COVID Is Speeding Up Marketing Strategies, Including Pay Per Click

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a massive impact on all sectors of the economy and this includes the world of digital marketing. While some businesses have temporarily closed, the pandemic has actually sped up some pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns. During this time of economic upheaval, there has been a drop in the amount of red tape. This, combined with shifting priorities in the marketplace, has shortened the buying cycles for some B2B businesses. As a result, PPC campaigns might actually be more effective during this difficult time.

The Typical Sales Cycle

In an office environment, there are usually long sales cycles. It can take forever to get through to the stakeholders with which the marketing team is communicating. As a result, PPC marketing (even though it provides more immediate results than SEO) can sometimes take a while to bear fruit. In general, a sales cycle in a typical environment could take as long as six months. Now, analysts are seeing PPC sales cycles that are unfolding in as little as two weeks. The result is that dollars spent on PPC are providing a more immediate return, helping businesses make ends meet during a challenging economic time.

Reasons for Shorter Cycles

The biggest reason why the buying cycles are shorter for PPC campaigns today is that much of the red tape that usually exists in sales cycles have been eliminated. In the past, B2B businesses would be much more intentional with their decision-making processes. Now, in an time where many employees have been forced to work from home, businesses are struggling to find ways to keep their employees busy. Therefore, sales cycles have been shortened. In addition, conversion rates have gone up. This has contributed to the effectiveness of PPC campaigns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Stark Contrast to Projections

While we are currently living in unprecedented times, the effectiveness of PPC campaigns stands in opposition to what many experts were projecting. With the pandemic, many analysts thought that businesses would put a moratorium on spending in an effort to slash overhead costs. If this were the case, the result would be longer sales cycles. Instead, many of the sales cycles have gotten shorter.

While PPC campaigns have been shorter in many areas, this is not uniform. For example, those who are trying to sell restaurant equipment are probably struggling, even with a great PPC campaign; however, thanks to a lack of office meetings and deliberations, sales cycles in many areas have gotten shorter.

The Pandemic’s Impacts Are Not Uniform

Clearly, the impact of the pandemic is not uniform across all industries. Many businesses are continuing to see demand, particularly those who operate in essential services. In an effort to increase conversions, the effort is that businesses should leverage the power of a PPC campaign to expedite their buying cycles, helping them meet their long-term goals. This is one of the key ways that digital marketing has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.