June 11, 2020

Your Lockdown Guide To Facebook Advertising

The COVID-19 lockdown is happening at a time when the internet is at the forefront of our everyday lives. With more people at home on their PCs, tablets, or mobiles, it is important now more than ever that you are amplifying your business online.

When we think of going online, we often think of Google. Therefore, many marketers have re-directed their marketing spend towards Google advertising (PPC). I mean, we can’t blame them. At least 49% of people use Google to search for something and its sidekick, YouTube, has over 2 billion active users. However, one platform we cannot sacrifice nor re-prioritise is Facebook.

Facebook and Instagram have over 3 billion users and they are arguably the most effective, impactful way of advertising to create both brand awareness and generate conversions such as sales. Abandoning or reprioritising your paid social advertising for PPC will undo years of hard work. Audiences will lose interest without seeing your brand regularly, and there will be a low chance of brand recall once your business is back up to full capacity.

Our guide will help you on how you should adapt your paid social strategy to COVID-19; not only to ensure you’re getting the maximum return but also that you are considering the long-term value and how this will impact brand awareness.

1. Spend With Care

• You will need to consider budget efficiencies. There will be products which are no longer in demand like Christening Jewellery or Holy Communion Jewellery. It is important that you react to these changes and invest spend into areas where we do see demand.
• We have noticed a general increase in click-through rates and drops in cost per click due to the number of people spending more time online. This will allow you to be more flexible with your KPIs such as cost per action or return on ad-spend. Don't forget, this could be an opportunity to invest more into new audiences.

2. Rake In Those New Users

• You should always be on the hunt for new customers as they are crucial to ensuring consistent sales in the both short and long term. You cannot rely on repeat customers as their preferences and needs can change at any moment.
• Even if your product is not in high demand right now, the awareness and exposure will help keep the brand in the thoughts of potential new customers.
• Focus on macro, not micro. It is great if you start getting sales from an audience of only 20,000 users, but when that audience has burned out after a week you are back to square one. Facebook’s Audience Insight tool is useful when it comes to selecting the right audience. Expand your horizons and think about your audience’s lifestyle rather than their online interests.

3. Refresh Those Audiences

• Along with Facebook’s Audience Insights, tools such as Google Trends do come in handy. It will help you monitor changes in your industry, learnings which you can then use when refreshing audience lists and ad copy. Do not keep running ad sets and assets if they are no longer driving any value.
• Avoid over saturating your feed and ensure you are targeting users who have an interest in your product. Facebook and even Instagram is filled with brands offering products like your own. For you to succeed, you must determine what sets your brand apart from your competitors.

4. Let’s Take A Look At The Copy

• Review your messaging and make sure it is relevant to the current situation. For example, if you are selling Health & Beauty products, openers such as ‘In times like these, why not focus on yourself for a while?’ or ‘Take advantage of staying at home to take care of yourself’ really go a long way.
• If you are targeting a large audience, your copy and assets really need to strike a chord with people outside of your customer base. The best approach is to research your competitors – find out what they are writing and come up with something better.
• Address your audience’s needs or problems through your copy. Explain how the product can improve their lives and do this by including benefits rather than features.
• Do not make the mistake of treating everyone the same. Users who have just landed on the website will need more persuasion than users who have added a product to the cart. Do not treat these two users the same by showing them the same copy. Non-salesy copy has been proven to work better on engaged audiences.
•  When it comes to retargeting ad copy, be smart about it. Do not discount unnecessarily and consider the level of audience intent at each stage.
• Your creatives can save your poor targeting methods. Facebook gives you the option to use different imagery for different placements. We recommend using this feature where it makes sense, particularly on Instagram Stories. Creating separate, compelling creatives for Instagram can go a long way.

5. Don’t Forget About Your Fans

• As important brand awareness is, you cannot forget your existing customers as they are crucial lifelines to your business. A great way could be providing exclusive discounts to existing customers to increase loyalty.
• It is easier for you to convince an existing customer compared to a new one, so it is important that you are reaching out to them, especially during a quarantine.
• Your message should also be crafted in a manner that captivates your audience and in turn directs their attention to what you’re offering.

The COVID-19 lockdown has triggered an economic crisis, and no one can really say for sure when everything will return to normal. Whichever marketing path you decide to invest in, make sure paid social is playing a major role. Remember, there will be long term effects that will stay with your brand long after the lockdown is over. If you establish yourself as a trusted brand now, people will continue to come back.

Key takeaways

1. New customer acquisition is key so make sure you are investing heavily into those awareness campaigns. There is no right answer so as always with Facebook, a/b testing is key.
2. Be relevant to your audience and the current time through your ad copy and assets. Personalising the consumer journey will make your ads stand out.
3. Do not forget about your existing customers. Their existing loyalty should be fostered, not taken for granted, as they aren’t guaranteed to stick around without your attention.

For more information or advice on how you can better prepare your brand for the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown, please contact us. Or alternatively subscribe to our newsletter.