1.    Reassess your tactics

Consider your resources and where they are best placed. Be ruthless in eliminating marketing tactics that aren’t directly tied to revenue generation: if it’s not converting, cut it out. Nearly everything you spend in a recession should have a clear return on investment.

This is where data is your friend, as it can tell you when and where to make changes to achieve the best results. By being able to see clearly which of your activities are most effective, you can make confident choices about where to focus your resources, and which activities to rethink. If your marketing is not already data-driven and measurable, it’s worth investing time and resources into systems and processes that allow you to precisely measure everything you do to help you make informed decisions when budgets are lean.

2.    Review your resource strategy

In an uncertain economic landscape, cost-effective expert support as and when you need it is available in the form of freelancers and agencies. (Of course, we would say that, but hear us out…)

Using external resources gives you additional skills and agility to be able to expand (and sometimes contract) your team according to need. Their flexibility usually means they can provide an expert resource at short notice and without long-term commitment.

Similarly, agencies are a way to have a team of highly specialised marketers with broad and current expertise available on call. As agencies tend to work across a range of clients, they also provide an invaluable macro view of the whole marketing landscape to support your strategic planning.

Crucially, as marketing strategies and actions become increasingly varied and multi-faceted and many teams suffer from a skills deficit in particular areas, there is much to be gained by outsourcing specific specialisms.