Marketing Strategies for the Automotive Industry During the Coronavirus Outbreak

Google announced in late March that it will be distributing $340 million in Google Ads credits in an effort to support small and medium-sized businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this week, additional details were released about the SMB credits.

Here’s what we know so far, and how it will impact your shop:

Is my shop eligible?

The main eligibility requirements we know of (so far) are based on your advertising history. To qualify for the credit, your business must have spent on Google Ads (either directly or through a Google partner, like Autoshop Solutions):

• at least ten out of twelve months in 2019, AND
• in January and/or February of 2020

Basically, the ad credits are intended for small and medium-sized businesses that have been advertising on Google consistently, and had active campaigns before COVID-19.

How do I get the credit?

In short – you don’t need to do anything! There’s no sign-up process or any action that needs to be taken on your part. If your business is eligible, a credit will be automatically added to your Google Ads account.

• For Autoshop Solutions customers: As the manager of your account, we’ll receive an email from Google if/when a credit has been added. At that time, we’ll notify you and will include a screenshot of your account as confirmation.
• If you manage your own account: You’ll receive an email notification from Google if/when a credit has been added.

When will I get it?

Eligible businesses will begin receiving ad credits in late May. The credits will be rolled out in phases over the following months.

How much will I get?

We don’t know for sure yet. All Google has told us so far is that the ad credit amount will vary by customer, based on past Google Ads spend and business location. Don’t expect to receive additional ad credits if you advertise with multiple accounts, or run multiple campaign types – only one ad credit will be applied per eligible customer.

How can I use the credit?

The credit can be used for future Google Ads spend only – it won’t be applied to previous invoices. It will be applicable across all Google Ads campaign types (including Search, Display, Video and more) through the end of the year. After December 31st, any unused portion of the credit will be removed from your account.

Can Autoshop Solutions help me get a larger credit?

Although Autoshop Solutions is a Google Partner, we have no say in the timing or dollar amount of credits for our clients – those details will come directly from Google itself.

How will this impact my monthly pay-per-click budget?

Monthly invoices for Autoshop Solutions clients on our RPM program will not change. If your shop receives a credit from Google in the coming months, it will be added to your existing monthly Google Ads budget – enjoy the free increase in website traffic!

As always, in the event that your account doesn’t use it’s full budget over any given month, it will automatically rollover to your next billing cycle.

We’re Here For You

Our team is here to help your shop through this difficult time. For tips on managing your paid search campaigns during COVID-19, check out our recent blog post – Optimizing Paid Search While The World Is On Pause. You can also access free marketing tools for your shop on our website. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions – we’ll get through this together!