As you’ll have likely seen, Google are going to start rolling out ads credits to small and medium businesses that have been impacted by COVID-19. Although Google hasn’t gone into detail on when or how much this credit will be. We can assume this will be rolling out soon as it has to be spent by 31 December 2020.
Who is eligible?
SMBs need to have been active on Google Ads since the beginning of 2019 – if your account has been live since this date, you will receive a notification at the top of your Google Ads account shortly. If you’ve fully paused your ads activity since COVID-19, then you will likely still be active.
Your ads credit will be useable across all Google Ads channels such as Search, Display and YouTube.
How much will my business get?
Although it has not been detailed how the $340 million will be split, we anticipate that it will focus on the industries that have been impacted the most. Expect travel businesses to receive the biggest share whilst businesses that have done better during isolation are likely to receive a smaller amount.
When will I get my ads credits?
Google hasn’t provided a date outside of ‘the next few months’. However, things are likely to move much faster with Google looking to get businesses spending again especially those that will have cut marketing spends significantly.
Should I keep my advertising on during COVID-19?
A lot of businesses are asking this question right now and largely the answer depends on what your business does and how large the impact of COVID-19 is on it.
History shows that those that continue to market themselves in times of crisis come out better at the end. That said, many businesses won’t be able to run full-scale campaigns during this time, therefore our recommendation would be to run smaller scale, awareness-based advertising.
You can get good reach on the Google Display Network for very small spend levels and these types of ads will keep your brand at the front of people’s minds when things pick up again.
How should I spend my ads credits?
Coming out the other side of COVID-19 might seem a long way off but things could be returning to normal in just a few months. Now is the time to be working on your marketing strategy for a post virus world and if you’re eligible for ad credits how you’re going to use them to close the revenue gap.
If you need support with any of the above then please get in contact and we’ll be happy to get your business on track and in the perfect place when everything returns to normal. Send us an email to team@modo25.com
