There’s uncertainty in the air, and budgets tightening everywhere. What’s a marketer to do to get a decent ROI in 2025?
There’s overwhelming evidence that brands that maintain or increase marketing spend during economic downturns reap massive benefits in economic recoveries. There’s also overwhelming evidence that Finance Managers and most senior executives ignore this. Marketing budgets are typically the first casualty when expenses need to be cut.
During these periods, the Marketer’s job is to make every dollar go as far as possible—a sort of marketing loaves and fishes trick. Here are some ideas on where to invest for the best short—and long-term returns.
1. Invest in Content Marketing: Quality content remains one of the highest ROI activities. Focus on SEO-optimised blogs, case studies, and video content that address pain points. Plan, write and shoot content to be used multiple times across various channels.
Hype Tip: Don’t be afraid to repeat and refresh top-performing content. You are looking at your blog page, your eDMs, and social media every day, but your audience isn’t. When you start to get sick of seeing it, your audience is probably only starting to notice it for the first time.
2. Double Down on Website Optimisation: A high-converting website is a 24/7 sales machine. Allocate funds to UX improvements and speed enhancements. Even a modest investment can reap big rewards.
Hype Tip: Start with high-traffic pages that aren’t converting well for quick wins.
3. Automate Lead Nurturing: Marketing automation tools can reduce manual work and improve lead quality. Invest in CRM integrations, email sequences, and chatbots.
Hype Tip: Segment your lists for more personalised and effective automation.
4. Trim Underperforming Ads: If you have budget for paid campaigns, audit what is and isn’t working ruthlessly to avoid waste. Shift the budget to high-ROI channels like remarketing and high-intent keywords.
Hype Tip: Focus on retargeting visitors who’ve shown interest but haven’t converted.
5. Use AI: From writing assistants to video generators to predictive analytics, these tools can boost content generation efficiency without requiring a massive investment.
Hype Tip: AI platforms are only as good as the prompts they are given. Take time to understand how to get the most out of them. Trial free versions to see what works best for you before subscribing.
Finally, if you do come under budget pressure, resist the temptation (or the pressure from others on the management team) to pour everything into bottom-of-the-funnel promotion. There’s overwhelming evidence that for brands to grow, there needs to be a combination of long-term brand building and short-term promotion. Investing in good content can be one of the most economical and practical ways to contribute to long-term brand building.
