Content consumption patterns changed during the Covid-19 pandemic.ย Check out how we dissect the content niches seeing a spike during the lockdown.
If you thought Amazon is the only Ecommerce platform raking in sales during the coronavirus, you need to think again. With consumers’ behaviors changing during this pandemic, demand for Ecommerce has soared. There are now various influencer marketing niches that are thriving during the coronavirus frenzy and the change is real. By now, everyone has realized that COVID-19 is not just a health pandemic, it has altered the way we do everyday things.
Influencer marketing got just as affected as other fields during this lockdown. While people lost jobs or got a pay cut by their employers, influencers faced a loss of normalcy as well. For example,
- Brand launch events got canceled which affected all the Ramadan, Eid and spring/summer collection events around the world
- PR packages became a โthing to be feared ofโ as people became paranoid of every strange contact
- Brand collabs either got delayed or canceled as businesses tried to make ends meet
The โnormalโ changed for many influencers around the world, but on the other hand, some niches cold see themselves thriving during the coronavirus. In fact, E-commerce penetration saw a spike from 16% to 27% in just eight weeks of lockdown!
After careful observation of marketing and influencer activity for the past few weeks, we have come up with a list of niches that are still faring well during COVID-19.
Health, Fitness and Spiritual Wellbeing
We initially thought that the lockdown would save us from our trainerโs wrath at the gym. Turns out that the fitness influencers brought the gym to our homes. Moreover, people also switched to fitness gear to stay active during the quarantine. All businesses and influencers dealing with fitness niche noticed more engagement. At-home workout with or without gym equipment is a topic more people are exploring.
Blogilates is a fitness YouTuber who is doing a great job at keeping people engaged by providing free โquarantine workout plansโ on her social media + website.
Gaming – Everyone’s playing these days…
Being with family is great, but the lockdown forced people to be together and that led to trouble. People with young kids had issues dealing with boredom. Even older adults wanted an escape from countless days and nights being shut at home. This is where the gaming niche comes in. Be it console games, phone games or board games, anything is welcome!
โGiven everyone’s inside, their eyes are glued a little bit more to screens and digital content like YouTube and streaming. Therefore, creators are in a really strong position to still connect with the audience in a really powerful way,” โ Grace Watkins of Click Management, a gaming influencer agency
Live gaming platform Twitch noticed a 31% spike during the month of March. Gaming influencers are raking in all the views and brands have also turned to these hobbyists for partnerships.
Gardening – People flaunting Hobbies during the Lockdown
Now is the time to put your gardening hobby into work. People who previously couldnโt indulge in this wholesome activity now have the time to follow their passion. Gardening influencers either work solely in this niche or are lifestyle influencers as well. The lockdown has also taught us that growing our own essential food items can be a blessing and something to cherish.
Moreover, gardening is a fun activity for kids as well. While you are quarantined at home, you can teach the kids some new skills that will stay with them for life. Influencers can also guide you in harvesting, picking seeds, and other garden items. Martha Stewart is a top gardening and lifestyle influencer who has been actively giving tips on revamping your backyard during the lockdown.
Reading and Writing
The Eyes of Darkness by Deane Koontz is a book everyone is talking about because it supposedly talks about a โWuhanโ virus. Is it worth the hype or a myth, book influencers were ready to shed light on the subject? โBookstagrammersโ have always been a force to be reckoned with, and even more so now due to the lockdown. When the pace of life slowed down, people picked up old hobbies like reading and writing to soothe their minds and soul.
Reading and writing influencers have endless ideas about the top trends in the industry and therefore it won’t be wrong to say that that this one of the niches thriving during the coronavirus downturn. Influencers not only give some great reading/writing tips but also help people adopt the hobby during the lockdown.
Food and Nutrition
Last but not the least, the snack attack! Countless trips to the refrigerator were made by people around the world during the lockdown. Food influencers jumped on board to provide healthy recipes, snack recipes, food storage ideas and so much more to their followers. Dalton Coffee will forever be remembered as the โhipโ drink everyone was making during the quarantine. Mussi, a food influencer based in Miami quickly introduced a couple of more whipped drink recipes to her 265K+ followers during the lockdown.
Arts and DIY Crafts
If you are into arts and crafts, you must have followed some influencers during the quarantine. Arts influencers show a beautiful side of the world to you and give a message that anything is possible with consistent effort. These accounts have gained more popularity as people look for something new to make.
Make your own jewelry, home decoration, t-shirts, greeting cards or revamp old spaces under the guidance of art influencers this lockdown.ย Head to Art Museum on Instagram to see how people are using their creativity to describe the lockdown situation in their own perspective.
Who is here to stay?
Some of these niches that have been thriving during the coronavirus lockdown are more permanent than others. For example, gardening influencers may notice a plunge in engagement once people resume going to work every day. Then there are brands with physical stores, like Sephora or eyewear stores that are currently not expecting traffic but will get traction by the end of this year.
So for now, the job of all brands and influencers is to create memorable content that helps people in the current time of need. Be it grocery stores, book influencers or luggage companies, your one strong weapon in these tough times is your digital presence. Make sure that your key marketing message is out there so people know who to turn to once strict lockdowns are lifted.
Featured Photo Credits – @sophiamujahid
