming cameras and software for a positive user experience.Â
Organic Traffic Might Reduce
For many industries, your organic search engine optimisation (SEO) traffic might be reduced due to what people are now searching for online during this time of crisis. Many Internet users are going to be searching more for news websites and sources more than they will be searching for your keywords, especially if you are in the travel or events industry.Â
For those in the e-commerce sector, your organic traffic may be a bit of a mixed bag. Many people will want to shop online to avoid the crowds of bulk buyers and to remain safe indoors, but this will depend on what you are selling. Not many people are likely to want to purchase new televisions or expensive electronics during this period, but tinned foods and hygiene products will see an impressive leap in traffic.Â
Social Media Marketing Impact
As digital marketing agencies are wont to do, we often urn to social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and even YouTube, but these platforms have doubled-down on their efforts to eliminate fake news being spread, with Facebook going as far stopping any advertisements from being shown that mention products or news relating to Covid-19. Â
Now, while this might not have a direct effect on you if you do not sell these products, you should still analyse what ads and posts you will be sharing at this time in case any could be seen as promoting products or fake news. Social media marketing will need to be more strategic and thoughtful at this time, and be sure not to use any language or images that are alarmist and always check that the sources you use are legitimate.Â
Double-Down While Others Are Not
It is not all gloom and doom for digital marketers due to Covid-19. You might find an opportunity to double-down on your marketing and pay-per-click tactics while others are not focusing on their marketing efforts. You may have less competition in your industry, allowing you to focus on improving your own digital marketing strategy to make more of an impact on your traffic.Â
You may not see instant results, but over time, your paid ads and organic traffic will increase and can lead to improved rankings over your competitors. You could invest in creating more content during this time, updating and upgrading your website, or even creating a new SEO strategy. Those who do not improve their marketing during this period are sure to lose out.Â
If you would like to maintain and improve your digital marketing, speak to NetMechanic today to find out what we can offer you.Â
