Throughout 2020 and beyond into 2021, the pandemic is still wreaking havoc across many sectors and nations, although some, such as the UK and US are beginning to slowly but surely get back on their feet as economies recover, public meetings are once allowed and services resume almost as normal.
As with certain other sectors that you could consider for a startup such as food, eCommerce, and software development that were propelled into focus as an unexpected effect of the Covid-19 virus and its ripple effect across industries, some other industries have also been highlighted as necessary or rapidly expanding as a result of the pandemic.
Digital Marketing
While it’s nothing new, digital marketing is an extremely valuable tool for any business and one that you should consider employing as a wider strategy if you are to take your company into the 21st century. While digital marketing might mostly refer to the creation and placement of digital ads, it also extends to such things as social media engagement, email automation, and search engine optimization: some of the most important aspects of establishing an online presence.
As a digital marketing professional, the opportunities for business have never been better. Given the physical restrictions of the pandemic, more people have been at home either watching TV or online streaming platforms, using social media, or playing video games to pass the time. These are all digital mediums with vast digital marketing potential and many companies are opting to take advantage of these as much as possible by actively engaging with customers.
The potential for a large-scale increase in digital marketing has never been bigger. Retail shopping alone saw a massive increase in user habits with 49% of global consumers shopping online and 52% of them stating that they will not return to physical shopping. This means that large companies will be looking to expand their digital presence as they clamor for higher click-through rates and better Search Engine Page Results (SERPs) through optimal online and/or local SEO.
Outsourced Management
Similar to digital marketing, the need for outsourced management services has grown almost in line with the need for digital services as companies expand their online presence or digital operations. Services such as managed IT, accountancy, and customer service systems are increasing in scope and scale as companies opt for more online services as a new part of their systems or in addition to already established online or offline practices.
Of course, there are management apps (Jobber review) that can help with time management and scheduling, but there are many aspects to a growing business that many managers or owners simply need help with and you could fill the void by supplying a service that they cannot feasibly accomplish on their own for either financial reasons (which is the main concern) or by simply not having enough space to accommodate an entire team of professionals.
Most outsourced services provide their expertise and knowledge to numerous other companies for a nominal fee. One of the fastest-growing, Managed IT services, for example, provides such things as cybersecurity, network management, and data backup to companies who cannot possibly pay their own professional team hundreds of thousands per year to do so. Like most outsourced services, you could offer tiered packages to suit different requirements and business sizes.
Online Alternatives to Public Services
While there’s always a need for certain private services, the global Covid-19 pandemic has seen an increased need for more specific private services over low-cost or free public ones. Again, owing to the vastly increased usage of the internet and online mediums such as video calling, private sector business owners and employees have emerged as victorious as such things as online classes, virtual healthcare, and the medical supply industry have all enjoyed increased profits.
In 2020, 1.2 billion children missed out on classes as schools were forced to close because of the pandemic, and in response, virtual online learning boomed. Already a growing industry, the industry is now an important part of the Covid-19 world and is now projected to be worth $350 billion by 2025 as such things as language apps, online tutoring, and interactive learning software are in increased demand.
Telemedicine or virtual healthcare has also seen significant growth as medical facilities such as GP practices took extra steps to combat the spread of Coronavirus. Online consultations, disease management, and even wireless testing are common aspects of telemedicine and the success of these online methods are making up to $300 million in annual revenue for the companies that provide them to clinics all over the world.
