Digital Marketing During COVID-19

As we have all become well aware, COVID-19 is affecting businesses everywhere. Unfortunately, this is only the beginning of what we’ll experience. The long term effects may continue to play out over the next 9-12 months, not to be a bummer. Many businesses are still scrambling to figure out how to operate remotely and maintain profits during this unprecedented time.

If that hits home for you as a business owner, we get it. The good news is, we can help! There are many ways to improve the likelihood that your business will stay afloat while most of the country has to stay home. Best of all, these solutions can help you continue to thrive when things go back to whatever version of “normal” awaits us.

Google Maps and Local Optimization

People are searching for goods and services more frequently now while they’re stuck inside, looking to make a purchase from the safety of their home. Certain goods and services can’t be provided at this time. However, if you’re an essential business or you’re able to ship your products, there are still opportunities for customers to find you online. Optimizing your Google My Business listing is a crucial first step.

When someone searches in Google, it will pull up a Search Engine Results Page (SERP) and include a Map Pack with all of the pins that are near you, but also rank them based on the metrics associated with their listing. Generally, the first listing is one that has been paid for as an ad, and the ones that follow are there organically based on how well their Google listing is optimized.

If you haven’t already claimed and verified your local businesses’ Google My Business (GMB) listing, that will be step one. You will want to include important information about your business, like the phone number, address, business hours, and types of payments accepted. Doing this will increase the likelihood that your business will show up in Google Maps, Google’s Local Pack, and Local Finder as well as organic rankings.

To get a more in-depth look at how to navigate your Google My Business account and further optimize it, check out our Facebook live video.

Animation Video

Animated video is a fun and engaging way to stay connected with employees and customers! It is an excellent alternative to traditional video right now since it is something that can be done entirely remote as it doesn’t require filming. The whole process is pretty simple, and the turnaround can be as quick as just a few weeks.

To begin an animation project, we will discuss what you’re looking for and determine what it will look like to accomplish your goal. Once a budget is approved, we decide how the audio and visual components will fit together in a written format. Then storyboarding can begin where we plan out each scene that includes the script along with stills of the design that go with it. Once designs are approved by you, we can do an animatic to help you understand what things will look like together before fully animating the design. This allows us to make tweaks easier before the designs are animated. Then the full animation will be completed, you can make revisions, and then it is ready to go!

Check out our Facebook live video for a more detailed description of the process with the help of, you guessed it, a little animation.

Facebook Advertising

Many businesses that were advertising prior to the COVID-19 outbreak are pulling out of their ad spend to put their dollars elsewhere. So if you haven’t been running ads, this is a great time to purchase inventory at a lower cost and get higher impression volumes. Daily use of Facebook, Instagram, and other social apps has increased while quarantiners are spending all of their time at home, so your audience might be the biggest it has ever been!

There are a few different ways to advertise on Facebook:

• Image Ads: Use an image that grabs your viewers attention and promotes your business in an authentic way.
• Video Ads: Remember those animations we just talked about? Those are perfect for Facebook video ads!
• Carousel Ads: These can use up to 10 images or videos to showcase your range of products or services.
• Lead Ads: These are perfect for collecting contact information for newsletter subscriptions or getting someone to sign up for a trial of your product or service.
• Dynamic Ads: Promote targeted products to the people most likely to buy them.
• Stories Ads: Many users will watch most of a story ad before even realizing it is an ad, and the conversion rate for these is pretty high!

Google Search and Display Advertising

We generate a lot of business every month for people using online ads and retargeting. Brick and Mortar sales and networking events may have come to a halt, or maybe you’ve had to cancel some crucial trade shows you participate in every year. There is still a way to get your name out there! Re-allocating funds to digital advertising can get your business new customers over a longer period of time. That way, you won’t feel like you’re hitting a “dead spot” with your business six months from now.