GUEST COLUMN: How digital marketing is growing post Covid-19

GUEST COLUMN: How digital marketing is growing post Covid-19

Understanding the trends that could dominate the market in 2022.

Amol Roy

Mumbai: Technology is fast infesting all of the world’s processes in today’s day and age. Digitisation has become the norm of the day and is fast-changing the way we see the world. The simplest and most regular of activities have now transitioned into a virtual format. In this scenario, the advertising and marketing arenas are no exception, as digital marketing has surfaced as the prime form of marketing in the 21st century.

Even though digital marketing as an industry has been on the rise for the better half of the decade, one cannot overlook the significant contribution that Covid has made in accelerating its growth. As per a report by Statista, the Indian digital marketing industry that valued at Rs 47 billion in 2015 had reached the value of Rs 199 billion in 2020. The report further went on to predict that the industry will continue on this remarkable trajectory and reach a staggering Rs 539 billion by 2024.

Since a principal reason for such paced growth of digital marketing as a field is the pandemic, one has to speculate its existence and growth after the pandemic is over as well. Especially with preventive vaccines rolling out and the probable end of the crisis approaching, an evaluation must be done with regard to what a firm operating in the industry can expect in the post-Covid era. Some trends as expected to dominate the landscape of digital marketing in the year 2022 are listed as follows-

Growing importance of content quality

‘Content is king’ is a popularly accepted phrase now. A company is primarily known and recognised by the content that is available on various platforms under its name as that is what a large chunk of prospective customers interact with. Thus, it is vital for the content to be top-notch as a brand’s image and potential business largely depend on the first impression it makes. Good quality content will captivate the reader’s attention and lure them in to glance at the products and services that you offer.

The quality of the content is, in fact, so crucial when it comes to making a mark on the potential customer and interesting them in your brand that it can prove to be a make or break factor for your digital advertising campaign's success. Digital marketers are expected to note this steadily growing trend of content importance and capitalise on it in the approaching year to gain customer trust and attention.

Influencer Marketing

The attention span of people is reducing by the day in this day of technology and fast entertainment. Nowadays, the prime priority of consumers is quickness and efficiency in all fields of life. Additionally, as the internet population grows more diverse and scattered, it becomes increasingly harder to capture their attention, even for a limited time. There is thus a need for digital advertising to be done in a manner that conveys all vital information in a crisp and engaging manner.

Additionally, there is also a need for marketing agencies to pick carefully the manner and the platform on which a particular offering will be advertised based on the target customer group. Influencer marketing is one tool that is fast picking up in today’s time due to its several benefits such as existing customer trust in their favourite influencers, affinity to popular platforms, and proven effectiveness. This trend is expected to escalate in the year 2022 as well owing to these and more perks that it carries.

Growing need and importance of virtual assistants

Technology is at the core of all innovation and is thus an integral part of 'the way forward.' AI has been ruling all industries for the greater part of this decade and is only expected to continue the streak. Automation and Chatbots have now made their way into most of the B2C communication that goes on in today’s date, thereby making these processes quick, efficient, and economic. It is critical for digital marketing firms to infuse the use of automation and AI in their daily processes to enhance their efficiency and results.

Summing Up

The digital marketing industry has experienced enormous growth in the wake of the Covid pandemic. However, as the pandemic is coming under control and drawing to a possible end, the industry is bound to undergo some substantial changes. In this scenario, it is important for a firm functioning in this industry to assess the trends that are expected to dictate the approaching times. Some of the principal trends as such were discussed in the scope of this article.

(Amol Roy is the founder of The Shutter Cast. The views expressed in the column are personal and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)