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The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown restrictions have meant companies have wanted to react rapidly and adapt methods in an effort to proceed buying and selling. Retailers have been compelled on-line and eating places needed to supply a takeaway-only service, with restricted menus, for months. Some industries, reminiscent of pubs and the hospitality sector, floor to an entire halt. 

Nevertheless, many companies not solely stayed afloat however actually managed to draw new audiences via their clever use of content material advertising and marketing. Listed below are 4 partaking forms of content material which have seen companies succeed throughout the lockdown. 

1. Group content material

As soon as upon a time, manufacturers — significantly small, independent companies — relied on their present buyer base buying gadgets or inserting pre-orders at instances when enterprise was not in a position to run as regular. Nevertheless, because the “new regular” set in and a spotlight targeted predominantly on COVID-19, enterprise house owners were compelled to adapt as swiftly as attainable to their clients’ altering priorities.  

As such, present advertising and marketing plans have been shelved, making means for brand spanking new coronavirus-aware content material methods that positioned emphasis on empathy over commercialism. With a lot monetary uncertainty, clients have been now not within the newest merchandise to hit the market. As a substitute, companies wanted to step up and present that they care about each their customers and workers, demonstrating how they will present worth and assist make a distinction throughout the outbreak. 

Constructing group together with your viewers, adjusting to the brand new regular, and displaying the way you’re sticking collectively behind the scenes is impactful. Aldi, for instance, shared updates on how they have been investing in supporting native communities throughout the outbreak. Whereas the sort of content material doesn’t yield an enormous quantity of revenue within the brief time period, it does assist to construct model affinity, and finally gross sales, in the long run.

Our accomplice @nbrly helps us spend money on our native communities. And proper now, group has by no means been extra essential – so please examine in your neighbours. We’re on this collectively. pic.twitter.com/l7EWauAAxo

— Aldi Shops UK (@AldiUK) March 21, 2020

A 2019 examine discovered that content material that focuses on model function triggers a extra constructive bodily and emotional response in customers than these that target a product, with 83% of customers extra prone to be loyal to a model that does so.  

2. Instructional content material

Many individuals have used their newfound free time throughout lockdown as a chance for continued training. Not solely has this been a chance to develop skilled expertise, but it surely’s additionally been a technique of remaining engaged and holding constructive psychological well being throughout the lockdown. As such, extra folks than ever earlier than have been partaking with instructional content material on-line.  

Throughout the pandemic, LinkedIn has seen its highest ranges of engagement, with customers watching over Four million hours of content material on LinkedIn Studying quickly after lockdown went into impact. LinkedIn professionals are internet hosting reside chats the place they share data-driven and actual perception with their audiences. 

Different manufacturers have supplied free-to-use sources to assist customers upskill throughout this time. Moz, for instance, allowed customers to entry their normally paid-for website positioning academy programs at no cost. In the meantime, recognizing that clients can be unable to go on vacation as regular, Pasta Evangelists’ Italy at Dwelling marketing campaign supplied customers with genuine recipes to attempt that might assist to deliver some Italian escapism into their houses. Whereas these content material methods haven’t any instant business worth, those who did entry the coaching classes or recipes throughout the lockdown could have a stronger affinity in direction of every model and shall be extra prone to change into a paying buyer sooner or later.  

3. Uplifting and entertaining content material

Adverse information tales have been arduous to keep away from, whether or not it’s associated to coronavirus deaths, political upheaval, or social injustices. It’s, subsequently, no shock that many customers have sought some reduction from actuality, with lighthearted and entertaining gaining popularity than ever earlier than.  

Based on a survey by Channel Issue, 80% of customers head to their favourite vloggers on YouTube to enhance their temper, with 69% of respondents discovering that content material extra uplifting than these on different channels. Of the preferred movies streamed on YouTube, nearly half of them have been leisure movies (48%), whereas 33% have been comedy targeted.  

Harmless Smoothies, well-known for his or her relaxed method to content material advertising and marketing, set every day work at home challenges to maintain their group entertained, whereas The Woodland Belief supplied tips about find out how to hold youngsters engaged with nature regardless of being compelled to remain at residence throughout the lockdown.  

TODAY’S #WorkingFromHomeChallenge

1. Be part of a video name
2. Put your laptop computer on the far finish of the room
3. Slowly edge backwards, about an inch a minute
4. Go additional and additional again
5. See how far you will get earlier than anybody notices

— harmless drinks (@harmless) March 23, 2020

Creating enjoyable and lighthearted content material with no business curiosity can work nicely in instances of uncertainty, rising your social media viewers, and constructing model affinity within the course of. Alternatively, manufacturers can spend money on influencer advertising and marketing and collaborate with content material creators who’ve their very own established audiences to assist develop their very own viewers. 

4. Omnichannel content

Life in lockdown led to an enormous uptake in media consumption, together with a 44% worldwide enhance in social media use based on Statista. With extra folks shopping via numerous social media channels, it’s extra essential than ever for manufacturers to be the place their viewers is, particularly as on-line commerce continues to rise. 

It’s been predicted that digital experiences shall be much more essential following the pandemic. It’s change into clear that many features of buyer interplay will should be digitized to abide by social distancing measures. So now greater than ever, it’s essential that manufacturers create a seamless on-line expertise for his or her audiences in an effort to keep away from any confusion between platforms and encourage customers with concentrating on adverts and posts. 

Edward Coram James is an website positioning skilled and the Chief Govt of Go Up Ltd, a world company devoted to serving to its shoppers navigate the complexities of world website positioning and the technical features of delivering location-specific pages to focused audiences.