Many companies today are looking for ways to cut back on costs, and unfortunately, it’s often marketing departments that suffer. Such a strategy is a double-edged sword, saving the business in the present at the cost of drawing in customers down the line. From changing the advertising focus to working with an AI content generator, there are many ways to ease the budget burden while still making gains in customer retention and satisfaction.
1. Using an AI Content Generator
While a marketing department may scoff at the idea of using a computer to write articles, choosing an AI to create some of your content actually takes a lot of the burden off of the team. A great AI content generator doesn’t replace writers but offers them the tools to create much more effective and engaging material.
Oftentimes, a marketing team doesn’t have the manpower for background or SEO keyword research. Even hitting a wall with writer’s block can keep your team at a standstill. An AI can use customer and marketing data to suggest ways out of creative sinkholes, proposing article titles and basic article structuring that facilitates writing for your team without the need to hire additional and costly staff to fill in the gaps.
2. Social Media Freedom
One of the best ways companies generate leads is through word-of-mouth. In the past, that meant making noise at the town hall, but in today’s connected world there are more ways than ever to reach out to the community. Even better, most of those methods won’t add much at all to your budget!
Using social media marketing tools such as Facebook and Instagram are excellent options for companies looking to make a big noise with little effort or cost. If having personnel manage these outlets is too much of an issue, consider using a chatbot to interact with your customers on a limited basis. Like an AI content generator, a chatbot automatically creates posts but also simultaneously allows you to influence your customers in real-time!
3. Reduce Marketing Channels
When trying to market on a budget, businesses run the risk of spreading themselves too thin. Think about how many different ways your business is currently advertising. For example, if the marketing team has been focused on video-related content but isn’t getting an ideal number of views, it makes sense to shift finances away from that area into more influential content. Some of the key ways companies today reach out to new and existing customers include:
- Articles and Blog Posts
- Billboards
- Printed Media
- E-mail marketing
- Social Media
- Flyers and Brochures
- Paid Ad Space such as Banners and Pop-Ups
- Videos with YouTube and TikTok
Hitting all of these areas is a good idea…if you have the budget for it. Instead of trying to get seen via every market resource, it’s always a better idea to focus your advertising in key areas. Look to where you’re getting the most customer traction and feedback so you can concentrate your marketing team in those specific areas.
4. Automate With CRM
Customer Relationship Management software is essentially a way for your business to organize customer data. Using a CRM can help companies automate a lot of the more tedious functions that can plague a marketing department. The purpose of these systems is to facilitate connections with your customers, making it easier to find new ways to interact with and advertise to an already-established customer base.
A CRM is similar to an AI content generator because it aggregates data to help marketing departments make more effective decisions. Some programs facilitate interconnectivity between departments, allowing the customer service team to work with the marketing team directly. This leads to an exchange of ideas that allows your business to operate more smoothly while limiting the confusion that simple inter-office email communication can falter.
5. Refresh Old Content
If you already have a backlog of articles, blog posts, and video media, it can be a real treasure trove of marketing opportunities. Some of the older pieces can be reworked and presented as novel material, which is especially useful for blog posts and articles that didn’t get the attention they deserve at the time.
Using an AI content generator can help bring new life to the material in other ways, too. Reworking articles into tweets or Facebook posts brings that content to fresh eyes. You might transform a series of related blog postings as an ebook or quick reference guide for your products. Having access to a wealth of content means fewer resources you’ll need to invest in novel ideas.
Modify Marketing Strategies
The last thing you want to do is sacrifice your marketing budget to your bottom line. Without new customers and repeat clients, no business can survive. If you need to limit your ad spending, look to new methods and products that can transform the department into a lean, mean marketing machine!
