COVID-19 has caused a massive shift in our lifestyles, with people working from home wherever possible and everyone avoiding public events and social gatherings.
Needless to say, many businesses have had to adapt to the unprecedented situation too. With people only shopping for essentials in-store, online retail has gained a lot more attention. At this time, e-commerce and social media could provide a much-needed opportunity for businesses during lockdown.
The need to move online
The first noticeable change in lockdown for many retailers has been the need to put more focus into the digital side of their business. Or, for some, to move online in the first place. The nationwide ban on pubs and restaurants, other than those offering a takeaway service, has seen many start trading online for the first time.
Things are no different for any non-essential retailers. Whether they’re selling books, clothes or electrical appliances, shops that aren’t deemed ‘essential’ have now all been forced to close. Those businesses have faced a choice between shutting down temporarily until the measures are lifted or continuing to trade online.
More people browsing
At the same time, most of the public are on lockdown too. With the Government advising against non-essential trips out, other than one hour of exercise per day, there are a lot more people inside looking for something to do. This has led to a huge increase in traffic on both social media and e-commerce sites.
Facebook recently announced a significant increase in visitors to their sites (including Facebook and Instagram), saying: “The usage growth from COVID-19 is unprecedented across the industry, and we are experiencing new records in usage almost every day”. Meanwhile, 71% of UK marketers have predicted an increase in e-commerce usage, which goes far beyond food and groceries alone.
Advertising costs are falling
Considering the increased activity for both e-commerce and social media, there’s a clear opportunity for businesses looking to advertise online through social media platforms.
Even more so as Facebook and other platforms are being forced to reduce advertising prices to cut costs for their clients. Many businesses have stopped advertising as a precautionary measure amid the uncertainty. That falling demand has put downward pressure on Facebook’s pricing power, as it will do with other platforms. In other words, it’s never been more affordable to advertise on social media.
Expert help with your advertising campaign
There’s no doubt about the disruption the ongoing pandemic has caused for individuals and business across the country – and across the world. However, there are ways to adapt and continue to thrive through this difficult time.
At Hoopla Marketing, we provide expert social media marketing services that can help you find the silver lining in the cloud that’s been brought about by the ongoing lockdown. If you want to discuss social media advertising in more depth, contact our team on 0161 731 0048 or info@hoopla-marketing.com today.