In an environment filled with uncertainty and worry, people are looking for certainty and reassurance. Adjusting offering and messaging during these hard times is an excellent way to connect with your audience. Here are few ad messaging ideas you can explore in your paid search ads to convert your audience to clients or brand fans.
1 – Offer things for free or with a discount
During this period, it is recommended to propose some services or products for free. This is a way to show your consumers that you are there for them. Callouts like “Free shipping”, “Buy One, Get One Free” Or “-70% To Stay Safe” have to be added to your ad messaging.
2 – Adjust your offering
Check regularly search queries movement on Google trends. By analyzing search terms you will be able to find which of your products you should focus on. Once found, review ads copy of this product, ensure responsive search ads are set and relevant sitelinks are activated.
You should also create special offers suited for households like a magazine subscriptions, set of cookware …
Likewise, if you are running Dynamic Search Ads (DSA), ensure that you are only advertising relevant products (those matching users’ needs). Login to your Google Ads account, check your Dynamic Search Ads settings and ensure that you are not showing your entire catalog. If you think that some products are not relevant, exclude them from your campaign.
3 – Extend the return period
Since people can not try on clothes at your store and considering package delays, some may be hesitant to order online. Especially when a product has a “brief” return period. Thus, extending the return period is a good solution to remove this blocker. Call out clearly “Return Period” in your ad messaging.
4 – Offer flexible payment options
As we go through the crisis, it is important to support your audience by offering them flexible payment solutions or payment facilities. This is a very important buying factor during this time. So don’t hesitate to highlight what are you proposing as payment options in your ad messaging.
You can update your ads copy with a messaging like: “Shop Now, Pay Later”
5 – Reassure your audience
Ensure your ad messaging reflects how your company is responding to the Covid-19 environment. What security measures your company has taken – whether it is your employee’s safety or customers’ safety. Indeed, consumers will keep buying from your company if they know that you are doing the right things to keep your staff, your store, and your products safe.
A Kantar study shows that:
Consumers expect the brands they choose to look after their employees first and foremost, with 78% saying take care of employees’ health and 62% saying implement flexible working.
KANTAR – COVID-19 Barometer
Also, customers are looking for reassurance regarding your services and offers. Provide them certainty so they trust your business. Highlight in your ad messaging any service you can guarantee. Examples: “Free Returns”, “3 Day Delivery Guaranteed” …
If your business is still open, call out this in your ad.
6 – Empathise with customers
Don’t hesitate to show empathy to your customers. Using empathy with smart CTA is the ideal to have in your ad messaging. You can use, messaging like: “Locked at home ?”, “Find out from home” Or “New home projects ?”.
For professional customers, you can use messaging like: “You can count on us” or “We take care of your business”
Unity messages are also very well received by customers. Like: “we’re going to get through this together”
7 – Update your CTA and Extensions
In particular, avoid urgency call to action in your ads copy – they are unfavorably perceived. Check your ads and modify ads containing CTA like: “Call now”, “Buy now before it is late” or “hurry up last chance”
Also, don’t hesitate to add a sitelink extension for COVID-19 information in your Search ads.
Takeaway
To face the Coronavirus crisis, keep in mind there are two imperatives to properly formulate your customer’s needs: Be creative and empathic. From a paid search perspective, you should consider marketing your business in new ways.