7 Marketing Plan Changes You Need to Make to Survive an Economic Downturn

it is im

Since 1948, the United States has experienced 11 economic recessions. Like clockwork, a recession seems to occur every six years. As a business owner updating your marketing in an economic downturn can be daunting. It is important to make changes to your that will help you with retaining customers and marketing products/services to online consumers.

The best way to do this is why changing and optimizing your existing marketing strategy. Making these changes and improving customer service will help you get through this current economic downturn virtually unscathed. Below are some changes you need to think about making to your current marketing plan in response to this economic crisis.

1. Gather Information About Your Existing Marketing Campaigns

The only way to see where changes need to be made to your existing marketing campaigns is by looking at the results they are producing. Whether you are investing in Google AdWords or content marketing, you need to make sure your money is being well spent. One of the best ways to monitor the traffic your website receives is by using Google Analytics.

If you are confused about how to implement and use this tool, then working with experienced marketing professionals is a great idea. The information from Google Analytics can help you figure out what marketing campaigns are producing results and which ones aren’t can help you in this time of crisis. When looking at your budget, consider taking money out of campaigns that aren’t producing and putting it into proven marketing methods and even increasing your marketing budget can help you increase the number of sales leads you receive.

2. Retaining Your Existing Customers is Crucial

In times of economic crisis, your main focus should be on keeping existing customers happy and engaged. You spend far more money trying to attract new customers than you do keeping existing customers interested in what you are doing. Investing in new blog content is a great way to accomplish this goal.

Publishing new blogs that are related to how your business is soldiering on through the recession is important. Providing customers with this information will help you appear more transparent and reliable. Allowing professionals to develop and optimize this content for search engine success can help you drive more organic traffic to your website.

 

3. Use Positivity to Drive Sales

As millions of Americans struggle to stay afloat financially, they are turning to the Internet for entertainment, inspiration, and information. Making sure consumers find positive information about your company is crucial. The best way to accomplish this is by putting social proof on your website. Taking positive reviews from customers and putting them on your homepage is a great way to turn visitors to your website into actual customers.

4. A Robust Digital Presence is Vital

If you want to make strides toward making your business recession-proof, then a robust digital presence is imperative. Crafting a strong digital presence allows you to gain a larger market share during a recession. The easier it is for consumers to find your products/services online, the easier it will be to keep sales consistent during an economic downturn. 

Making sure your website is responsive is important. Websites that are easy for mobile users to navigate perform much better on popular search engines. You also need to play the long game with pay-per-click marketing. Using platforms like Google Ads is a great way to expand your reach and find consumers interested in the products/services you offer. 

5. Perform a Website Audit

A website audit should be a part of any recession proof marketing plan. Getting the information needed to make the appropriate changes to your marketing plan will require a website audit. Optimizing your website to generate leads 24 hours a day should be a priority. Turning your website into a lead generation machine can help you better weather the recession storm.

 During this audit, you need to check things like:

• Load time
• Internal/external links
• Contact forms
• Site structure

If you want to make it easier for potential customers to get answers to their questions, then using chatbot technology is important. With this technology, you can use the power of AI to provide answers and assistance to website visitors 24 hours a day. 

6. Enhance Your Link Building Efforts

Growing your business during a recession will require the help of search engines. Roughly 68 percent of all online experiences start with a search engine. Getting your business website on the first page of Google will require the help of proven SEO tactics. 

Link building is the process of getting other websites to link back to your domain. The more backlinks your website has, the higher it will inevitably rank on Google. One of the most effective ways to build links is by guest posting on various authoritative websites. 

You also need to create content that other websites want to link to. This content should include aggregate lists, infographics, and white papers. Consistently producing great content and guest posting on other websites will help you build more backlinks in no time. 

7. Focus on Consistent Branding

During times of economic uncertainty, most consumers rely on brands they trust. Failing to communicate the value of the products/services being offered by your company can hurt your brand. Winning consumers over during a recession will require a consistent brand message. 

Over 25 percent of the companies polled in a recent survey claimed that consistent branding contributed to their financial growth. If you want your branding to be consistent, then you need to consider things like:

• Who is your target audience
• Creating a visual brand identity
• Develop brand guidelines
• Produce high-quality content
• Keeping messaging consistent on all platforms

If you want to make your company appear more trustworthy, then highlighting your credentials and experience on all platforms is imperative. Consumers will view this information as proof that your business can be trusted.  

Let Small Business SEO Help You Improve Your Marketing in This Economic Downturn!

Now that you know about the marketing changes you need to make, it is time to get to work. The team at Small Business SEO is here to help you conquer the world of online marketing. With our help, you can maintain your upward growth trajectory during this current economic crisis.