We’ve lived through Covid-19 for over six months now and there’s no sign as to when things are going to calm down completely. With that being said, many industries have adapted to the new way of the world, but by no means has this made life any easier.
For marketing, things have taken a shift as well. Service-based marketing, in particular, has experienced a big impact because of the nature of these businesses. Because services are often performed in-person, the way they operate has had to change drastically. As a result, their marketing has too.
As society moved online in a way never seen before, those in service businesses had to do the same. But how? Cue digital marketing agencies London.
Despite the opportunity that digital marketing has allowed in continuing to market service-based businesses, Covid-19 has still managed to pose difficult challenges.
The Impact Of Moving From In-Person To Online Services
During the worst of it, Covid-19 completely changed the way of the world that we have always known and it is probably safe to say that it will be this way for the foreseeable future.
While many online retailers and e-commerce companies have managed to maintain some sort of normalcy throughout this, service-based businesses have had to make quick decisions for change.
Digital marketers have been at the forefront of the marketing environment now more than ever, and having to think creatively about marketing for service-based businesses throughout a pandemic has posed an interesting challenge.
There have had to be unique spins on services offered; whether that was to create hype around future opportunities in which these services could actually be rendered, or altered to fit this new environment on a digital platform. For example, as the hospitality industry was one of the worst hit, many of these businesses had to take what they would do in person and alter it to fit the online world; whether that was online training or lessons, creativity was necessary.
Marketing Spend Has Decreased Or Been Paused
As many businesses go through this tough time, things like marketing campaigns may not be on their list of priorities. Campaigns that were meant to go ahead may not be applicable anymore or even viable with the current economic state.
As a digital marketing agency, understanding where these clients are coming from is number one on our list. Though, at the same time, the fine line between being aggressive with your marketing and being sensitive towards people’s mental states at this time is evident.
The impact of a reduced budget, or no budget at all, is a stress on marketing agencies, for obvious reasons. As a result, marketing campaigns get delayed and the profits made by all parties involved is reduced.
Many Service-Based Businesses Are Impacted By Tourism
Tourism came to a complete halt as lockdown rules became stricter, and with that so did the suffering of many businesses dependent on tourists.
In this case, creating campaigns that focus on looking forward to “when this is all over” or “we cannot wait until we can…” became important for these service-based businesses. Even though this may not have offered any immediate purchases, the awareness of things to do or experience after the pandemic has been essential in keeping spirits lifted and businesses open.
Through social media, digital marketers have had to transport customers to the business’s storefront virtually and hope that this would be enough to keep the business running. Imagination, dreaming, and future gratification became pillars of strength in terms of marketing strategies.
Taking customers on virtual “holidays” instead of real travels was one way in which tourism could continue, in a sense, throughout the restrictions.
Focusing On Cross-Promotion Between Brands To Reduce Impact
The nature of the now predominantly-online ecosystem means that there are opportunities for more collaborations. For services, this is extremely useful. This option has created a great space for marketers to introduce cross-promotions between already existing e-commerce brands and the in-person services.
Finding new ways of doing things, such as working together online, has allowed support and awareness to grow.
An example of a cross-promotion could be a graphic designer collaborating with an independent clothing boutique to equally benefit the two and what they each have to offer. This is helpful for exposure and credibility for both, too. The one mentions the other and vice versa, each opening the other up to their different audiences.
No matter what industry you are in, there is no doubt that you have felt the impact of covid-19. Regardless of what happens, we all need to stick together and maintain strong relationships with our business partners and customers.
