Posted by Melanie Tajaard ● Fri, May 01, 2020 @ 15:05 PM

Don’t cut your bangs… or your budget

We’ve all heard it, don’t do it… don’t cut your hair or your bangs during the Covid-19 pandemic!  You’ll regret it, they say!  And so, I hold out (and man oh man I need a haircut!), but I am also here to share with you, there is something else you might want to think twice about cutting, and that’s your Inbound Marketing Budget. 

CuttingBudget-2

When we started this year with full tanks of energy, we couldn’t have anticipated the challenges in store for our businesses. Widespread lockdowns, economic uncertainty and social distancing measures have stretched many businesses to their limit, and many of us are working tirelessly to adapt to significant changes to our professional - and personal - lives.

This is an incredibly challenging time for individuals and businesses.  It is like nothing we could have ever planned or imagined, and we really have no idea when we will see the other side of this! 

Businesses tend to find themselves in survival mode or pivoting to adjust to the new normal.  At first, it almost seemed wrong to market during a pandemic.  But if you come back to the premise of Inbound Marketing, it is all about helping and being there when the prospect is ready to buy.  There is nothing wrong with being ready for your prospective customers and nothing wrong with helping at a time like this.

Of course, some industries are hugely impacted including: Food services, Travel & Tourism, Schools and non-profit organizations that are closed or need to cancel upcoming events, business who with brick and mortar locations that have closures and amended hours and Music and entertainment who rely on production or live events. And there are others industries that are seeing minimal impact including: as a Service (SaaS), Biotech Industrial Cleaning Supplies, Medical Products Telehealth, Health Products/ workouts, Online Training/ content, Collaboration tools, Delivery Meal services, eCommerce, Delivery & Logistics, Live Streaming platforms, Entertainment (gaming), and Consulting for less impacted industries.

ScissorsUnless you are in one of the highly impacted industries, think twice before you cut your Inbound Marketing Budget.  The work you do now on Inbound Marketing will be there to serve you when we get over this pandemic and find a new normal.  While the value of paid ads disappear as quickly as the ad,  investing in Inbound Marketing is like investing in a strong foundation that will serve you well in the future. 

I wanted to share with you, some of what I have been reading about business and marketing during Covid-19.  Here are a few great articles that spoke to me. 

Coronavirus: Managing (and pivoting) during a crisis

COVID-19: MANAGING AND PIVOTING DURING A TIME OF CRISIS (Canadian Perspective)

The Importance of Content Marketing During Coronavirus Pandemic

How the Workplace Could Change for Marketers in 2020 [and Beyond]

While most business owners have seen their routine and day to day turned upside down, many find themselves with a rare commodity, more time on their hands.  Don't squander it, embrace it, and that doesn’t have to mean you write your next best seller, use it to recharge if that feels right.  Or, if you get comfort in tackling the list of things to do (as I do), go on and tackle it.  Learn something, try something different, work on your process or automate something. 

Now would be an awesome time to embrace a customized training program, designed to meet you exactly where you are with your marketing, your sales or just about anything else.  I have helped clients leverage more than a quarter of a million dollars of funding.  One of my favourite programs is the WIPSI funding program. This one is a Nova Scotian program, but equivalents exist in many other provinces. 

This non-repayable grant can be used to up your marketing game, perhaps embracing technology to automate some of your sales and marketing initiatives. 

Want to learn more? Meet with me

and now, more than ever, stay well.  Oh and on the to-do list, love the ones your with!! 

Meet with Melanie

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