In an effort to help small- and medium-sized businesses (SMB) stay in touch with their customers during the coronavirus pandemic crisis, last month Google and its parent company, Alphabet, announced it is offering $340 million in ad credits. These can be used towards future ad spends across Google Ads platforms until the end of 2020.

This is part of a larger $800 million package Google has unveiled which includes support to various health organizations and governments, as well as for health workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

Google, of course, has taken a financial hit due to the crises along with everyone else, with revenue down 18 percent since the pandemic began. But as Variety noted, the company is far from destitute, with a reported $119.7 billion in cash and equivalents on its books at the end of 1029.

And they’re not the only tech firm stepping up to help: Apple, Salesforce, and Facebook have also pledged to fund relief efforts for the economic impact of the coronavirus.

Google’s SMB package will begin distribution in several phases, starting late this month. Over the following months, eligible customers will be notified and will see the ad credit applied in the Google Ads account.

 

Eligibility

Advertisers who have spent with a Google Ads account either directly or through a partner in 10 out of 12 months in 2019, and in either January or February of 2020, will be eligible for these credits. Originally, the company had said SMBs would be eligible if they had been active advertisers since the beginning of 2019 and adhere to Google Ads policies.

Partners are identified as an advertising agency or third party that manages Google Ads accounts on behalf of other brands or businesses. If they advertise their own business on Google Ads, partners are also eligible for a credit.

Eligible advertisers will receive one ad credit allocation, which can be used throughout 2020 on any Google Ads channel (Search, Display, and YouTube) or campaign type.

 

Limits

  • Whether you run ads across multiple accounts or types of campaigns doesn’t matter. Each customer will receive just one credit.
  • The size of the ad credit will depend on past spend and the location of the account, although Google hasn’t specified the size of each customer’s credit.
  • The company also has not specified how it identifies a small- or medium-sized business, saying only, “We have a global team that is specifically designed to consult with and support the needs of small and medium-sized businesses around the world, and the ad credits will be supporting those businesses.”
  • Google says this credit is applicable only to future Google Ads spend, and will not be applied retroactively to billed/invoiced current Google Ads spend.

You don’t need to apply to receive a Google Ads credit. Credits will be applied automatically in accounts beginning late May, over several months.

 

Please let our Google advertising experts know if you have any questions about this program.