The Corona virus crisis may seem like a huge threat to businesses and jobs as well as health, but digital marketing may in fact take a great leap forward as a result.
How does online working keep Lebanese 🇱🇧 firms going?
A central issue as Lebanon and other countries emerge from the emergency will be the economy. While a recession is all but inevitable, steps must be taken by our newly elected government to endure that in due course, people will be able to return to their jobs and firms and hopefully start the recovery.
That is far from the whole story, however; The usefulness of acting remotely has not just applied to the workplace, but with a growing number of people finding that it equally applies to their lives as a whole:
- Ordering everyday shopping online is a practical alternative to venturing outside and enduring queues at busy supermarkets.
- Non-essential goods and services can be bought online, With e-commerce apps &websites.Â
- The internet can provide a source of entertainment while others are not available.
- The internet – especially social media – is increasingly a useful tool for staying in touch with friends and family who cannot be visited in person.
How do we respond in the short term?
If ever there was a time for digital marketing to come to the fore, it is now.
Billboards and other outdoor media ads, that would usually have been seen by thousands now stand beside empty streets.
In the meantime, with so many more people online and for longer, the chances of seeing ads on social media or interacting with content marketing are greater.
There are some obvious targets your businesses should focus on, with many goods in greater demand just now:
- Social media – as this will be all-important for maintaining links
- Websites with e-commerce content, will get more popular among Lebanese businesses.
- TV or Radio marketing – a bit costy but still works depending on your marketing plan.
What legacy will this bring?
Of course, when the restrictions are lifted the initial reaction of many will be to jump offline and do things that they couldn’t before – visiting friends and family, visiting theaters, returning to pubs, restaurants, sports grounds, places of worship, gyms and cafés. However, marketers should be aware that many economists expect the recovery to be gradual, rather than a strong rebound.
That also means the marketing strategies that will apply to the crisis will become obsolete.
However, it is likely that for many, using the internet more for shopping, gaming, keeping in touch and other activities will have become something of a habit.
In addition, it could well be that consumers emerge from the crisis with some very different priorities, values and attitudes – all of which could impact how they want to spend their time and money.
The growth of e-commerce and the use of the internet has already been a major feature of life and economics, but this crisis may serve to accelerate that growth.
How can PARALLAX help?
At Parallax, we are already seeking to help clients with extra discounts and offers to help them through the crisis period. But we can also help firms in the longer run to help develop tailored digital marketing strategies to suit them and their customer bases. This includes updating and upgrading strategies to help adjust to changing customer demands.