Insider Intelligence: Maximize your Marketing

This article originally appeared in the April 2021 issue of Security Business magazine. When sharing, don’t forget to mention @SecBusinessMag on Twitter and Security Business magazine on LinkedIn.

Many marketers have seen drastic cuts to their budgets in early 2021, as organizations have tightened their belts to weather the rest of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though it is not easy to “do more with less,” many marketers have faced this exact task.

There are key strategies that marketers can employ though that cost little to no money but have huge impact. Here are four ways to ensure your marketing stays top notch, without busting the budget.

1. Optimize Free or Low-Cost Channels

While we may not be spending a lot of money on high-priced advertisements, paid search, travel, etc., there are plenty of free or low-cost marketing tools already in your tool belt that you can enhance when the budget gets thin.

E-mail marketing will always be one – if not the most – powerful channel a marketer can deploy, but it is important to use it judiciously. At least once a month, review the analytics, look at open rates, clickthrough rates, etc. Are you having the success you desire? If not, brainstorm how to make e-mails a more effective tool to drive business.

Likewise, social media is another great tool that does not require a lot of money for success. Are you getting good engagement on your channels? Staying top of mind can be as easy as regularly sharing relevant articles or connecting with others in your network.

Finally, while you may not be able to send team members to conferences or certification courses this year to increase their knowledge and skills, there are still plenty of great online resources that can help them hone their craft. Challenge each staff member to find at least one business development course this year for little to no cost that they can take without leaving home.

2. Save on Production Costs

PSA is a huge proponent of video content. We see great success when we are producing videos to share with our network; however, when we were all forced to work from home, our video program completely stopped, as we were more focused on the production than the content.

The reality is great video does not have to cost an arm and a leg. The message is more important than the flashy graphics. If you have important information to share, set the best scene you can to disseminate your message. Our expectations of perfection have lessened over the last year – even the Golden Globes were virtual with awkward Zoom pauses and people talking over each other!

3. Search Engine Optimization

Maybe you had big plans to pay a fancy agency to help optimize your website this year and ensure your company is surfacing in the top results of Google. While this is extremely important to “look under the hood” of your website from time to time, there are things you can do on your own that do not cost a thing. Do you have a Google My Business account? If the answer is no, run (don’t walk) to your computer to get one set up. Entering your address, contact information, hours of operation, etc. will greatly improve how your business appears next time someone searches for an integrator in your area. For your website, content is KING! Writing relevant blog posts and ensuring pages are up to date and have all the right keywords will help improve SEO as well.

4. Make Everyone a Marketer

Bill Bozeman sent an e-mail to PSA staff last week sharing this exact message: The marketing team is not solely responsible for our brand; every last employee helps market PSA.

From customer service to sales teams to technicians, your company brand shines through in every touch point, so make sure the experience is great! At the end of the day, word of mouth and referrals will always be the most valuable form of marketing. An excellent experience drives these referrals.

Ensuring customer service and support are best in class will do more for your brand than any paid advertisements ever can.

Candice Aragon is the Director of Marketing for PSA Security Network. Request more info about PSA at www.securityinfowatch.com/10214742.