Should My Business Run Ads During COVID-19 Crisis?
There are few businesses not affected by the Corona Virus lockdown. COVID-19 has changed almost overnight the way we work, live, and socialize. A company that mostly depends on foot traffic is really going to have a hard time. Ecommerce business may fare better, although, with millions of people out of work and strapped for cash, they will be affected also.
Many small business owners are questioning whether or not to stop running ads during COVID-19. Many people are staying home and working remotely and buying habits are being drastically altered. You should NOT stop your marketing efforts; you need to at least keep them up and even increase advertising if possible. You may also need to change your strategy.
Here are some reasons you should run ads now more than ever:
- People have problems they need solving more than ever in many cases now, so offer solutions to their problems
- With fewer businesses advertising because of COVID-19, ad costs seem to be a little lower than usual
- With more people at home, they are available and have more time to consume your content
- People are spending a tremendous amount of time on Social Media
BEFORE YOU START RUNNING ADS
Before you start paying for ads, have the following in place so you don’t waste your money:
- A sales funnel designed specifically to get leads, clients, sales and appointments.
- A strong process for following up on leads.
- You already have clients that have paid for a solution to their problem (Proof of concept)
- A budget of at least $1-2k/month
These four foundations are essential if you want to be running ads profitably.
BOOST YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE
If you are using ads don’t stop, KEEP GOING! As a matter of fact, work to INCREASE your brand even more online if possible. Boost your online presence by all means available in your budget and with your know-how.
If you have a PPC campaign ongoing using Google Ads or social media ads, don’t stop or lessen your efforts. Stay active on your Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter accounts, etc., and stay top of mind. This will keep you connected to your current customers and bring some new ones. If they are not ready to purchase now, later when things get back to normal, they may then make purchases and be good customers.
Do keyword research and use social listening tools to get insight into the topics, information, and answers to questions people are searching for. Check your PPC keywords. The ones targeted yesterday may not be the most relevant in the current environment, as search volume and term trends will likely be changing.
GIVE UP THE ‘HARD SELL’
COVID-19 is an unprecedented pandemic that is causing people to be stressed and uncertain of the future. Make sure you’re marketing communications have empathy. Without that, your ads may be seen as “taking advantage of the situation.”
HAVE A FLEXIBLE PRICING MODEL
People may not have as many resources as they had before the pandemic. One of the most effective ways to quickly improve margins is by offering products or services at the most affordable price for short-term profitability. Offer free trials or discounts to encourage new customers.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TECHNOLOGY
Technology can play a huge role during this time. Help your work-from-home marketing, sales and customer service teams with technology that gives them customer behavioral insights with marketing automation. You can implement a lead scoring program to help them prioritize efforts.
BUSINESS INFO UPDATE & COVID-19 ADVISORY
It is worth mentioning that you should update your business information on your website, Google My Business or any directory listings. Correct your business hours, phone numbers, address, etc., if the info is changing. If your ads are getting leads, then you want to make sure your contact info is updated and correct.
For updating your information on your website, add a COVID-19 pop-up advisory about your business operations to your homepage.
When you have site visitors, whether they are a current customer or new visitors, they will most likely have questions about your services. Are you open? Are your services or products still available? Will there be any interruptions to ongoing services?
Reassure customers your company is responding to the pandemic. You want people to see your company as responsible and concerned citizens they can feel safe doing business with. Start by keeping your image in line with the current crisis.
PRIMEVIEW CAN HELP
Use this time as one of growth; maintain your business presence and prepare yourself for when the market regains its footing.
Look for new opportunities presented by the situation. With many people staying at home, ecommerce, for example, can present new opportunities for generating revenue. PrimeView can design and develop a Shopify of Magento eCommerce website for your enterprise that brings new business.
We can also upgrade your website so you can reach more people in need of your services. If you need help implementing a pop-up advisory, please contact us and we can get you set up to be COVID-19 ready.
If you want to increase your online presence and revenue with paid ads, we can implement PPC ad campaigns. If you’re ready to start running ads, click here now!