Be clear about your goal during tough times. The first thing you need to know is that, during tough times, it isn’t just your tactics and strategies that need to change. Learn how to pull data insights out of the information you have in order to achieve results. Start by proactively identifying any past marketing strategies that could put your future profits at risk. The company began to notice the results when the strategy was first executed; but the company's leaders were put into a precarious position, since 85 percent of their customers were coming from organic search. Be as critical about your content investments as you are with your SEO. How can you work existing content into your lead-nurturing sequences? I mentioned the importance of data above, but the truth is that when budget cuts are in the works, you have to be able to justify the value of every decision you make. Finally, understand that budget cuts don’t necessarily mean “DIY’ing” your marketing. After that, consider carefully whether you or a new partner will be the best person to get there.
You need to get a whole lot better at SEO to get more bang for your marketing buck.
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Budget cuts may be a necessary evil in uncertain economic times. But even declines in funding don’t take the pressure off your marketing team to deliver results. If anything, hitting key metrics becomes even more important to your company’s future.
Along the way, there’s a personal cost: Stress results when you’re afraid your head is on the chopping block, and you aren’t certain what kinds of resources you have to work with.
If you find yourself in this position, the advice below — based on my years of engagement with companies in these financial circumstances — may help.
Be clear about your goal during tough times.
The first thing you need to know is that, during tough times, it isn’t just your tactics and strategies that need to change. Your whole approach to marketing needs to change, as well.
So, rather than stretching and testing new channels, your goal should be to take the ambiguity and risk out of marketing. Learn how to pull data insights out of the information you have in order to achieve results.
Here are six ways to do that . . .
1. Put out the fires first.
Start by proactively identifying any past marketing strategies that could put your future profits at risk.
As an example, I recently worked with a company that had hired a different SEO agency in the past. Unbeknownst to the company, the old agency ran a black-hat back-linking campaign which pointed thousands of spam links to the client company’s site.
The company began to notice the results when the strategy was first executed; but the company’s leaders were put into a precarious position, since 85 percent of their customers were coming from organic search. At best, they knew their links would be devalued at some point in the future, causing them to fall in the rankings and lose business once the links were removed.
At worst? They were risking…
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