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Ad serving trends during and after the pandemic

The world that we knew changed dramatically once the pandemic hit, with many wondering if things will ever return to the way they were. One thing that most people, besides advertisers and publishers, have not really given much though about is the way in which they now receive advertising. Most people have probably noticed that the number of flyers they receive in the mail has decreased, but they may not have really noticed the subtle shift towards the online world. It is going to be interesting to see how ad serving continues to evolve during and after the pandemic, but we have a few ideas how it might go.

More e-commerce

With store closures and all manner of shortages now common, not to mention the fact that so many people have been forced to stay at home, e-commerce purchases have become the way to go for just about everything. From buying groceries to shopping for clothes, people are now in the habit of shopping online first, with many finding better deals than they do at bricks and mortar locations. This is a trend that advertisers and publishers are taking full advantage of.

Distance learning

If this pandemic has taught us anything, it is that there are a lot of things we can accomplish without having to leave the house. Education is one of those things, which is why we are beginning to see a lot of ads for online and distance learning for kids and adults alike. Many people have seen their jobs vanish or become unstable during this pandemic, so they are looking to upgrade their skill set or perhaps look for a new career entirely.

Work from home

There are a couple of different ways to look at this. First, many companies have made the move to teleconferencing and they are seeing that it is just as efficient as having people work in an office. Companies are now actively advertising for new job positions that can be performed remotely or work from home. Second, people are looking for ways to make money from home while they are out of work, so expect to see more of those types of ads online.

Contactless services

People are now less inclined to touch things that other people have come into contact with, in hopes of avoiding the virus. That is causing advertisers to get a little more creative in how they serve ads to the buying public. One effective method of doing that is to offer ads that are interactive in some way, such as being voice activated. Safety is another trend that is likely to continue when things become more normal again.

More automation

People are now more accustomed to doing things from home or performing activities where things are streamlined, fast and automated so they do not need to physically touch things, wait in a long line or enter a small space. People need to feel safe before changing their behaviors again. Many people will probably decide to stick to the new routines and protocols for some time. Businesses are going to adapt to be more efficient, faster and to offer a safer service. This is another trend that is likely to continue even after the worst of the pandemic is over.

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