Marketing Cost Reduction Guide

Marketing is a vital part of running a successful business. Generating new leads and customers is impossible if you don’t promote your products or services.

But while marketing is paramount, it doesn’t mean that you should spend all your resources on marketing costs. Overspending on marketing projects that don’t have substantial returns can hurt your business.

When it comes to marketing, it can be difficult to tell when you’re spending too much or too little. Sometimes businesses tend to be excessively frugal that their marketing campaigns are deprived. Other times, business owners overspend in their desire to see results ASAP. Unfortunately, unwise spending can affect your business bottom line.

But don’t worry; there are some things you can do to cut marketing costs without sacrificing your marketing goals. Here are some marketing cost reduction strategies that you can try.

1.   Know your customers

If you are overspending on marketing, chances are you still don’t know well your audience. The best way to generate leads and gain new customers is by knowing and understanding what they need and want. Once you know them, it is easier to identify which marketing projects need to be focused on or reduced.

Check which campaign your target audience responds the best. Track the results and quantify which approach generates the best ROI. This data should help you make the right decision.

2.   Cut on non-performing strategies

Making budget cuts on marketing is tough. Start with projects that are performing poorly in terms of sales or lead generation. Admitting that your marketing idea is a failure can be disappointing, but it is a must or lose more money. In some cases, the marketing practices are just outdated, such as clickbait social media posts or cold calling.

Use data from Google Analytics or similar analytics program to determine non-performing marketing campaigns, perhaps it can be the print ads or paid clicks. Get rid of these projects and focus on effective lead sources.

3.   Try the latest strategies

Several marketing projects prove to be cheaper. Know more about the latest marketing trends from reliable sites like HubSpot’s Marketing Blog, Moz, Seth Godin, Marketing Land, and Buffer Blog.

You might be missing out on certain technologies that can help improve your marketing while reducing costs. By knowing the latest and upcoming trends, you can stay ahead of your competitors.

4.   Streamline your active marketing channels

Businesses now use numerous marketing platforms, strategies, and campaigns. However, you don’t have to spread yourself thin and spend on all marketing techniques to reach your target audience. Choosing the right channels is the secret to a cost-effective marketing plan. Ideally, you should focus on at least two to three channels. Focus on marketing strategies that are producing results.

Perform an audit on all your current marketing activities. Evaluate the performance of each channel and identify the lead generation strategy with the best results. Some strategies take time such as SEO but if you are cutting on budget, you should consider investing more in marketing campaigns with immediate results. Long-term activities can probably wait once you’re through with the financial crisis.

5.   Re-purpose old content

Content creation is a vital investment in marketing. However, producing quality content can also be costly. Instead of purchasing new content every time, try to revisit your old contents. You might be sitting upon a treasure.

You can update older contents and publish it as a new and relevant post. Include new information, rewrite sections, or enhance previous posts to give it a new life. Alternatively, you can repurpose content for other marketing channels. For example, you can transform an existing blog post into an infographic that is perfect for social media marketing or use it as a response to a Quora question. Repurposing your content can cut your costs at the same time reach new potential clients.

6.   Use free tools

Paid marketing tools offer powerful features that you can use for your marketing efforts. Unfortunately, you might be paying more for unnecessary or duplicate features. Many of these tools even come with free alternatives. And in most cases, these advanced features don’t even contribute to your bottom line.

If a subscription tool is costing you thousands every year but doesn’t come with any significant return, cut it. There are numerous high-quality free SEO tools, keyword research, analytics, social media, image creation, and email marketing tools. You just need to do a little digging to find and learn them. But overall, the time spent is worthwhile considering the huge savings you can make.

Remember, to always spend your money wisely. If you can do a project, do it yourself. Forgo paying costly marketing agencies. Likewise, if you can outsource some work instead of hiring an organic employee, do so. Outsourcing some work can improve marketing efficiency and ROI while cutting costs.

Finally, your marketing needs and budget can change over time. Regularly review your marketing strategies and its outcomes. Once your finances are looking good, you can reinvest on previously cut campaigns.