Changes in online advertising June 2020

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Comparing year-over-year data for the pandemic months (March-June 2019 vs. 2020), we found that almost everyone, from small to large-scale advertisers, has reduced online advertising budgets by an average of 20%.

Initially, those spending more than $1 million a month on online ads were more reluctant to make significant cuts, but by June 2020, all advertisers had begun to show less confidence in digital ad spending.



(Lost) opportunities
With advertising spending down, online advertising costs are also exit mobile database falling. Due to the pandemic, most eCommerce sectors have seen a drop in average cost per click (CPC), which could mean advertisers can get more for every dollar they spend.

This opportunity is not consistent across all eCommerce industries – you can find a more detailed overview of digital advertising spending during the COVID-19 crisis and a look at industry-specific data in our recent blog post .

Emotional triggers and CTAs in eCommerce ads
Finding the right emotional trigger to encourage users to click on an ad is often the difference between the success or failure of an advertising campaign.

Examples like “Free Shipping,” “Free Returns,” and “Shipping Available” are dominating the CTA landscape among ecommerce ads; our research showed that 32% of all ads emphasize free delivery. This messaging has become increasingly popular during coronavirus times as consumers increasingly shop online for items they never bought online before.