30-second summary:
- Since shelter-in-place rules were enacted, the way people use the internet has changed. They’re consuming more media and increasing web research and browsing.
- Paid search strategy is not one-size-fits-all. Each vertical must be treated differently, as some industries like ecommerce have seen improved performance while others have seen a declined performance.
- A pandemic is not the time to cut ad budget. Instead, investing in advertising now should pay dividends when the market normalizes.
- Ensure your ad copy is appropriate for the landscape. That means even going back to a campaign that started before the pandemic to update any language that isn’t applicable to the current landscape.
- Marketers must stay flexible and agile during this time and monitor what’s working or not working and creating a quick plan to adjust.
When COVID-19 began spreading across the U.S., marketers scrambled to figure out how to respond. Sudden work-from-home mandates, cancelled business trips, postponed conferences and frozen budgets threw a wrench into usual expectations and plans. Users’ needs and online behaviours have changed in tandem, forcing marketers to meet them on their new terms.
Search is more important than ever now because people are spending almost all of their time at home and online, consuming media, researching, browsing and shopping. According to Forbes[1], total internet hits have surged by 50% to 70% with people under lockdown, while 32% of people[2] say they are spending longer on social media. Hours spent in non-gaming apps[3] are up as people turn to TikTok, WhatsApp, Instagram and Twitter to keep entertained, connected and informed. To stay relevant in these turbulent times, it’s imperative that marketers maintain their paid search presence while adjusting to the needs of the moment.
Vary strategy by vertical
While no industry is immune from the