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We are experiencing an unprecedented time right now. Everything we've known to be true has been turned upside down. 

We're trying to navigate a space and span of time in business (and life in general) that none of us have ever witnessed before. And, it's something we'll likely never face again in our lifetimes.

It's a time that was unfathomable just a few months ago. A time of social distancing, stay-at-home orders, work-from-home mandates, marketing budget freezes, eLearning for our children, Zoom fatigue, market uncertainty and so much more that's shocking our lives and world right now.

While we're certain to see a new type of normalcy post-pandemic, the question we're wrestling with here at Flair right now is what type of lasting impact COVID-19 will leave on the world of e-commerce.

In April 2020, e-commerce retailers reported a whopping 68% increase in year-over-year sales, and the categories that surged are a close reflection of the general consumer mindset:

• Grocery sales increased By 110%
• Electronics saw a 58% increase

So our questions are this: will these consumer trends continue or will new buying patterns emerge? What should e-commerce companies be doing, right now, to make sure they can make it through these turbulent times and survive one we're on the other side? 

Of this, we're certain: both in the current market conditions, and going forward into an uncertain future, the brands that survive will be the ones that are willing to change tactics, update strategies and even alter the fundamentals of their business. In short, they're the ones who will be agile and able to adapt.

Let's look at five ways that e-commerce can adapt to changing conditions to not just survive, but thrive.

By now we hope you know about our upcoming summit...it's designed for businesses, JUST LIKE YOURS, looking for help surviving and thriving in spite of COVID-19.

The Digital Marketing Growth Strategies summit is just around the corner, on Wednesday, June 17th. This one-day summit will be jam-packed with practical tips, suggestions and best practices about marketing, sales, working from home and more.

And just in case you haven’t heard about it yet, check out the speaker lineup that we have for you at the summit....

COVID-19 has changed the business and marketing landscape in unprecedented ways during recent months. Things are changing fast, and they'll continue to do so for the foreseeable future and beyond.

If there’s one thing we know in our business, it’s that agility survives.

When COVID-19 hit, we at Flair knew we needed to pivot our own digital marketing strategies and the ones we manage for our existing clients as quickly as possible.

But we also want to help our clients and other businesses who are facing budget cuts, market uncertainty and limited resources during this challenging time. So we started looking at how we can help. 

Enter the first ever Flair Interactive digital marketing summit: 

This post is part of our COVID-19 blog series, which includes practical tips about how your business can survive and thrive through the coronavirus pandemic.

It seems the only thing certain right now is that nothing is certain. In this new, precarious world we're all attempting to navigate, the one thing we can all count on as being true is:

we’re all just trying to get to the other side as
unscathed as possible.

We know it’s your biggest concern and your top priority. It’s ours, too.

Catch up on what you've missed with the latest digital marketing news for December 2019. Here's a recap of some of the most shared, liked and discussed digital marketing content during the last month.

What is an Inbound Marketing Strategy: The Important Things to Know (Social Media Examiner)
Our friends at Social Media Explorer explain the basics about inbound marketing, including why personas and content are so important for success.

Page load time and crawl budget rank will be the most important SEO indicators in 2020 (SearchEngineLand)
Max Cyrek shares his thoughts about the most critical technical factors you should monitor and resolve in order to see success with SEO in 2020.

So you haven't created a 2020 digital marketing strategy yet? Never fear...we've got your back!

Here are five things you should keep in mind as you're developing your strategic plan for 2020:

1. Keep it simple. Don't have time to create a full strategic plan that includes all digital marketing tactics you need to implement this year? Start small and create a high-level summary.
2. Set goals. You absolutely must have clear, measurable and specific goals in mind as you head into the new year. Think about what your primary goals are for 2020...do you need more traffic, better leads or higher conversions (i.e. more customers)? Document those goals, including progress you plan to make by month or quarter.
   

So you've probably heard a lot about digital marketing during recent years, and you may have even heard some similar terms like online marketing, inbound marketing or integrated marketing. But what does digital marketing actually mean?

We've looked into this for you and gathered some of the best definitions of digital marketing on the web from some of the biggest names in the industry. Check out our video below to learn more:

Are you starting to panic when you think about all of the things on your To Do list for the rest of the year? You're not alone!

This time of year, we always start getting a ton of calls from stressed-out clients who are worried that they're not going to get everything done AND have time to prep for the holidays and relax with their families before the end of the year.

Digital marketing is a proven, strategic way you and your brand can stand out from the competition. It’s also something that changes regularly, so you need to do what you can to keep up with industry best-practices.

Didn’t have time to read all the great digital marketing news that came out last week? Have no fear, the Flair weekly roundup is here! 

The top 10 digital marketing tools for 2020 (KnowTechie)
What are your favorite tools to help you manage your digital marketing efforts? KnowTechie breaks down their faves. Can you guess which Flair already uses? (HINT: there are seven)...