Surprise, Surprise..... yet another "Marketing"Blog... all kidding aside... Let's do this!

The current state of our economy has really shaken things up. Now that the country has been practicing stay-at-home for a few weeks, let's think about some of the affects of what has happened and dive into what the outcome has been.

To do that, we must lay out the biggest changes we have seen.

- Parents are home-schooling their children

- More people are working from home than EVER

- Retail shops are suffering (including big brands)

- People are becoming more active, outdoors and indoors

- Arts and Crafts, boardgames, puzzles, gardening, etc are trendy

- Home Cooked Meals

- Restaurant delivery service has increased, to-go orders have increased

After listing out some of the major changes, let's look at some of the results of these.

Now more than ever, parents are realizing the challenges and joys of homeschooling. Some have come up with some inventive ways to help get the job done, continue to work, and find time for family time. What most people aren't taking into consideration here is this. Young people are learning without a classroom. They have teachers available online. They're learning how to use a network of tools most professionals use, work within a "workspace" type environment, login to video conferences, post in discussion boards, online calendars, email, etc. We are training our children how to manage their time, similar to a college environment. We are helping prepare them for real world interactions in the working world. These are often valuable lessons they learn later in life. We are seeing education resources on the rise. What we are missing is that some children perform better in a classroom setting. Some children require more assistance. Is this something we will see more of in the future of distance learning, better ways to serve our special needs children? Could we see a world where special needs children get some new great resources available to them and their parents? I expect to see distance learning tools make some great strides over the next 6 months.

With work from home at an all time high, there are lots of changes here. Less commute equals less gas. Employers can save money on office space going forward, by offering certain positions to work from home. Now that most companies have had to make the switch, there's been a ton of research done that shows rare cases where productivity has slowed. The money a company saves on office space can be used to employ more people. Now, not all companies be fully remote, and not all people want to, or can, work from home. So once things start to get back to normal, we will see the true shift. From the businesses I've been speaking to, MOST are going to have a model to have the option to work remote when the position can be done out of an office setting. Because of this, we are seeing a TON of new technology to help stay connected. We also see people in a much more relaxed and raw setting. We are seeing a peek into the REAL life of others and not just the persona they put on at work. The CRM market is becoming more competitive.

It's no surprise that you see retail shops suffering from the loss of foot traffic. I know every e-commerce person on the planet right now is saying... YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN FOCUSING ON YOUR ONLINE STORE LIKE I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO TELL YOU! Ha. Of course, you don't run to your CEO and say that. What has been interesting is watching the strategy of some of these places. Some companies are offering really BIG discounts. Some are keeping the same plans and hoping that their online sales will just increase. Some are looking for ways to evolve, or are finally putting to use some of those ideas the marketing team has been telling them to build out for YEARS now. (This will be addressed in another blog at a later date.) Online ordering to pick up at the store is ever increasing. It's also interesting to note here, that some businesses are scared to spend on marketing right now, because the future isn't certain and some analysts feel that online spending on non-essential items is on the decline.

Ohhhhh arts and crafts. I could go on and on about this one, but I'll try and keep it brief. Whether someone is home alone or quarantined with someone else, we are seeing that people are looking for ways to spend their free time. Puzzles, board games, baking, making at home masks, painting, learning to play an instrument, growing plants, gardening, etc. Because of this, YouTube is continuing to show it is standing the test of time. Online music tutorials, how to video's, DIY crafts, and so on.... are being uploaded more and more. If you have product that would be considered in any of these categories, you would be CRAZY to not be spending some of your marketing budget on YouTube or Pinterest right now. Oh have you heard of TikTok? That make's the list of ways people are generating online sales as well.

One other way people are entertaining themselves is by getting active. You see more people focusing on fitness and getting outdoors, when and where permitted. Outdoor stores have lines, fishing equipment and tackle are flying off the shelves. Work out equipment and pools are being bought out everywhere. People are more aware of self care now than ever before. Once again, YouTubers will prevail in getting growth. Professional trainers are taking their online courses and are gaining a TON of new subscribers daily. Families are finding ways to exercise together.

Ugh, the daunting task of grocery shopping! Now that we're all at home, let's get back to the kitchen... or at least just make sure we are fed. Those grocery delivery apps are CRUSHING it right now. Grocery (and alcohol) delivery is on the rise, yet again. People are testing their skills in the kitchen, and sharing recipe's online. You'll also notice there are a ton of new at home food delivery subscription companies, and at home meal kits too. You can pretty much find a subscription for just about any sort of regular necessity item you want....and of course, great quality products.

When we just don't feel like eating a that home cooked meal, we all decide to support local businesses during this time. So we are hitting up the local favorites to grab a to-go meal or get delivery. You are seeing community support take a rise. While restaurants are suffering greatly from not being able to have a dine-in service. You are seeing some changes that will likely continue to stand long after we can go back and eat at our favorite places. Family meal packs will be a thing. Some places will continue their delivery service. New technology for online ordering and to-go orders will be in place. Restaurants that offer a "grocery" style of service will continue to build their grocery side, and even come up with inventive ways to help you pre-place orders without having to call ahead. This is one of the few markets you aren't seeing subscription style services on the rise... but you definitely are seeing new technology for restaurants on the rise. New websites, new functionality, and new menu offerings are just to name a few changes.

The overall trend here is plain and simple, EVERYTHING involves some sort of online presence. Now, that might sound "old school," and you're probably thinking..."Yeah, I know." So the question is, how do you stand out in the crowd? What solution do you bring to the table to help any one of these common changes in the human mindset. We as humans have changed behavioral patterns permanently. Creating sales in the online world doesn't have to be rocket science. Understand your target audience, ask the question "why," and create a solution that is easy to digest. You will definitely have to tweak your content, this comes back to the first tip I gave, understand your target audience. Once you follow those simple rules, you should at least be able to come up with a solid foundation for strategy.

I'll be posting more tips and pointers on ways to generate more from your online efforts. You can also look forward to companies that I recommend as a great resource for your online solutions.

- Thanks, Elizabeth