How Digital Marketing Has Changed Consumer Behavior Amidst The COVID-19 Pandemic

As we face unprecedented times today, it goes without saying that the COVID-19 outbreak has certainly altered the lifestyle of many, not just in Malaysia but in countries abroad as well. As a result of this, people are now living, buying, working and socializing differently due to various restrictions implemented by the authorities.

While it may sound gloomy, this has certainly not halted digital industries from getting back on track! As the saying goes, “where there’s a will, there’s a way”, digital marketers are now gradually recovering by working harder than ever to create an easier online environment for better user convenience.

Hatching out from traditional to digital marketing, taking advantage of new online platforms and organizing live stream webinars are some of the many ways digital marketing industries are evolving from the mayhem caused by this pandemic. With new strategies in place, the question arises: how has digital marketing changed consumer behavior? 

Rise of E-Commerce Services

The E-Commerce industry has seen a recent rise in demand among consumers after the movement control order was first introduced by the government back in March. This is because consumers choose to migrate from traditional to online shopping in an effort to stay home and travel less.

With E-Commerce gaining popularity among consumers, brick and mortar units are also restocking their physical outlets with more goods and products to ensure timely delivery of placed orders via marketplace apps such as Lazada, Shopee, Zalora, among others.

The Social Difference

More than anything else, one prime example that can be seen among consumers is how they are more inclined to technology as opposed to the pre COVID-19 days.

Taking advantage of this, entertainment apps such as Netflix and other streaming platforms have also jumped on the bandwagon to gain usage and sales boost for their brand, considering how these platforms have gained high usability rate since early April among consumers. 

Similarly, in April, popular e-book and audiobook service, Scribd launched their special Read Free offer which granted consumers unlimited access to their online library in the past month. Of course, there are more than one platform if you actually choose to go hunting for more free content within the online marketplace but, here’s an example of one.

Work From Home 

Working from home, or more commonly referred to as WFH is a strategy many employees and employers themselves never fathomed to have in a million years. While most employees never saw this coming, due to its impressive success, employers are now planning to implement work from home more frequently even after the outbreak has subsided.

Thanks to remote working and the right tools put in place, digital marketing has also gained prominence among consumers because of its easy accessibility and value-driven results.

The Emergence of Webinars

With many digital marketers in search of a new strategy to boost their brand name across many different regions around the world, the idea of hosting webinars simultaneously created new routes for them to market their products, services and bring awareness of their brand to consumers. 

With instant convenience that webinars bring to the table, gaining customer engagement has never been easier! Leveraging on this opportunity, we at TRINITY42 also offer our very own webinar series called Survival is Profit. This webinar series was created with the idea to help our clients and other SME business owners with the right tools they need to survive the pandemic. If you haven’t checked it out already, be sure to reach our official YouTube channel to gain insights on how you could grow your digital business today.