The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly affected businesses across industries throughout the world. Many companies and organizations have had to change their plans and priorities, and many others decided to cease operations either temporarily or permanently.
Since there is no concrete solution yet, everything is still uncertain. While it’s true that the business industry is in a challenging position right now, it’s not a hopeless situation. Company leaders can choose which direction they’ll choose – the one that leads to the end, or the one that offers opportunities to adapt, adjust, and survive. Businesses that decide to move on and face the challenges head-on know that it will take a lot of work before they can succeed. However, there are always strategies and techniques that can be of significant help.
If you have a business, you know that marketing and advertising are essential factors in achieving your goals. Getting people to notice and try your brand is vital, and PPC marketing can help, particularly if you adjust your strategies to make them appropriate for the current global health situation. Here are some suggestions on what you can do.
Focus Your PPC Campaign on Categories That Thrive During the Covid-19 Pandemic
The pandemic has significantly affected several businesses’ productivity and sales, but the situation opened doors of opportunity for many others. For example, e-commerce shops have never been busier as people now avoid going to public places and prefer to do their shopping online.
These days, some of the products in demand include food, daily essentials (such as toiletries), health and wellness items, and protective equipment (i.e., surgical gloves, face masks, alcohol, disinfectants, and hand sanitizers).
Take advantage of this opportunity, and plan your advertising strategies accordingly. First things first, though; you need to do an inventory of your products. Identify which ones can answer the Covid-19 market demands then focus on getting them out to the public. Adapting this strategy doesn’t mean you’ll take your other products for granted; it just means you’ll focus more on the essential, more in-demand ones.
When you’ve identified your high demand products, work with your team in coming up with a reliable, empathetic, and sensitive PPC marketing strategy. Your ads should not just be regular ads; they should communicate directly with your market and make customers feel valued. In other words, capitalize (in a nice way) on the consumers’ needs. Let them know that you have what they need to survive the pandemic.
Switch to Digital Storefronts
Many businesses, including restaurants, have lost significant foot traffic despite reopening and operating under strict social distancing protocols. Some of these establishments discovered the advantages of moving their stores online. Restaurants now cater to orders through their virtual store, and retail shops are doing the same thing.
Moving your business to digital platforms such as Facebook and your e-commerce website will allow you to continue leveraging PPC. Create unique and personalized ads that inform your customers how you’ve moved online to cater to their needs. Include details such as how they can order, which of your products are available, and your operating hours.
Don’t forget to include a call-to-action and focus on both current customers and non-customers who checked out your page or site.
Even if you’ve moved online, you can continue with your marketing and advertising campaigns. Organize online contests and give away prizes like vouchers, discount coupons, and product samples. Some businesses came up with online photography contests and virtual singing competitions on Facebook. These events help increase the establishments’ digital presence and visibility and bring in additional traffic.
Other targeted actions you can do include capitalizing on the benefits of Facebook Shop, marketing your products through paid search ads using Google Ads, providing customers seamless online shopping experience, and utilizing Facebook Ads to connect with potential clients.
Dayparting Strategies for Your PPC Campaigns
Dayparting, also known as ad scheduling, involves using Google Ads to reach out to more people by determining the days and times that open more opportunities for your business. For example, if your company sells groceries and other daily essentials, you have to refocus your campaign (including funding) and reschedule your ads. Since consumers typically buy groceries on their paydays, you should increase your online presence on those days. The idea is to get your ads out when most of your target consumers are searching for items they need. As such, you’ll increase your chances of improving sales.
Focusing on the PPC campaigns that continue to be valuable to your business should be in your list of advertising priorities.
Check Your CTA Copy
Nowadays, ads are expected to adhere to the current global situation and the changes instituted by the new normal. Social distancing, wearing facial masks, and frequently washing your hands have become essential parts of life. It would help if you considered these factors as you create your ads, particularly when you write your call to action.
Before publishing your message, make sure that it adapts the new normal landscape. Additionally, the copy should be sensitive to the times. For example, since your business has moved to a virtual address, you should remove the phrase, “Visit us now” to “See you online at (website or Facebook link).”
Likewise, ensure that images in your ads show social distancing protocols. For example, refrain from showing images of people hugging or shaking each other’s hands. The images should not encourage consumers to break safety protocols, so do not show photos of people in groups. Instead, use images that show the new normal: people ordering food online, paying for his order via online platforms, and your staff delivering the food to the customer.
Adapting to the demands of the current global health crisis will send a message to your customers – that you want them to be safe because you care.
Mind Your Keywords
Using the right keywords is more important than ever. With all the changes your business has to adapt to, it is imperative to change your targeted keywords. Before anything else, you need to do keyword research and determine what consumers are searching for online. What are their queries focused on? What terms are they using?
It will be a good idea to avoid negative triggers or words, particularly those related to the pandemic (i.e., Covid-19, coronavirus, corona, and covid). These terms are not associated with your business in any way, so you should not focus on them.
Instead, choose keywords that are related to your new normal – the virtual storefront, online orders, and non-contact deliveries, among others.
If you’re offering products and services for frontliners, your ads should focus on keywords that specifically point to what the consumer is looking for. Some examples are vaccines, alcohol, and vitamins. Of course, you only use these terms if you offer such products.
Final Thoughts
Adjusting your PPC strategies to follow the demands of the new normal may seem difficult. Once you determine what has to be done, you’ll realize that the focus is still the same: categorized and targeted ads, digital campaigns, social media mileage, dayparting, situation-sensitive CTAs, and using the right keywords.
The only thing that makes the new normal PPC strategies different is the uncertainty of the market and industry situation. As such, businesses are exerting more effort to survive. Many establishments have also decided to lower their PPC budget as a safety precaution.
If you want your business to survive in the new normal, follow the tips above and start working on your PPC strategies right away.
Featured image credit: Unsplash.com
Gabby Klesser is the Outreach Manager for LA Website Design, a digital marketing agency that has assembled a team of expert web designers and digital marketing strategists. She often writes about web design, UX, social media, technology, marketing, and starting a non-profit.
