A marketer’s job is never done.
Whether there’s a looming economic downturn or a recession to brave through, chances are that B2B marketers are still going to be expected to show their worth. But that can feel impossible when companies don’t have as much money to throw around.
Join Mark Huber, Head of Brand & Product Marketing, and Jason Widup, VP of Marketing at Metadata, as they dive into the specifics of not just how to scale through a down economy but the factors that help marketers come out the other end unscathed.
So, saddle up for an economics lesson in this episode…or something pretty close to that.
To hear more about how B2B marketers can do their jobs efficiently in a recession, tune in to the full episode or read on for the key takeaways from this episode.
Watch the full episode
Three top takeaways:
Takeaway 1: Freaking out is not an option
No doubt, being a marketer in a recession puts you in a uniquely uncomfortable situation. So, the knee-jerk reaction is to freak out.
But does it make the situation any better? Not even a little bit. Instead, it adds more fuel to the fire of negativity that’s already out there. It also makes it pretty hard to make constructive decisions that’ll get you out of the other end of the recession.
What to do instead? Jason recommends going into planning mode, objectively weighing your choices, and trying as much as possible to keep a level head through it all.
Takeaway 2: Pay attention to your messaging
Whether you’re marketing a must-have product or a nice-to-have product, the bottom line is that you’re asking people to part with money in a recession.
It’s not the most convenient of times, and your audience is in the thick of it. So, first things first, you need to make sure that your messaging isn’t insensitive to your target market’s plight. They should be able to tell that you’re aware of how different things are, so don’t pretend that nothing new or challenging is happening in the outside world.
That little touch of empathy in your messaging goes a long way, because that’s exactly what your audience needs when things get unpleasant.
Takeaway 3: Try to meet your commitments
It’s easy to see an economic downturn as a cop-out or an opportunity to duck out of some of your bigger commitments. Here’s the thing, you’re probably not expected to hit incredibly high numbers with a limited budget.
But you still need to think about them as commitments that you made and put in the effort to meet them. It shows the people higher up that you’re not just a fixture, but a proactive addition to your organization.
It’s also worth reprioritizing and paying more attention to the things that matter. You don’t want to be stuck putting 120% into mundane tasks that won’t pay off in the long run. A recession isn’t the time to take on the whole world. Just hone into the important commitments you have lined up.
