With a timeline of sorts emerging and bringing a visible paradigm shift, comparisons an differences are bound to crop up, i.e. how things were and are pre and post COVID, respectively. Though, seemingly nothing obvious has changed on the surface, yet everything has, be it our day-to-day normal lifestyle or how businesses used to function, things aren’t going to be the way they were for a long time now, at-least.

Having said that, even the way digital marketing was done earlier, isn’t the same anymore, the way things have shaped up, has made people more self-aware and conscious of their surroundings, thus, the accountability of the organizations has increased dramatically and so creating and maintaining a positive perception about themselves, should be the utmost and sincere priority of any business organization. Though, unfortunately in any crisis, it is the marketing budget which takes a hit, but it should be kept in mind that the resources invested in marketing aren’t a frivolous expenditure, but a prudent investment, to create and maintain your brand identity, as well as, creating a trust-worthy bond with your customers, assuring them that all is well and things shall look up soon.

Here are some aspects which shall demand more focus in digital marketing post COVID-19:

1. Cultivating an integrated approach – Digital marketing isn’t an activity that can be pursued in isolation, marketing has seen a paradigm shift, and the use of analytics is being seen on a widespread basis. Integrated marketing is the need of the hour, where the behavior of the consumers can be understood and predicted well before-hand. With the change in times, traditional style of marketing doesn’t fit the bill anymore; not the focus is on creating a ‘personalized’ and ‘relevant’ digital marketing model instead of a generic experience.

          As per Diaz Nesamoney, “Marketers in the post-COVID-19 era will have to rethink what technologies they really need, which ones can help them save money, and which ones can help them transform their businesses that have been altered by this crisis. Marketing technology that helps with the above business needs will therefore be considered essential and the rest may end up in the garbage heap of tech-driven promises that never delivered true Marketing ROI”.

Nowadays, careful and strategic placement of ads on social media, frequently visited websites by the consumers, relevant e-commerce websites are used to pique the interest of the consumers. Here is where Zivanta Analytics can help you gain traction and competitive advantage by the use of our data analytic tools to target your consumer base. Hence, the use of traditional marketing tools won’t be a great idea, but incorporating modern analytical tools to track consumer behavior and convert the leads into final sales, successfully, is the focal point.

2. Increased Focus on ROI – With the pandemic hitting across, the shopping patterns of the people have changed, wherein people prefer more of online shopping rather than going out. This implies that, definitely the marketing strategies too shall have to go undergo changes, wherein companies will have to invest in building and strengthening their online presence. This means that ROI generating tools like SEO, programmatic advertizing, conversational and interactive marketing shall be witnessing an investment jump. Because, this is where the future of digital and social marketing lies.
3. Enhanced attention on direct consumer based marketing – Companies operating in the sphere of Consumer Packaged goods had and to a certain extent, are still bearing the brunt of the pandemic. This was bound to happen because of their over-reliance on the brick-and-mortar stores, where in they were due to obvious reasons unable to create a bond with the consumers, this negatively impacted their business, but now the lesson has been learnt, hence they are now driving their focus on building consumer relations and concentrating on 1:1 B2C marketing strategy.

     Since the lockdown was announced, people had stopped going out to buy goods, which obviously resulted in them buying the same goods over online portals, thus, those businesses which had already established themselves in the e-business sphere, gained a lot, in comparison to those who lacked an online presence. Marketing via traditional methods like TV ads, Print media, OOH, have taken a backseat and an enhanced focus is being channelized towards digital marketing, more-so, because it is cheaper, direct, targeted and offers the use of analytics to customize the ads and offer the marketer the flexibility to customize the ads as per the customers’ preference.

With established businesses across different verticals, experiencing a slump, they all are quickly moving towards digital marketing, for instance brands like McDonalds and local businesses etc have strengthened their online food and other products delivery mechanism, because that is what the time demands and the looming uncertainty whether and when things will shift back to the olden times, have propelled them to go ahead. Hence, this implies, that in the coming near future, a lot of investment will be directed towards platforms focusing on personalized digital marketing, which shall help to create and manage content, automate messages, deliver personalized messages and respond to queries, design specific offers etc. This shows that there has been a considerable shift in the marketing style, and now the theory of One Size, Fits All, doesn’t work anymore, to that effect.

4. Effective use of PPC – In the times of the pandemic, the supply of goods and services got limited due to obvious reasons, therefore, the ads being shown on different leading marketing channels like Facebook Ads, Google Ads, etc. were lesser, hence it meant that utilizing PPC in an effective manner, would yield amazing results for your company, and this had happened precisely during the COVID times.

     Due to the fact that people were staying at home, there was an enhanced surge in traffic and online searches, but the competition along-with the cost of paid ads, has seen a downward spiral. This means you could use this opportunity to effectively enhance your brand visibility and gain traction, therefore increasing your sales and traffic. A well thought of and a strategized marketing strategy by combining SEO, SMO and PPC etc can give your business the much desired boost.

 

With people avoiding market places, the digital footprint of people across digital media has enhanced exponentially. This tremendous increase which has happened has been unprecedented, therefore, it is always a great idea to stay of the game, not only you can effectively target your customers for increasing your sales, but you can use these social media channels to create a responsible and positive image of your brand, one which works to uplift the humanity, thus, further deepening your bond with the audience, especially in times like these, where the world needs many helping hands.

The moment to act and jump on to the ship of digital revolution has arrived, so the sooner you act, the better.

(P.C.- Unsplash, @yuni_ladyday2)

As the popular saying goes, ‘Time and Tide, wait for none’, this is applicable for everyone and every sector across the globe, not only in general parlance but also in practical observation, especially after battling a pandemic on such a huge scale. COVID-19, was unexpected for many of us, and had caught us unawares, but unfortunately, despite knowing the fact that the virus is wreaking havoc, nothing substantial could be done to offset that, unfortunately, not only business but personal lives of people was the worst affected, with many people being rendered jobless, homeless and many losing their family members.

The Hotel, Travel and Tourism industry is one of the largest employers worldwide, but the pandemic has dealt a huge blow to the industry per se, and USA being no different, but as they say, ‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going’; the hotel and travel sector is no different, though it has suffered comparatively bad as compared to other industries but all hope’s not lost, as per a report by Statista, ‘Revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2020-2025) of 21.8%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$113,367m by 2025.

Below is a graph represented by Neil Patel indicating the impact of COVID-19 on the traffic across various industries:

 

So here are some of the steps, that you as hoteliers, irrespective of the size of your business can take to market yourself prudently and emerge successful out of this pandemic; but one thing which has to be kept in mind, before progressing forward is, that you need to keep a healthy budget allocated specifically for the purpose of marketing, though undoubtedly the times are hard and the near possibility of the sector picking up the same pace as pre-COVID levels seems a little tough, but it should be kept in mind that this is an investment for your business’s future, once when normalcy starts trickling in, that is when you can reap benefits of your wise decision:

1. First and foremost, work and assess your current Digital Marketing strategy- Before taking any step, it is important to evaluate your current digital marketing strategy. Having a good digital marketing strategy is the need of the hour, especially during such times when people are hardly venturing out of their homes and have whole and sole access to the digital world, thus, building a strong online presence and subsequent visibility should be your priority. In times like these, when finances are tight, digital marketing has and visibly taken precedence over other forms of marketing, because it is economical, faster and effective than others. A well thought of and planned e-mail marketing campaign and a social media campaign if directed to the right audience, shall fetch the optimum results. It is best to get hyper-segmented with your target audience; here you should think creatively by not only using the already famous social media platforms, but also use other channels productively by reaching out to new customer base.
2. Update your Google My Business Page, with immediate effect- It is important to let your customers know if there has been any change in your business operations after re-opening of your business, post COVID, i.e. the timings, business description, any updated contact numbers, etc. Since, customers are your priority, they should be the first to know about any such changes, this shall be convenient for them and also improve your Google rankings significantly.
3. Optimizing your website and SEO strategy – As they say, ‘It’s better to be safe than sorry’, once the pandemic slows down, the demand will slowly but surely pick up and it is best to be prepared for the incoming surge. Although hotels, be it big, small or boutique have some or the other kind of online presence and many have a dedicated website, but now you can directly tap into the customers who are approaching you for making a reservation at your property. The main factor here is to offer a valuable and a clear proposition to your potential audience and the extra benefits, they shall have access to if they book directly from your portal.

 You can discuss some strategies with your finance guys and other stakeholders, who can suggest some novel ways to entice people who book directly from your website. Not only that, your website should be high on aesthetic value, ease of navigation and apt description, because since you are operating in the leisure industry vertical, thus, here looks, feel and ease of your services visual presentation, go a long way. You can also capture audience with the help of lead generation, wherein every e-mail id entered or any other contact detail shared, shall act as a way to capture potential customer.

If there’s a provision for loyalty points for your hotel business, then even that should be mentioned and highlighted on your website, this is to encourage and motivate the consumers and make them feel a sense of privilege; in here you can optimize your loyalty program further, based on the spending capacity and profile of the existing customers.

Not only this, you can track those customers, who left their booking incomplete on your portal, by sending them reminder mails as well as targeting them with ads on their frequently visited website, this is called as cart abandonment re-marketing.

Having a proper SEO strategy can boost your website’s ranking on various search engines, therefore using proper long-tailed keywords in your content, can enhance your performance and enhance customer footfall on your website due to better visibility.

4. Maintaining a continuous communication channel with your customers- People, per se aren’t able to undertake travel due to obvious reasons, but still it would be a great idea to share your offerings with them on a regular basis, especially in times like these, where everyone is looking for a positive change and needs a break from the monotonous life pattern. Therefore, it is a wise decision to communicate frequently with your consumers, you can tell them about:

• Steps taken to protect your hotel staff and property
• Any discounts, packages and offerings
• COVID and its impact on the local area, nearby to the hotel
• How do they plan to ensure a safe experience for the guests, etc

It is imperative for you to maintain a continuous, effective and an affable line of communication with your customers, because the hotel industry is all about maintain a healthy lasting bond with the people, at large. Here you can use multiple social media channels to reach out to people, be it Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. because every platform caters largely to a different sector of audience, thus your marketing strategy has to crafted specifically for each platform and a consistent outreach has to be there.

Then of course, there can be direct communication from your end, be it via your blogs or the traditional yet most effective way of e-mail marketing.

5. Get the best out of OTA’s- Having an online presence, especially during the COVID-19 is of utmost necessity, because you have to be there where your audience is, not only this helps in generating revenues for your business, but also helps in expanding your consumer base. Therefore, having many OTA connections, will always yield the best results for your business, presuming that your business is already enlisted on many OTA’s, engaging with other OTA’s shall open your brand to many new customers, who might access newer OTA’s instead of the older ones. While you do enlist yourself on OTA’s, it is important to mention and draw attention to the services provided at your property, the star rating, room types, cancellation policy, check-in and check-out times, etc.

 It is also important to continuously track and analyze your performance on the OTA’s, it’s not a one-step process, because having a continuous positive ranking on the OTA’s shall not only boost customer perception about you, but also ensure more bookings for your property.

6. Ensure best use of Meta-search engines- So as we know Meta-search engines like Trivago, Google Hotel Ads, Trip Advisor etc., help customers compare hotel property prices reflected across different OTA’s and aid people in making a booking and this trend won’t come down, but might just go up. Therefore, it’s a good idea to enroll yourself with a couple of popular meta-search engines, if not already there, not only shall they help you enhancing your customer base, drive more of direct bookings, increase your revenue, improve your brand visibility as well as improve your brand value and reputation, amongst other benefits.
7. Make best use of Analytics to drive up your reach – Analytics is the best tool to help you drive up outreach and know more about your existing customer preferences and predict nearly accurately regarding the behavior of your potential customers. You can compare past and present trends to know and prep up yourself regarding the anticipated changes, what matters here is how pro-active you are, and here is where a digital marketing agency can help you in preparing a solid base by focusing on the detailed micro-aspects like data analysis, frequent A/B webpage testing for CTA tabs, A/B testing for your e-mail based marketing campaign, etc. so that you can easily focus on building a macro plan to strategize and optimize your marketing plan to make the best use of this time and are able to bide the tide by wisely investing your time and resources to capture the lost ground due to the pandemic.

We really hope that these above-mentioned strategies shall help you in kick-starting your journey on the way to recovery of your business, the times have been challenging for all and still, there’s a lot of unpredictability still looming around us, but if you take certain pro-active measures, then undoubtedly you can successfully overcome the challenges and see the business bouncing with more vigor.  Do reach out to us and we shall be more than happy to help your business grow to abound.

(P.C.- Unsplash, @ellicia_)

Undoubtedly, the flower business has grown by leaps and bounds, not only in the States but worldwide. Gone are the days, when flowers were a mere accompaniment with the main gift, but today they have taken the center-stage, with beautiful flower arrangements and decors being readily available for different occasions, not only are they aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, but carry the emotions of the giver in an effective manner.

Florist business is expected to reach revenues of nearly $16bn by 2023, definitely, COVID-19 has had a negative impact, but it shall pick up for sure, because of the variety, safety and cost-effectiveness they offer. With online flower purchasing going up every year and many competitors entering the fray, it becomes a heavily competitive area and all the more imperative for your business to stand apart from the rest. Let’s see some ways, as o how can you promote your business via different modes:

1. Having a beautiful, easily navigable and a precise website- For any business, existence of a good website is imperative, especially in today’s times where people are using and opting for services which are online centric and if you aren’t there yet, undoubtedly that shall create one too many hurdles for your business. But, fret not because it’s never too late to start, and we at Zivanta Analytics can help you precisely do that. Your website acts as a focal point of attraction for your customers, not only it acts as a representation of your physical store, if any, but also spreads your business on to a wider area and covers wider audience, so a well designed website is of utmost importance in today’s times, because a poorly designed website won’t only convey a negative image about your business but also drive away customers and most importantly wouldn’t rank higher on any search website based on organic search.

        A good website would attract customers to your store and if you offer online delivery services, then it’s best to mention which area and what all related services do you offer, clarity on this shall give your business the desired impetus and a higher search engine ranking. There are certain points which should be kept in mind, prior to designing and launching any website, i.e. the ease of use and navigation, how convenient is the site layout, presence of all important contact details, presence of all other service and business related information, loading speed, aesthetics of the website and most importantly, does it resonate with your business story.

2. Ad listing on Google- Google is one such platform where you can easily generate local ad listings, because for local florists’ location and apt contact details are the whole and soul for your business. It’s a pre-requisite to have a Google My Business account, and the information mentioned here is up-to date, because your business can suffer on many accounts if certain vital information pertaining to your business is missing then this shall impact your Google rankings, negatively.

        One way to boost your rankings in an organic way is to have many reviews posted by your users, and the more they are positive the better, because, in today’s times, new customers prefer taking stock of honest opinions prior to approaching any business, as they are worried about every penny they spent and there is a genuine trust on past buyers, who post their experiences because a business house can’t manipulate all the reviews. Therefore, if your business has plenty of good reviews, then your rankings will definitely rise up and in case, there are any complaints, then solve them as soon as possible; this shall reflect a prompt, attentive and diligent customer service as well as create a positive image of your business.

3. Apt use of Social Media- Social media is where you can use multiple platforms and different market your content and business, as per the demands of the audience and thus target a wider range of people. For instance, you can promote your content with posts and suitable pictures on Facebook, post pictures of your different flower arrangements on Instagram with catchy slogans and bouquet of pictures on Pinterest, the latter two options being on your primary list, because your products are related to visual merchandising and these two platforms solely cater to that aspect, as well as they help you target the demography you are aiming for, i.e. more of teens, youngsters and women because they are the ones who make the most of such purchases and this is the demographic having a higher and responsive presence on both these platforms.

    For instance these are some ideas which you can channelize to boost up your Social Media presence and engagement:

• Posting business info online
• DIY tips on a regular basis
• Tips to beautify your home with the help of flowers
• Flower gifting ideas every month
• Customer reviews and feedback
• Offers, discounts, and promotions on a regular basis

4. Using data analytics – With the continuous increase in the volume of sales via online mode, the door of opportunities for the business won’t ever close for you, and here is when you can use the inputs generated via business analytics to your advantage. Many companies across different sectors, track consumer behavior to predict the trends and earn higher revenues, by targeting their next move and anticipated preferences. For instance, tracking an incomplete purchase on your website or monitoring the past purchases of your customers, can help you remind them of the placing an order, the same time next year or by keeping them in the loop with various promotional activities from your end, so as to maintain your customer base.
5. Creating attractive blog content – With you being in a business where visual effects carry immense importance, you can re-post and re-share your posts posted on Instagram and photos shared on Pinterest with an attractive article on your website. A well researched and a well-written article, with proper research done for boosting SEO performance, shall definitely create wonders for you. Not only shall this increase the consumer traffic on your website and make it more popular, but also posting worthwhile content regularly, for instance on topics like designing ideas, home décor trends related to your business, gifting ideas, etc. shall create a loyal customer-brand relationship, if they find these blogs engaging and productive.

 

These were just some of the ideas to get you started for promoting your business online, if not already there and if you are already having an online presence, then you can use these ideas to further leverage and gain traction.

With COVID-19 hitting the people like a bolt out of the blue, the severity and the anticipated impact wasn’t which was accounted to. The landscape of how the world operates has changed dramatically and so has that of the USA due to the virus. People across the globe had been laid off unexpectedly across various sectors, be it the hospitality or the aviation or telecom, etc. The list is endless, but there are some businesses which have not only retained their clients but have also grown during the pandemic. With people learning to adapt to the new normal, some traditional businesses which had taken a backseat earlier have also come to the fore-front yet again, for instance home-made food delivery, health-care services, etc.

      (P.C.- Unsplash, @jakaylatoney)

      Let’s take a look at some of the businesses which have sustained themselves successfully during such demanding times:

1. Supermarkets- With the pandemic hitting the habits of the people to eat outside on a regular basis, they were now looking for options to prep their meals by selves and have healthier meals to remain in good health. With the take home and delivery of food business still remaining as it is, even going up higher in terms of business volumes generated, but the super-marts had seen a tremendous increase in their revenue footfall, be it for sales regarding with purchasing of daily essentials as well as food items. Some of this was even a result of initial panic buying but people who had time in their hand, explored different avenues and tried their hands at baking or cooking exquisite meals, some items like the flourless cakes or Dalgona coffee were major social media trends during the pandemic.

(P.C.- Unsplash, @imants72)

2. Meal preparation and delivery services – With people opting for home-cooked meals or preferring food from outside which is prepared in a well sanitized and a safe environ, a demand for services related to ready to eat meals and food delivery services have risen up, dramatically. Many local food joints have seen a rise in demand of meal prep services and are witnessing a surge in orders, as well as have seen an increase in their customer base.

 (P.C.- Unsplash, @lightphonics)

3. Tutoring and online education platforms – With children being unable to attend schools and youngsters unable to attend universities for a long time, parents across USA were rightly worried about their children’s future, that couldn’t be held at stake. Therefore, the sudden rise of online education portals and hike in the demand for private tutors didn’t come as a surprise. With the demand in safety and precautions on the rise and avoiding public interface being a priority for people, the preference has risen for limited contact amongst people. That’s why parents prefer at home tutors who can supplement the virtual education being taken by their children. Many at home tuition services have hired tutors who can teach young children at their homes.

 Virtual education platforms like Chegg etc. are also offering education-related services to help children on various aspects to overcome the lag in education which rose up due to the pandemic.

(P.C. – Unsplash, @mohammadshahhosseini)

4. Behavioral health practitioners, psychiatrists, psychologists, et al. – With the COVID -19 impacting people in a negative manner, i.e. people losing their jobs as a result they suffer from financial distress, suffering from depression, familial issues, societal pressure, isolation etc., therefore all these things have taken a toll on the mental health of the people, as these cases have risen across USA, they have taken re-course to psychological and behavioral counseling. To help people, many psychologists, therapists, psychiatrists have taken to virtual counseling methods. Rise in the apps like Talkspace, Betterhelp, etc. have acted as distress relievers for the people, more-so because they are convenient, economical and flexible to use.

(P.C. – Unsplash, @anthonytran)

5. OTT and Entertainment Portals- With people staying at home for long and WFH becoming norm for the day, modes of entertainment had been limited to a few due to obvious reasons. As people couldn’t venture out for even a walk in the park, use of entertainment portals like Amazon Prime, Netflix, etc. have seen a spike, with the latter adding 16 million new subscribersduring the first quarter of 2020.

(P.C. – Unsplash, @molliesivaram)

6. Sports and Fitness equipment Industry- As people were confined within the four walls of their house, fitness in general had taken a backseat, and was even a harsh time for fitness enthusiasts and regular gym goers, as any such public centre was closed, and still haven’t returned to the Pre-COVID levels. People across USA have turned to home gyms, wherein they are ordering fitness equipments like yoga mats and other products, demand for which are on the rise.

Fitness companies are offering virtual classes to people where they can watch recorded or live sessions as per their convenience as well as there are rising tech start-ups that offer internet-connected fitness equipment for instance, Mirror, Fightcamp, etc.

(P.C. – Unsplash, @krakenimages)

7.  Delivery Services- With people hardly stepping out of their homes or only when it was needed the most, delivery services of both essential and non-essential goods had picked up. There has been seemingly a hike in the professional delivery services across States, especially in the food and corporate retail delivery services, for instance, delivery of groceries, medicines, etc.

8. Sanitizer and Mask Production – Though, the last on the list but probably the most important sector which has skyrocketed, be it in terms of sales or identity; irrespective of the company size, all companies engaged in this business have seen a visible jump in their production capacity and resultant revenues, as well as, there has been an opening for new entrants as well, who tapped the market at the opportune time.

 As per the claims of Chicago based Terraboost Media’s they have emerged as an objective based OOH Media advertizing agency, which successfully created a network of more than 72k hand sanitizing billboards, which dispensed sanitizer and wipes, along-with displaying messages and advisory to the consumer, who entered Super-marts, pharmacies, groceries, etc. These high engagement figures indicate the essential need and demand of the sanitizers; As per Terraboost Media’s CEO Brian Morrison “In today’s current environment, people are using them everywhere they go. Its guaranteed engagement; almost every person uses a wipe. The engagement is almost equal to foot traffic,” Morrison added. “The hand-sanitizing billboards reach a vast audience, and 94% of shoppers have positive opinion of company sponsoring them.”

The mask making industry has also picked up steam, till a while ago, the usage of the same was restricted to emergency and other healthcare services, prominently, but with COVID virus being transmittable, masks have come as a first shield of defense, which are indispensable; therefore, not only are big companies from across the globe are manufacturing masks, but even small tailors, boutique owners, fashion designers are coming up with specially designed masks, to suit the tastes of the customer, since nowadays it has become an essential need, which is mandatory to be carried at all times.

(P.C. – Unsplash, @taiscaptures)

We have seen examples of such businesses that waded the COVID waters successfully, there are many more to the list, but successful management of the business depends on a carefully thought out process, as well as proper implementation of marketing strategy. Though the pandemic has now come down from what it was from the starting of the year, it’s never too late to pick up and race ahead, because that’s what business and entrepreneurship are all about.

(P.C.- https://jbbakery.com/about/our-story/bakery-collage/)

With the food and baking industry spanning across the country, especially during the lockdown when people harnessed their talent and started their own boutique bakeries, nor only has the competition risen on the horizon but also provided more options to the consumers, who will now have plethora of options to choose from, thus, acting as an incentive for you to further evolve and become creative with not only your products but also your marketing tactics. The baking industry generates more than $30Bn approximately, every year. Though the industry is highly fragmented and dispersed, but still there are a little more than 6000 retail bakers and approximately 3000 commercial bakers, operating across USA, this goes on to show the humongous size of this industry. As creative is the bakery sector, so shall be the numerous ways of reaching out to people, let’s look at some ways it can be done.

Website and Social Media Marketing-

1. Images and Content – Sharing delectable pictures of your bakery products; won’t only tempt your website visitors but also create positive imagery regarding your products and prompt willingness to try your offerings. Being in a creative field, your website should depict the same, i.e. it should be bright, colorful, and easily navigable but most importantly should be real, because stock photos won’t do much good for you and your business, as well as create trust deficiency between you and your clients.

     The content or the description of your products on your website should always be there and shall be accurate, this helps those users who might have some issues in loading pictures present on your website as well as placing SEO keywords, would help you rise up organically on Google Ad-word search rankings.

2. Easy to Navigate – Your website shall not only be aesthetically designed but should also have strategic placement of all important information related to your business, be it your work hours, location, products and services offered, contact form, etc. You can facilitate this process for your visitors by providing navigation and search bars on the top of your web-pages as well as have drop down menus, to help the users go through various snippets of information present on your website. We at Zivanta Analytics can help you come up with some really quirky and creative web designs, to give your business a Midas touch.
3. Online buying facility – Due to the COVID-19, people avoid going to public places an opt for home-delivery services, thus, if you offer online buying facility, then it should be mentioned on your website, as well as, if there are any specific instructions or information regarding the same, then that shall be mentioned clearly on your website, too. You can place your number or address, if there is a physical store and/or an e-mail id, where customers can reach out to you easily and can get quick responses.
4. Let’s talk about your USP – Your USP can be anything, whether it is your success story or your passion or some secret recipes passed over generations…anything that gives your brand a magical touch and makes it different from your competitors. Customers are always attracted to something which is unique, as that gives them a feeling of satisfaction and being part of a niche’ crowd. It always helps to have done your SEO research before-hand, by placing long-tail keywords and attractive images to help you push up on the search rankings of Google and other search websites.

(P.C.- Unsplash, @sutanto)

5.  Social Media – Social media is one such tool, where you can promote your content to a larger audience and that too at economical rates or even free if you are just starting…the plethora of options available on social media are endless as well as there is no dearth of options, be it Instagram or Facebook or Pinterest, where you can post your pictures and content easily and regularly.

But it should mean that you are respecting the time and privacy of the users and not constantly pester them with your posts, as that might irritate and alienate them from your brand for being too intrusive and generating a  negative connotation for your business. The way to win over and stand apart is by adopting a healthy mix of conversation, user engagement, promotion, and content, and this can be determined suitably by gauging your market, customers, and business mix and the resultant matrix.

Offline Marketing

 This form of marketing is very effective for those who have a physical store and would want to expand their business with the help of all accessible channels;

 

1. Entice your customers – This is the strategy which isn’t only free but most effective to build a relationship with your customers, just open the doors and let the aroma of your products waft through the streets, not only will this tempt the consumers but give them a chance to enter your store and make a purchase. It is here where you can strike up a conversation and tell them about your services and products offered, for instance if you offer healthy vegan options, gluten-free cakes, etc., thus, anything and everything which gives you a chance to connect and establish a relationship with your customers. For Instance that’s how Starbucks or Costa Coffee or many major cafes place themselves to entice the walking customers with the aroma of coffee and freshly baked goods.
2. Offer free samples – Who doesn’t like good and tasty stuff …that too free? It does sound an amazing offer and people will mostly be up for trying your products, the best part is that not only you and the other people get to know about your business, but you can experiment with the product variety offered by you and get a genuine feedback on those products, this shall give you a first-hand idea about what the customer wants and how successfully are you meeting the demands. Not only this, let’s say if 100 people try your products and even 10 return back to buy something from you, that implies new business opportunities.
3. Offer classes to learn baking and patisserie items – One way to tap into what people like and getting to know them as well as generating a personal touch is where you can offer baking classes, where you can teach them how to bake certain items famous from your bakery. This will help build a close knit relationship with some of your customers, generate positive word of mouth publicity and give you an insight as to what your consumers want. You can try this on a pilot basis, if this turns out to be successful, then you can create some packages to attract people, this shall help in cultivating a positive brand image for your bakery.
4. Offer discounts and sell custom merchandise products – Offering products at reasonable rates or at discounted rates is always a great idea to attract customers and generate curiosity regarding your products amongst the people. For instance selling Macaroons at baker’s dozen for $10 won’t be the same as getting 7+6 Macaroons for $10, the difference lies in perception and how well are you able to market upon that. As a bakery business owner you need to continuously come up with strategies and tactics, that enhance the value of your business, offer tremendous growth and outreach and at the same time is cost-effective, for instance offering coupons, free samples etc. on a regular basis to maintain the interest of your consumers and attract new ones.You can offer customized merchandise to your customers, as many customers like supporting and patronizing local businesses, therefore you can offer them mitts, aprons, mugs, cooking trays, chopping boards, etc. all embossed with your logo, or conduct events from time to time and give these products as free giveaways to make the customers feel special.
5. Work with the community or volunteer groups – Self volunteering and/or engaging with local community to help them better their lives, is always a good idea to be associated with, not only does this make your brand value more positive, enhances your relationship with the local community. So you can go ahead and align yourself with the goals that sounds most favorable with your audience and this you can do by analyzing their preferences.

We have presented you a mix of ideas to further your bakery business, by incorporating a healthy mix of online and offline methods, the matrix to be followed shall depend upon your business needs and resource availability. As the bakery business is booming, so shall the needs for smart and strategically crafted Digital Media strategies.

With the COVID-19 pandemic creating a negative impact on all sectors, education too has been negatively impacted; schools, colleges, universities al have been shut down, thus creating a poor impact on children, worldwide. Because of the sudden emergence of the pandemic, an undeniable repercussion on children’s future had to be mitigated and thus, was realized the importance of virtual education, which till recently was a close second to traditional methods of teaching. With the re-opening of educational institutions still being debatable till the arrival of vaccine, home-grown schooling with the help of ed-tech companies is on the rise. Ed-tech education is not only time saving, convenient and tailored to suit the needs of the students but is also cost effective and impactful.

The USA in the present times has a strong higher education sector, with over 77 million students; USA prior to COVID-19 had the largest online degree business, with approximately 3M students pursuing a course totally via online modules, the total market cap of which was around $20Bn and is still expanding, despite some turbulence seen due to the pandemic.

(P.C.- Unsplash, @bramnaus)

Marketing Strategies that can be effective for the Ed-tech companies

1. E-mail based marketing – Despite the fact, it is one of the oldest forms of marketing, yet its effectiveness hasn’t diminished with time. The efficacy of this form of advertizing surpasses for the Ed-tech sector, as compared to others, provided that the mails are targeted to correct audience, focused on interests and point of concern of the people, thereby, eliciting maximum engagement rate. Before sending mails, it is important to note to avoid being marked as spam mails as well as have a low bounce rate and this can happen only if you are clearly able to understand the different decision makers you shall be targeting and how helpful will you be solving their issues, i.e. selected and optimized content for the segmented audience.
2. Video Marketing- Video marketing is an interesting way to capture the interest of your audience as well as target them effectively. Video marketing works with the help of visual imagery, which creates a deep impact on the recall memory of the potential customers. Video marketing is a fluid tool, which can be shared across different platforms and with multiple users at once, but all this happens if the video has been designed thoughtfully. Why is this an important tool of marketing, that’s because it accounts for approximately 69% of the internet traffic, thus, capturing a substantial part of viewer engagement.

 Though, one thing has to be kept in mind before promoting your videos, i.e. which platform to opt for because all have their own pros and cons, for instance promoting on open platforms like Youtube would give you a wider exposure, would be economical but has too much of ads which might disrupt the viewer experience, whereas you can use other platforms but they might not be economical nor that famous, but can give a seamless user experience, so it all depends on what your priority is.

For instance, there’s Khan Academy, which is one of the world’s most successful Ed-tech companies, having approximately a million teachers registered on their platform, the reason why they are successful is that they prioritize students learning at their own pace as well as have built a platform to facilitate learning crafted as per the users’ individual style.

1. Use of Social Media- Social media is the most convenient and effective platform to reach out to various segments of your target audience, it’s more useful because most people across the world who have internet access are somewhere present on one or multiple social media platforms, therefore, making your outreach easier. For Ed-tech companies, it’s an effective tool because not only can they post their content on various social media groups and pages, but at the same time, they are cost effective and time saving. The only thing to be kept in mind before progressing ahead is to make sure that the content posted is impactful, solves queries of the target consumer as well as at the same time, not abusing the power of free access, as that might create a negative reputation.
2. Importance of SEO – Ed-tech companies can offer customized solutions to various interested parties, i.e. be it teachers, students, parents, etc., who shall be on an active lookout for services they need. Being in the tech sector, the companies would definitely know the prowess of internet as a tool and how technology can influence the decision of the interested parties and thereby, how you can enhance your marketing techniques. Thereby, it is of utmost importance to focus on SEO, thus, your website and the subsequent content should be designed as SEO friendly, which makes your website rank higher on Google search and various other search engines for selected keywords.
3. Pay per click marketing – If your search results aren’t yielding satisfactory results organically, then the right way to go ahead is to invest wisely for PPC advertising, and we at Zivanta Analytics can help you drive up your search results organically by optimizing various parameters to enhance lead generation for your business, for instance strategically placing and designing your ads to target the specific consumer segment.

 Having seen some of the digital marketing strategies, let’s have a look whom to target with these tactics:

1. Students- Many companies design their programs to target students, by focusing on their needs and making the study plans more economical, flexible and easy to understand, as well as helping them solve their problems, for instance Chegg or Quizlet.

 

2. Teachers- Teachers play a pivotal role in success of any Ed-tech company, by ensuring that if they are convinced f their services and offered products, they will encourage and propagate its use, not only amongst students, but also amongst parents, higher authorities and their respective social circle, thus, involved in positive word of mouth publicity for your company. You can offer basic or premium services to the teachers based on their requirements, for instance MasteryConnect and Evernote are two such popular tools amongst teachers, to help them track students performance and other parameters.

3. Parents- This is an example of direct-to-consumer business approach, which involves directly targeting customers like parents, who act as the end consumer. Offering a service or a product that intends to cater to students and teachers can be a great opportunity to attract parents as customers.

4. Schools/ Educational Institutes – Although, it involves a steady and a tough approach since a major part of getting schools and other such institutions on-board is the fact, that if they are convinced of the products and services offered by the Ed-tech companies based on the feedback of educators and students, then only they shall go ahead and invest their resources in such a product. One such successful business model was adopted by TeachBoost, they directly approached the school principals’ who were played a pivotal part in such decision making.

5. Partnering with other Ed-tech companies- one major way to grow your business model is by partnering with similar Ed-tech companies and work in collaboration with them, or sell your products to those companies, one such company which successfully achieved its target is Clever, who as per their claim say that 89 out of the top 100 school districts use it.

 Finally, it is very important to assess your buying cycle for your sector, thus, prior to moving ahead, you should take into consideration the buyer needs, their journey and how you can use that information to strategize further, which though, might be time taking, but once properly thought of and implemented, it can help you fix future flaws easily and give you a ready framework in place for a long time.

Source: KISSmetrics

With the pandemic changing the normal way of life lived earlier, Ed-tech companies have a long way to prosper ahead, but along-with growth come challenges and resistance. Having said that, it can all be worked out conveniently if all the interested parties are brought on-board and at the same time, your marketing strategy is effective and is in place. It should be noted that it won’t be a bed of roses, but with the undeniable impact of education on everybody’s life, adopting the right approach can help you get a buy-in from the target audience and the right time.

Aesthetics for any and everything always have an impressionable presence, which aids in not only creating a positive aura of that particular object but also reflects the style of your business entity. With a plethora of businesses having their online presence, the competition to stand apart and creating your own unique identity is gaining traction day by day, therefore, it is important to stand apart from the crowd and that shall happen if you invest in creating and building your brand aesthetic.

Why is brand aesthetic important?

A brand aesthetic refers to the visual appearance of your website or blog, which helps to identify and recognize the personality of your brand. Brand aesthetic helps in aligning your social channels to ensure and maintain consistency. Having a unique and personalized style aids you in standing apart from your competitors, especially on platforms like Facebook or Instagram, where visual content plays a major role, in registering your brand presence in the minds of the people. Having  a collective style and pattern across different social media channels leads to credibility for your consumers, as well as keep the employees on the same page regarding any changes and that ensures consistency.

Tips to create brand aesthetic

1. Know your business and target audience – The first step in creating a brand aesthetic is knowing your brand persona and if that’s clear as a crystal, then voila you know how to create your brand aesthetic. It depends how you want to convey your brand as, something chic, modern, bold, joyful or serious and what values do you want your consumers to gauge of you. It’s always a better idea to mix and match your styles and regularly update your brand aesthetic…not only it helps in creating novelty but also lends different interesting hues to your consumers, by pleasantly surprising them.

    What is important here, is all the audience to whom you are catering to, what choices and preferences do they have and most importantly what kind of behavior do they reflect towards your brand aesthetic and here is where analytics can play a very important role to help you gauge the correct metrics and we at Zivanta Analytics can help you exactly do that.

2. Opting for attractive color palettes or filters- Visual imagery is all about creating impressionable posts, by displaying attractive colorful pictures and providing uniformity to your posts. To improve the look and feel of your posts, you can opt for various hues or filers on your feed for instance opting for retro or contemporary hues, whatever suits your brand persona. You can build your own business identity by using color palettes by mixing and matching different colors, to give a consistent feel to your posts.
3. Posting content that gels with your brand identity- It always pays to display your content in a quirky yet impressionable manner, so why not display pictures of your products or services in a flat lay off manner to attract the attention of your customers. If your posts are catchy enough to gain attention and resonate with your followers, then you might be in luck as they can act as your brand ambassadors, if they re-post your content on their Instagram account, then not only your customer interaction base increases but also you’ll have user generated content that’s organic and real. You too can do the same, when you post content of your customers and followers, that’s called as UGC (User generated content), this helps in building a healthy relationship based on trust and awareness; UGC offers amazing benefits for your business, as these days many prospective customers are first likely to evaluate original experiences of the users who have used your products or undertaken your services, and if it is all positive, then this makes you trustworthy and authentic.
4. Having a toolkit ready for your aesthetic resources – Once the basic toolkit of your preferred and chosen fonts, designs, styles and colors is selected, for your brand aesthetic, it’s important to have them all in one place. If you have a ready toolkit for your workers, associates and yourself then you can easily access any ready templates, formats, fonts and fillers for posting your content. There are many free and economical resources to save and create your library of images, for instance you can use Google Drive, Dropbox, Citrix or Onedrive, etc. Here you can build catalog of your different posts and save them securely.
5. Create a branded Hashtag for your business – A branded hashtag acts as a differentiating factor for your business apart from other business entities and helps you reach out to new customers, as well as help in generating higher social media engagement. For instance, in Redbull’s #PutACanOnIt campaign, in here the company engaged its customers by asking them to put a creative spin on Redbull cans and take pictures of the same. This not only encouraged other brands like Pepsi, Perrier, etc. to come up with something that interesting but also showed successfully the overwhelming popularity of organic campaigns and user-generated content.

Let’s have a look at some successful examples of Instagram Brand Aesthetics:

1. Nike @ 122.7 Million followers

Nike quite often features sportsperson for their campaigns, which not only beautifully captures the human emotion but also creates a relationship between the customers and brand.

2. Colourpop Cosmetics @ 9.8 M followers

Colourpop is a cosmetic brand based out of LA and cleverly delivers what their customers would want to see on Instagram; they have a variety of product-related posts, swatches, tutorials, influencers using their product, etc. Their images are colorful, catchy, and leave an impression on the users.

3. Doug the Pug @ 4M followers

This is undoubtedly one of the most famous dogs’ Instagram handle worldwide, this dog is known for its unique pictures with colorful costumes and droopy tongue, thus engaging the users with their cute content.

4. Fabletics @ 1.7 M followers

Having established self as trustworthy, performance-oriented, focused on good quality, and being contemporary at the same time, knows how to use Instagram well for their promotion and user engagement. The main point of posting pictures on their Instagram handle is the fact that they promote positive imagery by posting pictures of their customers looking good, while they are exercising.