AS the novel coronavirus continues to affect business operations globally, more companies are being urged to engage digital channels as part of their continuity strategy.

At the final in the series of virtual meet-ups hosted last year by FirstAngelsJA (FAJ), Carmella Vong, account manager for Google Ads’ mid-market team, said that businesses are now becoming increasingly versatile and flexible as they begin to utilise digital technology to connect with their customers and boost sales.

“In light of everything that is happening around the world, more people are working from home and they are looking for tools to weather the storm. As consumers move from in-store to online purchasing, online media consumption has increased by as much as 60 per cent. We also see where consumers are converging to YouTube to adapt, cope, and connect around the world,” she said.

Vong argued that for businesses that rely on promotions and advertising, the use of digital advertising — which is a form of digital marketing — has proven effective in helping companies stay afloat during the pandemic. As a result, many businesses are now moving operations out of traditional, physical office spaces to remote working where they can reach more customers more effectively, and oftentimes at lower costs.

“With digital marketing, small businesses can use their time wisely by implementing the best strategies to attract their target audience, even during a pandemic. It also allows for informed decision-making and towards achieving higher returns on the money and time you invest,” she added.

The series, staged in partnership between FAJ and Google, sought to provide added knowledge to founders of start-ups and upcoming entrepreneurs regarding the benefit that digital technologies can have on their businesses.

Vong, in her role at Google’s Growth Lab, has worked with many business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) companies which are focused on improving lead quality businesses and improving their returns.

In the next virtual meet-up session to be held on January 13, 2021, Jeremy Neuner, another member of the Google team, will continue the discussion on the topic.