4 Reasons Facebook Ads Are Critical for Your Business During COVID-19

• COVID-19 earns around 20 million social media mentions a day
• Global social media usage has grown by nearly 50% since the Ebola epidemic in 2014
• Brand awareness ads are a cost-effective way to keep companies front of mind

There no other way to say it – it is a scary time to be a marketer or business owner. With all the uncertainty of how long COVID-19 will impact businesses, it’s hard to decide what is best when it comes to marketing. Should you stop marketing? Should you continue? If you do continue, how will your message be received by consumers who are also stressed about the situation?  

In the end, you have to make the best decision for your own unique situation to ensure your business can survive. However, if you are able to continue marketing at a scaled back capacity, it will pay off in the long run!   

Before we jump into the reasons why Facebook Ads are critical for your business during COVID-19, there is one key consideration to be aware of. While this is still a great time to advertise (you’ll find out why below), you should note that conversions may not roll in as they usually would. In the short term, your campaigns may not generate the tangible conversions they usually do, however there are other benefits to keeping the campaigns going!  

1. Digital Attention is at an All Time High

With many businesses closed and more people staying home, digital usage is surging. Since people aren’t going out to bars or engaging in outdoor activities, they will be turning to Facebook and Instagram much more than normal.   

This means that the amount of available impressions, the chances for ads to be delivered, and the active users in the audiences you target will increase. All of this combined will lead to lower overall operating costs for your campaigns.  

We don’t recommend testing any new initiatives during this time, however those who can afford to keep campaigns running for the next 30, 60, or 90 days will be doing so in a more favorable market for attention!

2. Many of Your Competitors are Pausing Campaigns  

Whenever there is a disruption of “business as usual”, the first reaction businesses have is to pause ad campaigns and restart when the situation dies down. This is the very reason why you should keep your Facebook Ads going (if you can afford to) during this particular crisis.   

With your competitors likely leaving the market, your shared customer base is ripe for the taking. With competition for the same audience lower, you will inevitably see lower operating costs (CPC, CPMs) thus making your spend more impactful!  

3. Brand Awareness is a Low-Cost Objective

Since conversions are likely to slow down with people concerned about the future, it would be a good idea to shift to a low-cost objective like brand awareness with your Facebook Ads.  

Brand awareness ads are geared towards generating as many impressions as possible among the target audience in hopes to create brand recall. Facebook measures this by asking those who were served the ad if they remember seeing it two days after being served. This can be seen as a double dip since if they don’t remember it, they were reminded.  

These campaigns typically generate results for a few cents and are great at keeping awareness high. If you need to scale back budgets, and understand right now awareness is critical, this is the way to go! 

4. You Have the Opportunity to Serve People and Win Business Later  

While there are a few reasons to keep your Facebook Ad campaigns live during a time like this, it is important to think about how you will be perceived by your audience. We highly recommend changing your message or offer to serve people opposed to selling people.  

Changing your approach just a little in the short term can help you win the trust and admiration of consumers in the long term. You can do this by offering deep discounts, freebies in the future, or even complementary access to premium services.  

We shouldn’t kid ourselves into thinking advertising isn’t about making money, however we should definitely be sensitive about how we do it. Offering people a true service or value in a time of need won’t be forgotten when things are back to normal.  

Have Questions About Marketing During COVID-19? 

We wish you well in weathering this time of uncertainty and anxiety. Please remember that we SEO company Breckenridge, CO are only a click or call away, if your business needs advice or consultation to go the distance!