With the downturn in the economy encompassing nearly every aspect of our lives, businesses large and small are feeling the pinch. MarketingSherpa recently published a survey (as reported by newsandexperts.com) stating that over 60% of large companies are planning on slashing their PR/marketing budgets significantly this year.
With smaller marketing budgets, companies are hunting for cost-effective, measurable solutions to sagging sales figures. This naturally leads to online marketing in order to generate new prospects and customers. The goal is to recession-proof your online content and marketing.
Here are 7 steps to recession-proofing your content in tough times:
1. Embrace the Basics: Web Content 101. Start with the easy stuff. Take a look at your existing copy. How is your site performing? If you haven’t done it yet, perform some keyword research and use Google Analytics – how are visitors making their way through the site?
2. Expand the Breadth of Your Content. A few years ago, a website was all you needed. But the web has continued to evolve. Are you writing optimized press releases? How about a newsletter? Do you have a blog? Consider these other ways of recession-proofing your online content and marketing.
3. Create New Content Directed at Your Existing Customer Base. Building your relationship with current customers is huge. Consider newsletters or email marketing. This is money in the bank during a recession. Develop new content and then get it to those who are most likely to respond.
4. Put Together a Content Distribution Strategy. What channels are you using for your online copy? All linking happens because of great content that everyone wants to be a part of. Get your optimized content out there. Use search engine optimization (SEO) techniques. Start blogging. If you have a great product, consider an affiliate network.
5. Leverage Your Content. Once you write a blog post, a press release, a web page, an article or a white paper, you can use it in other ways. Of course, you don’t want to use it verbatim – change it up so you don’t have duplicate content. Ideas need to be communicated in different ways. Don’t re-write it every time – leverage it. It’s a great way to recession-proof your online content and marketing.
6. Optimize Your Online Content for Social Media. What types of content are hot on sites like Digg, Stumble Upon and Facebook? Submit this exact content so you can get in the game and maximize response.
7. Make Your Content “Conversion-Friendly” - Ask for the Sale. Make sure that the copy includes specific "calls-to-action" which compel your visitors to the next step in the sale. Are the words "Order Now" next to your product? How about “get your free newsletter" now? Add these calls-to-action so visitors will take a more active and involved approach.