There isn’t a single person on the planet right now who isn’t affected by COVID-19 in some fashion. At Actuate Media, we understand how you’re feeling. You’re scared about the future of your business and concerned about the health of your family, employees, customers, friends, and neighbors. We are, too. One of the biggest questions we’ve received from our clients is whether to advertise during the coronavirus crisis? The truth. Now is probably one of the best times to use digital marketing to grow your business. Keep reading to learn more.  

Why Businesses Should Continue to Advertise During COVID-19

What makes this global pandemic far different from any other world crisis is that our society is incredibly technologically connected. We are still able to shop online, video chat with family members, work remotely, and more. Even teachers in some states are using the internet to teach children through the end of the school year. It may sound a bit silly at a time like this, but your customers genuinely want to see your content during the quarantine. They want your Facebook messages keeping them updated and ads promoting your latest products. They want your YouTube videos so they can learn how your service can help them live better lives. They want to read and consume the content, potentially your content, whenever and wherever they want. For instance, paid and organic search are both search intent-driven mediums. Meaning, if your business can afford to continue advertising during this period, you still have a shot at selling products online, setting future appointments, and taking advantage of a less competitive marketplace. If you pull-back at a time like this, you remove your service and product from consideration, and someone else will capitalize on this opportunity. You know the expression, ‘when the going gets tough, the tough get(s) going.’ With more people at home trying to find something to occupy their time, now is the time to engage with them. It’s time to invest with an SEO agency so your organic presence gets better during these tough times. Continue to generate Social Media content to inform and update customers. Or redesign your website to emerge from these trying times like a butterfly in a cocoon. Whether it’s advertising, engaging customers, or finally starting that project you’ve put off until now, now is an excellent time to move forward.  

What History and Previous Financial Recessions Tell Us

It’s been well over a hundred years since a pandemic of this magnitude hit the United States. Technology and marketing have drastically changed in that time, so it isn’t easy to just look at previous data to see where we are headed. However, the last financial recession a decade ago can give us a few indicators and what to expect. According to AdAge, ad spending in the United States plummeted during the last year of the Great Recession. Companies simply were not spending money on traditional advertising. Larger marketing firms saw significant declines, but specific industries—like newly minted streaming video services and household goods—seemed recession-proof. What about now? You have to keep a few things in context while making projections on how COVID-19 is going to affect advertising. The previous period of economic downturn ended in 2009, and our society wasn’t nearly as connected as it is today. Furthermore, during this crisis, more people are dependent on social media and search marketing platforms, such as Google, Bing, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok, as they are quarantined to their homes.  

Top Reasons to Market Your Business Now and Not Wait

Of course, trying to decide to launch a new SEM or SEO campaign with a digital agency now can seem difficult. The truth is that there are still plenty of reasons why doing so is such a good idea. Let’s look at a few of the top motivations to market your business now and not wait.   Timeframe: Honestly, we don’t know how long this pandemic is going to affect the global economy. A few weeks or a few months really won’t have much of an effect on how people use search engines or social media to find goods and services. Plus, organic search efforts can take time to grow, so spending money on elements like content and on-page SEO now can make a difference later. Many Ways to Reach New Audiences: We’ve touched on this above, but we mean it. There are so many ways to reach a new audience right now, and the right amount of creative advertising on social media or through pay-per-click can help your business get in touch with your target market. People have plenty of time to view this content, and you really should be taking advantage of their undivided attention. Plenty of Small Business Assistance: If you are trying to cut costs and save a little in case your business sees a significant downturn, changing your marketing budget isn’t necessary. We are only a few weeks into this situation, and there are already plenty of small business assistance programs available to keep you in the right place financially. Cutting advertising spend just simply doesn’t have to happen. Certain Niches Are Still Doing Great: There are still certain industries that are doing amazingly well during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, if you are in eCommerce or household goods, you are likely seeing an uptick in traffic and sales numbers. Business-to-business organizations have gone remote, so they are still making appointments and selling products and services via Zoom and other online tools.  

Remember to Stay Safe

This is a scary time for all of us. While we venture into the unknown as to what life will be like after COVID-19, make sure to do everything you can to stay safe and keep your family healthy. Follow all Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines and wash your hands frequently. Continuing to advertise your business during this crisis is essential, which could affect your overall well-being during these difficult times.   About the author: At Actuate Media, we take digital marketing seriously. That’s why we are happy to help our clients with a wide range of digital advertising services tailored to their needs. Please contact us today for details.