There is no denying the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the advertising landscape in unprecedented ways. Countless companies worldwide had to be shut down indefinitely, some even permanently. Those who have managed to stay operational still face many uncertainties as they continue to steer their business in the right direction. In this article we will discuss PPC Advertising Strategies to apply.
In essence, there are only two options for businesses right now:
- Adapt, survive, and thrive
- Fall far behind
Unfortunately, many companies are falling far behind, especially in terms of PPC Advertising Strategies. Some reports indicate that Google and Facebook stand to lose a whopping $44 billion in ad revenue because of the global shutdown.
Since no business has been prepared for the massive impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, most are experimenting with their digital marketing efforts. Should they focus on SEO local search? What about their social media efforts? Would changing PPC Advertising Strategies work?
How the COVID-19 Pandemic Has Affected PPC
At first glance, it seems like a stretch to suggest that PPC campaigns would be a good option given the world’s current state. From a bird’s eye view, it would seem like purchasing things is the last thing people are doing. That said, keeping a PPC campaign up and running can seem like an impractical idea.
However, before jumping to conclusions, it is crucial to examine all the facts closely first. For instance, let’s look at the drop in PPC performance. Upon close examination, it’s easy to see that much of the decline is in specific industries.
Case in point: the travel industry has been one of the sectors that have been hit the hardest. The same is true for other businesses like bars, restaurants, and other companies in the entertainment, recreation, and hospitality industries.
Here’s the pleasantly surprising discovery: many industries are still thriving when it comes to their PPC performance. Not convinced? Consider this: virtual entertainment and on-demand companies are experiencing a massive increase in search ad conversions of as much as 102 percent!
In the B2B space, packaging services and office supply companies are also seeing gains in their PPC performance. Undeniably, brands that are offering health and medical services/products are also thriving amidst the pandemic.
While it’s important to stay visible in these uncertain times to establish your brand’s reliability, credibility, and authority, it’s not “business as usual” when it comes to PPC campaigns. Instead, be prepared to tweak (or completely overhaul) your PPC approach so your business can still thrive despite the current situation.
PPC Advertising Strategies to Consider During the COVID-19 Shutdown
Below are some of the basic PPC advertising tweaks you can make during the coronavirus shutdown:
Act immediately and react quickly
In “normal” times, PPC best practices involve digging deep into as much data as you can find so you can cover all the bases. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has made everything an uncharted territory for everyone, with uncertainty being the only thing that’s certain.
If anything, your business has a better chance of surviving if you try to act on your best-educated guess and put your PPC campaign into action. Look at it this way, if you don’t try, you’re sure to fall behind your competitors. If you give it a go and yet still fall short, at least you have gained a better idea of how to adjust your approach the next time around.
In terms of collecting performance data, things change at a swift pace, so you don’t have that much time to spare. Right now, you need to use whatever data you have to make wise and agile decisions regarding your current PPC campaign.
The current situation will also require you to be extra granular. This means you have to assess your campaign’s performance by the day and hour. Apart from looking at your campaign’s performance data, it would also be a great idea to be aware of any changes in your specific industry and the world.
Recently, Google introduced a section of Trends to keep you updated on all Coronavirus-related searches. This can help you put your PPC efforts and progress into perspective. At the moment, it is tough to outperform COVID-related searches.
Refine your messaging but be extra cautious.
During these trying times, your PPC Advertising Strategies alongside other content you create should be empathetic and sensitive to your target audience and the world as a whole. Inability to heed this advice, even when unintentional, might lead to a backlash.
It is also possible that your ad will not be approved, to begin with. The idea is to create ads that will highlight your product or service’s value, given the current circumstances.
For starters, focus on how your brand fits into your target audience’s way of life. Now might also be the most apt time to revisit your brand’s value proposition. Get to the heart of the value your product or service provides. If people can see the value you bring, you will have a much better chance of thriving amidst the pandemic.
Establish a solid relationship with your audience.
If the people you are targeting are not in buying mode right now, there is no point in trying to sell to them. However, it does not mean that you should stop engaging with them altogether.
On the contrary, you should use the time to build a solid relationship with them without necessarily leading them to the sales funnel. It is also a great idea to focus on their current priorities and determine where your brand fits in the mix.
It might also be a good idea to increase brand awareness and give your audience the impression that serving them is your primary priority and not making sales. If you can establish trust without any strings attached, it will be easier to turn them into paying customers when the time is right.
Cut ads that are not performing well.
Some choose to keep average-performing PPC campaigns during normal times as long as they are providing value, however small. However, that’s not a prudent approach right now. Rather than keeping average-performing PPC campaigns, consider dumping them.
Chances are if they were not performing accordingly before, there wouldn’t be any dramatic changes right now. If anything, now is not the time to spend money on PPC campaigns that are not delivering any value.
Take advantage of sales opportunities when they present themselves.
While it’s not ideal to push sales, it does not mean you should ignore any sales opportunities that arise. If your audience shows intent to purchase, you should make the process quick, easy, and straightforward for them. Also, now would be a good time to deliver more than they expected. For instance, consider:
- Providing additional premium features for free
- Offering a refund when their company goes out of business due to the pandemic
- Offering a free month to annual subscriptions
- Providing some training so they can make the most of the product
How do you figure out if your target customers are in a buying mode? It will be evident in the way they engage with your brand. Adding items to their cart, checking out products on your site, and even abandoning purchases can be good indicators they are considering purchasing from you. Make the most of the opportunity by retargeting them through laser-focused PPC ads.
Consider increasing ad spending when competitors are dropping out.
If you notice that competitors are minimizing their bidding expenses or dropping out of the PPC game, consider taking advantage of the opportunity. This is especially advantageous for you if competitors are dropping out due to incorrect assumptions.
If you notice there are opportunities, consider increasing your ad spend. Don’t think twice about capitalizing on those opportunities when they present themselves.
Focus more on return on investment (ROI) and return on ad spend (ROAS) instead of cost per acquisition (CPA).
While most people are satisfied just by staying afloat, your goal should be to generate as much value as you can from customers that are still active. If you focus merely on your CPA, a similar mindset won’t get you far. While focusing on bringing as many sales as possible while keeping costs down sounds like a practical idea, it is actually short-sighted.
Look at it this way: making a single extra sale or acquiring one new customer does not always mean you are generating value over time. Ideally, what you should be focusing on is converting high-quality leads that will provide continuous value to your business for the long term.
In line with this, don’t hesitate to make educated guesses about segments or personas that will be active even during the shutdown. From there, it will be easy for you to create highly-targeted PPC ads that are tailored to meet the needs of your customers and encourage them to take action.
Final Thoughts
The PPC industry has changed dramatically due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The good thing is there is no shortage of PPG strategies you can adopt to ensure your business continues to thrive. Hopefully, the ideas presented here can also provide a robust framework so you can make wise business decisions even during these challenging times.
About the Author
Shawn Byrne is the founder and CEO of SEOPhoenix.net. Shawn started his career in I.T. troubleshooting workstations, servers and networks then went on to doing SEO as a side project and quickly found success in ranking websites. It was easy for him to grasp not only the algorithms but also the technical side which most SEO strategists miss and neglect because of its complexities. SEO Phoenix then grew based on its own rankings and referrals.
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