2022 is shaping out to be an interesting year. As the first ‘normal’ year since 2019, it is an exciting and optimistic time, and many businesses are experiencing rapid growth.
On the other hand, lingering supply chain issues from the pandemic and Brexit, as well as uncertainty caused by the Ukraine war, are contributing to high prices and inflation – making many businesses cautious about investing in growth.
In times of uncertainty, many businesses take the cautious but reasonable decision to sit on the fence, to not make any investment decisions that may risk their hard-earned capital. Many businesses ‘once bitten’ by the pandemic in 2020, are ‘twice shy’ in 2022. Despite these concerns, our conviction – proved time and again during times of uncertainty – is that the best response to uncertainty is to increase your sales and marketing efforts, not scale them back.
Here is why we believe that now is the best time to raise your digital marketing game, and what you can gain by doing so:
Own the Internet
2022 is not a rerun of 2019 for one major reason – the Internet is the place to be in 2022. Off-line events, working practices, and sales meetings may have returned, but the Internet is where sales decisions are made and deals are closed. Pre-pandemic, you might have had first contact with a customer online but then arrange to speak in person or over the phone to progress the relationship. In 2022, post lockdown, you might meet someone in person but then arrange to take things further through their website, or via a video meeting. The pandemic has turned online sales on its head.
To capitalise on these working practices, you must expand your digital asset base to make your business more recognisable and authoritative online, providing valuable information for customers at every stage of their buyer journey. If your business is invisible online, it is invisible in real life – no matter how long you’ve been in business or how many customers you have. Customers won’t wait to phone you or meet you, they want the information online, and they want it immediately. Engage with your customers online through targeted and relevant content, and optimise this material for better online visibility, searchability, and lead generation.
Connect with the right audience
The growth of the Internet has made it even more important to optimise your content for specific buyer audiences, or risk your messages becoming diluted and lost. The broad-brush approach does not work with digital marketing because there is simply too much content available and so many stimuli competing for people’s attention.
Fortunately, investing in digital marketing allows you to connect directly with people who have an interest in your services and products, providing the right information at precisely the right time to encourage sales decisions.
Economic uncertainty does not deter business decision-makers from investigating in solutions and planning future investments. It is the businesses that continue to invest in their online presence that have the best chance of capitalising on sales decisions when these are made, whether now or in the future. Furthermore, not everyone battens down the hatches during uncertain times. Many business owners actively spend to strengthen their business and develop their own sales opportunities.
What this means for your business is that it is worthwhile re-evaluating your buyer profiles and personas to recognise any changes in purchasing habits and priorities in light of the conditions of 2022. This will ensure that your digital marketing strategy is up-to-date and relevant, and may lead to targeted actions to connect in a more valued way with your target audience – e.g. by refreshing your web content or updating the angles you cover in your blog articles.
Optimise your campaigns to make your money go further
If money is tight, it’s essential that you make every pound you spend on marketing count. Businesses that put their digital marketing efforts into cruise control during uncertain times often see their ROI drop as their content becomes stale or out of date, or superseded by newer content published by competitors. Refocusing your digital marketing efforts gives you the opportunity to monitor, evaluate, and optimise your campaigns for better results and to make your money go further.
Digital marketing channels are built for data collection and analysis, letting you track your campaigns in minute detail, adapt your approaches in real time, and generate faster and more effective results. In fact, as a sales investment, digital marketing is one of the best and least risky options available. It is far less costly and uncertain than traditional face-to-face sales strategies and can be quickly scaled up and back to accommodate your business priorities as they change.
Next steps
JDR support small businesses to achieve growth and prosperity whatever the economic weather. 2022 presents valuable opportunities as well as challenges, and a tailored digital marketing strategy puts you in a strong position to benefit from market trends and increase your brand authority for greater sales. To find out more, please call one of our team on 01332 343 281.
Image source: Unsplash
