It’s Monday, and your boss comes in your office and tells you that finances are very tight and the marketing budget is being cut for the foreseeable future until sales revenues return to projected levels. In fear, you start sweating, your heart is beating faster, and you even wonder if your job is at risk. Your boss then says that cuts most likely are occurring across the company and they are trying to keep all jobs in tact. However, the marketing budget must be cut. Here is one brand strategist’s thought process that just might provide you with some tips on what to do when this happens to you.
What are three tactics you would implement exclusively with your marketing department to help drive leads knowing that you did not have a paid media budget?
First, I would bring my marketing team together (assuming it exists of more than my multiple personalities!) and dialogue as a group for ideas. When budget is slim, it means that every word, every image, every communication simply must be top quality. Every interaction with the target audience must count! That can only be achieved when your team is on the same page, supporting each other behind the scenes, and sharing a cohesive and consistent message. If they’re going to be effective they MUST KNOW WHY they do what they do.
Second, I would make sure that my team’s social media exposure is telling the same story. Every outlet, every platform needs to be presenting a consistent look, a visually connected style and feel. If the visual brand, (or the personality of the posts and content) is scattered, the results will reflect it.
Third, make sure that every message being shared in whatever platforms survive the budget cuts — is driven by a story. I don’t mean every post or ad has to be telling an actual story. Rather, each element should be contributing to the overall story of your organization. Achieving this comes back to clearly knowing “why” your organization does what you do, and why you believe it makes a valuable impact on your audience. Beyond that, show the story, don’t settle for merely telling it.
– Sarah Asaftei, a brand strategist and director at skaMEDIA Productions & Films, Inc.
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Scott MacFarland
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