Five Things Every Marketing Budget Should Include
1. Website Updates
To put it bluntly, a stagnant website is a useless website. Set aside some funds when planning the budget in the coming year to ensure that you have the right messaging, imagery, and layout that will resonate with your audience. It might not be time to completely scrap everything you’ve got, but at least a few times a year, you should update your website so that you’re staying relevant, secure, and inclusive. Bonus points: Google Search loves to reward a regularly updated website!
2. Social Media Advertising
Let’s face it – social media isn’t going anywhere. This year, it would be wise to allocate funds to strategically meet your audience where they are already spending their time – social media. Identify which social media platforms are right for your brand, and create an advertising strategy to help amplify your message. Not sure where to start? Give us a shout!
3. Email Marketing
ROI is a term we know you’re familiar with, especially when it comes to creating a marketing budget (and getting it approved!). Well, according to HubSpot, email marketing is one of the best tools to use when calculating ROI stating that this marketing activity generates $42 for every $1 spent. If you’re not great at math, that’s a 4,200% ROI! Email marketing is cost-effective and can be a powerful tool to have in your marketing toolbelt.
4. Public Relations Strategy
Yes, “Public Relations Strategy” is a broad term, but having a plan to feed the media engine is a must, and that plan looks different for every company. Many tactics fall under the PR umbrella and can include (but aren’t limited to) press releases (trade, consumer, wire), surprise and delight media mailers, story pitching, and crisis communications. Not all companies will need all of these tactics, so you should evaluate your company’s specific needs, set goals, and allocate funds for PR based on that. Plus, the global PR market is expected to grow 10.2% this year, according to The Business Research Company.
5. Content Creation
Sometimes creating content for your brand can feel overwhelming and repetitive. New content can get you out of a slump and inject life into your marketing plan. This coming year, use a portion of your budget for some shiny new content! This can mean utilizing influencers, creating new recipes, videos, and more! There are ways to make your budget go further when you have a bank of content to pull from. If you’re creating new recipes, make sure the photographer gets multiple angles of the final shot. Edit your long-form videos into small, bite-size “teasers” that you can use on social media and emails.
