Which of the Following Is True About Online Direct Marketing?

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced marketers to pivot almost instantly to protect their businesses and ensure the sustainability of their organizations.

Even before the pandemic, the digital marketing world had changed. The spread of smartphones, the rise of social media, and the development of marketing automation had all helped to create a new normal. The old ways of doing business simply could not serve the needs of the new reality. As a result, traditional online marketing was overshadowed by newer, more agile forms of digital marketing.

Which of the Following Is True About Online Direct Marketing?

Robust Email List Growth

Perhaps the most telling indication of digital marketing’s ascent is the growth in email marketing. Marketers have known for some time that email was crucial to the success of any brand or product. However, the pandemic gave birth to a new form of email marketing – one that was efficient, quick, and highly effective.

Traditional email marketing, which is frequently delivered through a welcome email and a series of drip campaigns, can vary in terms of its effectiveness from a marketing perspective. Many companies still struggle to generate enough leads to justify the effort it takes to engage with potential customers through email marketing. This is why some companies might consider paid ads on social media more effective.

The rise of email marketing as a result of the pandemic should not come as a great surprise. Over the past two years, customers have learned to rely more heavily on their email inboxes for notifications and alerts relating to their favorite brands and products. This has given birth to a new type of consumer – the EMAIL CONSUMER.

Prior to the pandemic, Millennials represented the largest generation of online consumers in the United States. However, after Covid-19, Generation Z will be leading the way for a digital marketing revolution.

Increased Brand Awareness

Another important factor that helped to fuel the growth of online marketing during the pandemic is brand awareness. Customers all over the world have been forced to stay at home, avoiding crowds and purchasing restrictions. As a result, they have turned to the internet for more information about the brands and products that they love.

This desire to learn about brands has given birth to a new type of customer – the INFORMED CONSUMER.

Informed consumers are more likely to be reached through digital marketing than any other generation. The information and data that businesses and marketers have about their customers and potential customers is more valuable than ever before. The ability to target individuals and specific groups of people with laser-like precision is what sets apart the successful marketers from the pack.

Customer Retention Is No Longer A Challenge

Prior to the pandemic, marketers worried about the drop-off in customers that they experienced following a marketing campaign. However, thanks to the work of digital marketing, customer retention is no longer a concern for businesses.

Online marketing techniques, such as email marketing and social media, allow businesses to stay in touch with their customers. Notifications about new products and offers, as well as relevant information about current events, can be disseminated via email or social media to ensure that customers remain engaged.

However, even more importantly, these platforms provide businesses with the ability to listen and respond to their customers in real-time. The digital marketer’s job is not over once a customer has made a purchase. It is instead just the beginning – a continuous engagement process in which the consumer provides feedback and the company improves its offering based on that input.

Sales Growth Through Online Marketing

Businesses that adopted an online marketing strategy prior to and during the pandemic experienced a significant uptick in leads and sales.

While there are exceptions (such as travel and tourism, which have been heavily impacted by Covid-19), the overall trend supports the notion that digital marketing can and often does result in increased sales.

Marketers need to continue adapting their strategies to serve the needs of the new, post-pandemic environment. However, as the world continues to recover, these same marketers will be faced with the challenge of increasing brand awareness, customer engagement, and sales.