If you watch the headlines, the messages about the economy can twist you in knots. The daily speculation about the signs of a looming recession or the likelihood that one is already in progress may have you wondering: how does this impact my plans for content marketing?
People tend to do one of a few things with their content marketing when a recession is threatened:
- Stop all investments in content marketing because everything is so uncertain.
- Make bad decisions because stress is clouding good judgment.
- Pivot a bit and keep growing through the recession with content marketing.
It should be no surprise which strategy is ideal. You may not be able to enjoy the same success by staying the course with your current content marketing approach, but with a few adjustments, you’ll be right on track.
There’s good reason to continue to invest in content marketing. First, you don’t want to disappear just when competition for dollars may be increasing. Take the opportunity to move into the space where another brand has gotten spooked.
Second, while spending patterns change in a recession, that doesn’t mean that spending has stopped. For instance, people might eat out less but that doesn’t mean they are not eating. How can a business in the retail food industry pivot to accommodate spending preferences?
There are a few ways you can make the most of your content marketing and make it recession-proof:
Invest in SEO: Search engine optimization (SEO) is the best way to increase organic traffic to your website. Make sure you are following best practices for your content marketing, such as including a solid keyword strategy and developing new content on a regular basis.
Increase Engagement: If your customer preferences and pain points are changing in a recession, you want to be the first to know about it. Dig into your social media engagement and ask your audiences how things have changed for them.
Get Out in Front: Don’t follow trends; start them. A recession is a fantastic opportunity to find new markets, develop new ways to connect with your audience and meet their needs. Keep an eye on what your competitors are doing but don’t take a reactionary stance.
Adjust: You may need to refine your key performance indicators (KPIs) or which platforms you are using to engage with your market. Your content marketing strategy should be refined and adjusted anyway; a recession is an obvious time to make some small changes.
If you need help creating a recession-proof content marketing strategy, SJC Marketing is here to assist you. Contact us to get started. We can talk through what needs refining, what can stay and how to execute a marketing strategy with no fear of recession.