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Digital as a lighthouse in the COVID-19 pandemic

While the world shut down and the pace came to a bottleneck, digital teams across the globes provided light for the situation.

We got to see digital marketing become a central element that carried brands forward

In the early 00s, I sat down with an executive from Coca-Cola who had become my mentor and explained what I saw as the most exciting part of marketing from my perspective – digital strategy. Maybe it is the data nerd in me, or maybe it’s about being the least arbitrary I can be about marketing. But I have always appreciated the meat that comes with every channel in digital.

Google Trends, analytics, heatmaps, and other elements are all things I have deployed over the years to understand what is “next” on the horizon. Whether I have led a tech company as the lone marketing leader, or been the head of a team at a digital agency, the key for me has always been to create a comprehensive ecosystem and constantly be learning about the tools to be ready to amplify efforts at any given time.

Is your team built to move on a dime at any given time

If there is one thing that has been evident in this pandemic, it’s that the teams who were built to adapt to as many environments are the ones that have minimized the large impact this situation has created for millions. This goes beyond just consumer brands or enterprises and includes nonprofits. I’ve watched countless nonprofit organizations adapt their approaches, communicate with donors and as a result, they are driving record revenue above even their EOY revenue. A few of my friends are launching an entire giving platform during this time, after having discussed it for the past year. The realization is the concept marries well with what organizations need right now, so they amped up development and tested their limits of getting things out the door.

In my world, specifically, now is the time when my peers and I have been able to show that digital is no longer a sleek way to do marketing, but rather is a way to drive business forward. It didn’t happen overnight. But companies are wondering what to do now that events are frozen for the foreseeable future. Showing how digital can help offset those losses is critical.

Letting the data win is the best blueprint in these times

When COVID first hit, I’m sure we all remember where we were as it started to invade. I remember playing an NBA Nintendo game with my son when they came on the news, saying the NBA had postponed the season. 

With this in mind, marketers can see definitive trends with trends in consumers’ minds and with what is on the minds of those managing businesses across the globe. Digital teams can help provide a roadmap to reach the destination. At our fingertips, you can quickly see, and often forecast, trending areas to focus on for any given business.

Understanding what people are searching, what products are trending by exploring prepop product categories, what content on your sites that may be showing new levels of interest can lead to a critical level of success. Pairing your digital teams with your sales teams, or those with boots on the ground, is beyond mission critical.

Learning to stretch before critical moments is crucial for future success

One thing I have appreciated about my teams in recent years is we have collectively had an approach of testing every possible digital channel, every possible digital execution on-site for brands so that we understand what has legs and what doesn’t. It always nets success in an evergreen fashion and can amplify general digital campaigns. But when times hit where everything becomes much more important to stretch dollars, having a reliable set of muscles to lean on is program-saving.

Imagine if Tom Brady or Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods never really stretched their thinking, stretched their physical bodies in new ways. Muscle memory wouldn’t be there that differentiates them from others. They’d be less apt to win at the mind games. Golf is near impossible if you lose your own mind game! That crooked number above par can ruin a round…as it has for me numerous times! Unless I remember what has worked on the next hole that netted me the best score before.

Warming up now for the next phase of this pandemic is where you can win

Start testing if you are not. It doesn’t have to be thousands of dollars in testing. Test that user flow. Test a few CTAs. Understand if your visuals are working. Granularly understand your keywords and phrases that net the largest ROI for your business. Know which products are most profitable. Know the best way to get in front of your donors with the most effective message that doesn’t just scream “PANDEMIC.” Know when your industry is coming together for the larger good, like #GivingTuesdayNow.

When digital teams champion their craft and treat it like our favorite hobby, business wins. And in today’s environment, winning can really differentiate your team and create long-term success for your business and revenue goals.

You can become a great lighthouse for the business. This is the thought I had when my team took me to this famous lighthouse in Portland, Maine. Little did I know, we’d help during this pandemic in some ways that stretched us but brought us together in so many ways.