Where is your marketing team right now? And I’m not talking about their physical location, but the places they’re taking your business. After all, a kitchen table is as good a location as any to plan and implement a marketing strategy, as long as you know what you’re doing.
If lockdown has shown us nothing else, it’s that remote working is not only doable, but preferable, for many businesses.
As the reality of lockdown approached in March, myself and my team retreated from our HQ and set ourselves up in various home offices other cubby holes. Yet we still managed to travel far and wide. We helped a hair salon client land national coverage through a PR campaign, and provided a UK-wide engineering consultancy with the training and communication to support their staff through the pandemic. And these were just two of the things we achieved. We adapted to challenges, and worked tirelessly to present a clear and strategic focus for clients, so they could endure through lockdown, and come out the other side with solid plans for success.
Why? Because when the chips are down, having a strategic marketing plan in place is invaluable, and can make the difference between your business floundering and thriving.
In-house marketing is a daunting investment for SMEs
Bringing in a marketing manager is one thing, but what about the developers, SEO and PPE expertise that is also required to gain traction online and in the media? Or the other associated professionals, such as developers, or graphic and content creatives? Which, on top of the costs of recruiting and training, not to mention the investment required to mount marketing campaigns, is a great way to tear through a budget.
Having said that, marketing expertise is still one of the most important investments you can make for your company. And as many of us are now assessing the way our offices work, and how the remote approach may benefit us all in the long term, it’s also the perfect time to think about how you could get more clout from even a modest marketing budget.
Bridging the marketing gap many SMEs face
Rather than building a marketing department from the ground up, partnering with The Bridge can offer you a head start, because we already have the resources, experience, and skills to create and expand your marketing plans. We can hit the ground running, and help you achieve the targets you need to grow your business. For example:
Budget-friendly set fees. With our set fee structure, and fixed costs, you are subscribing to an already established team. You won’t need to fund training or wages for individual staff. This gives you a greater understanding of the costs going in, and enables you to stick to your budget forecasts with greater ease.
Access to specific expertise. Who writes your blog and newsletter copy? Not every in-house marketer is a natural writer, and for an agency like ours, when we need strong copy we turn to our professional copywriting team, who understand how to write well in ways that engage with your audience.
Now more than ever is the time to invest in marketing, by bringing people on board that can deliver the reach your business needs to thrive during these strange times. Give us a call to talk through your challenges and opportunities.