COVID-19: Online trends to watch out for!
Corona Virus has taken the world by storm! While more than half the world was wondering when the World War 3 would begin, post the USA-Iran skirmish, suddenly everyone has turned their eyes and ears (or rather covered them) in the impact of COVID-19!
Unfortunately, with USA, Italy, Spain and China, currently bearing the maximum burden of COVID-19, India is relatively immune but i am not sure for how long will India stay immune or rather protected from the infected cases and deaths. Currently, there is so much of news about CORONA virus and the increasing cases that I find it depressing to mention it here. Instead, we can tread the opposite path.
The economic impact of the global lockdown will be visible on the global economy till 2021 end however, there are a few sectors that will see a growth. If you are a smart investor, you would have an eye to invest in such sectors- whether as sweat equity or financial equity, right? So, let us dive in…
Opportunities galore
COVID 19 brings with it lifestyle changes for us. Everyone has time on their hands to optimise their efforts, their life priorities and where they really wanna be. Brands are lying low and have the opportunity to repackage their product or services or restrategise their marketing output. Thought leaders and micro influencers have a reason to invest in themselves by incrementing their knowledge and growing their network of influence.
COVID Impact: Video on Demand services
When a virus affects all continents on the planet except Antarctica, and most of the population is locked down at home, it is no rocket science to assume that the video streaming apps consumption will see a hike! So, you can see families sitting in the drawing area of house and indulging in binge watching.
Video on Demand services will benefit during COVID 19. Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
Now, while watching the movie on Youtube, imagine a build up to the climax scene and you are waiting in anticipation what happens and your brother drops a popcorn because he is stuck at the scene and bam! comes the advertisement! Ahhhhh! The excitment is lost. In such a binge watching experiences, the advertisements will definitely spoil the movie watching experience so you may want to update yourself on the latest Ad-blocking softwares to be installed.
COVID Impact: Cyber security systems
The demand for Cyber security softwares will spike during the COVID19 Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
During the lockdown, kids start spending more time at home and the electronic screens than in the school where they get to learn interpersonal skills. This makes them vulnerable to online cyber attacks and cyber bullying. So a cyber security software (preferably, light) would be your need!
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Explained
COVID Impact: Online Classes
What do you do when you have toiled hard and learnt nuances of a skillset and now you have to sit at home like you were spending summer holidays? Did i hear it right? Braavooooo! You wanna show off! You know how to help people lose weight, gain muscle, so what do you do? You do an IGTV for an evening workout routine for your community. You know how to paint well or draw well and you know people like your creative side so what do you do? You teach people and act on your creative instincts and maybe even sell on ETSY?
Rahul from Boxfit giving you a core workout exercise regime
COVID Impact: Online Games
What would be a day full of zoom calls, skype calls for work and only binge watching! You need to play a game as well, isn’t it? So, as mobile screen time increases, Gen X, Gen Y and Gen Z tend to increase online game consumption! So we can safely predict an increase in PUBG downloads or Call of Duty downloads.
Call of Duty is one of the most downloaded games of 2019.
I have also seen a strange trend in the increase of apps such as Houseparty and mobile downloads of yesteryear games like Ludo, Snakes and Ladders etc. This trend sounds strange, isn’t it? Well, what do you do when Millennials and Gen X sit at home and have little to do? They will go back to consuming games that have memories attached.
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COVID Impact: Health information sites and Wellness training sessions
COVID-19 brings with a lot of anxiety and makes people uneasy about their immediate and medium term futures. This prompts them to check their vital health essentials and take up spiritual wellness and mental wellness courses.
Mental health and wellness during COVID-19
Audio Consumption
In metropolitan cities, offices and homes are usually far apart and driving or traveling through the public transport gives people time to consume audio content (usually radio channels) without the hassle of holding the mobile device.
Thus, with the lockdown on, the audio consumption ideally would decrease. However, I feel that with the increase in quest for knowledge, people would like to consume audio content in the form of podcasts while going through their daily routines.
You can check out Social Buzz podcast on Spotify
These are some of the trends (not all) which I think shall rule the roost while the world faces an economic slowdown. Are you in any of these fields or planning to invest your efforts or money in any of them? Well, this is the time to plan!
Stay Home, Stay Safe!
Wow Ambuj! Wonderfully written & quite insightful! This is very useful for a brand that wishes to market its product in a better manner by studying user behaviour patterns. You have named quite a few new media platforms which I will check out right away. 😊
Sure… keep me posted if you find my findings correct. I would not mind if you send me a few trends that i might have missed out on!
Our family has increased use in most of these things you have mentioned. I actually bought some stocks in some areas that had crashed that I knew would bounce back well during this time. And they did amazingly well. Now I just wish I had put more money on them!
Haha good choice Marie! Lockdown has its pros though people only notice the negative side of the lockdown
In any hardship, there’s always opportunities. This pandemic has definitely opened these opportunities up for online stuff.
Yeah very true!
Streaming music and videos are in now in pandemic to kill boredom while on quarantine. Online shopping are one of the great opportunities nowadays.
Yes they definitely are.. I have heard people watching webseries episodes back to back all night!
This was insightful. Covid has done some interesting things for 2020 good and bad
Great article. Anyone working in digital media most likely benefited in an indirect way as so many people were/ are bored.
We’ve used all of these services so much! I have used more Spotify and video streaming services more now than ever before!
Kileen
cute & little