How to boost your B2B marketing during a recession

The tech industry has been no exception to layoffs, budget-cutting and belt-tightening lately. But now’s not the time to get all down and blue. Instead, savvy B2B marketers like you should be seizing the opportunity to stand out from the competition and drive growth.

Let’s explore the B2B strategies that can help you beat the tech recession and come out stronger on the other side.

Reasons why marketing during a recession is important

Before I take you head-first into the strategies, you need to know why investing in marketing during a recession is important:

Maintain brand visibility

Yes, during recessions consumer spending tends to decline, and businesses cut back on their marketing budgets. However, maintaining brand visibility is still crucial to ensure that consumers are aware of your products or services. By continuing to market your brand, you can stay at the forefront of consumers' minds and increase the chance of them choosing you over your competitors once the economy recovers. In fact, consistent brand presentation across all platforms can increase revenue by up to 23%.

Build customer loyalty

When times are tough consumers can become more price-sensitive and look for alternatives. By actively marketing your brand, you can emphasise the unique value proposition and benefits that your products or services offer. Such tactics can help build consumer loyalty and trust, as well as create a perception of stability during uncertain times.

7 ways to beat the recession

Staying agile, adapting your B2B strategies to the changing landscape, as well as persevering and innovating, are essential for staying above water. And here are several ways to do that:

1. Focus on your value proposition

Ask yourself one question: are you clearly communicating the value your products or services can bring?

Highlight how your offerings can help streamline processes, reduce costs, or improve efficiency. Emphasise the long-term benefits and ROI your solutions provide, ensuring that potential consumers see the value in investing in your technology. If you’re not showing off your benefits, then your consumers won’t see the benefits either.

At Fifty Five and Five, we know the true value of this critical asset. We’ve built our own value proposition templates so we can get the heart of what drives our clients and propose new ways to talk about their vision, mission and values.  

For example, Worksighted, a managed services organisation based in Michigan, wanted to sound more like the forward-thinking business technology partners that they have evolved into. They came to us with their ambitions, and we worked closely with their senior team to articulate the company’s unique value to their target audience. We recognised that Worksighted was more than its services – it was the deep connections they make with their customers that really mattered. This formed the backbone of the value prop, with the end result including a new strapline, values and more.

2. Tailor your messaging

How can you create engaging B2B marketing during a recession? Well, let’s ask another question: Is your messaging reflecting your target audience’s needs and pain points?

Now is the time to craft compelling messaging that address the specific challenges your prospects are facing. Show empathy and position your offerings as the solution that can help them overcome these difficulties. By customising your messaging to resonate with their needs, you can establish trust and credibility. This will help you set yourself apart from competitors.

We’re no stranger to tailoring messaging either. Take our ongoing collaboration with Tata Consultancy Services. Our team brought their 'Building on Belief' brand message to life in social content across marathon events on two continents. This messaging is also a valued part of their daily organic content on LinkedIn and Twitter. Furthermore, we helped to establish their new ‘Greater Futures’ values too – ensuring that they are fleshed out in a comprehensive Brand Narrative document and communicated daily in organic social too. 

3. Be thought leaders

Establish yourself and your company as industry thought leaders. It can give you a competitive edge against your peers. Share valuable insights, trends, and best practices through blog posts, whitepapers, webinars, speaking engagements or other marketing channels. It's all about showing that you know your stuff.

Demonstrating your expertise not only builds trust with potential customers but also positions you as a go-to resource for industry knowledge and guidance. What can this lead to? Brand visibility, credibility, and (ultimately) more business opportunities, of course.

Our blog shows what we know and how we lead the way in B2B marketing for technology companies. From trends to AI, marketing strategies and more, we keep our fingers on the pulse of the industry so we can give our unique take on the transformative changes that affect our clients. 

4. Make sure your digital marketing is a well-oiled machine

Successful B2B marketing during a recession becomes easier when you harness your tools in the right way. Maximise your online presence through SEO-optimised content, targeted email campaigns, social media engagement, and paid advertising. Utilise data-driven strategies to identify the most effective channels and tactics for reaching your target audience.

When it comes to the many tools that are out there to make every B2B marketing process seamless, there’s a whole host of favourites that we use. They help us ensure that our services encompass every aspect of digital marketing. From value propositions to website overhauls, paid media campaigns, insightful blogs, eBooks, whitepapers and more, we get help from some of these trusty tools.  

5. Optimise customer experience

During tough times, customer experience becomes paramount. Ensuring that your existing customers feel valued and supported by providing exceptional service and support is a no-brainer. Otherwise, they’re going to take their budget elsewhere. It’s that simple.

By implementing customer feedback mechanisms to understand their evolving needs and pain points, you can build customer loyalty and potentially gain referrals, even during a tech recession.

6. Adapt to changing consumer behaviour

Consumers are increasingly focusing on essential products and services. It is imperative to diligently observe these behavioural shifts and modify your marketing strategies to align with their evolving needs. Your brand should serve as a direct response to these changing consumer preferences.

If consumer focus is shifting, it is crucial to realign your marketing initiatives to capture their attention. Should there be a trend toward cost-saving, implement targeted promotional offers and discounts to retain customer loyalty.

Business customers are increasingly focused on essential tech solutions. It's important to closely monitor these shifts and adjust your marketing strategies accordingly. Your brand should offer direct solutions to these evolving needs.

If you notice a change in what your customers are looking for, you need to adapt your marketing to capture their interest. If they're looking to cut costs, offer targeted promotions and discounts to maintain their loyalty.

In the B2B tech sector, these shifts often translate into a demand for scalable and efficient solutions. For example, if you see a growing interest in cloud services over traditional servers, focus your marketing on the cost and efficiency benefits of your cloud offerings.

Also, consider offering flexible pricing models. If you provide software-as-a-service, introduce tiered pricing that allows companies to access basic features at a lower cost, with the option to upgrade as they grow. This approach retains existing customers and attracts new ones who may initially be cost-sensitive but are likely to scale up later.

7. Take advantage of cost-effective marketing channels

During a downturn, advertising costs often drop. This is a good opportunity to focus on cost-effective marketing methods like social media, email marketing, and SEO. By putting money into these channels, you can reach your target customers more affordably and possibly get better returns on investment.

In the B2B tech sector, these cost-effective channels can be particularly impactful. For instance, targeted LinkedIn campaigns can reach decision-makers directly, while SEO can improve your visibility to businesses actively searching for your solutions. Email marketing can be used for lead nurturing, turning interested parties into long-term customers.

We’ll help you through the choppy waters

Yes, things are now on the up – with improvements in the market ticking away in the background. But you still need a partner to get you there. Someone who doesn’t just know why you should be investing in marketing during a recession, but who can help you actively reach your goals.

At Fifty Five and Five, we specialise in creating effective B2B campaigns. We cover social media, content marketing, development, and design to help your business succeed. We also stay updated on B2B trends for future growth. We take the time to understand you and your customers to make content that works.

Are you ready to supercharge your B2B marketing? Let’s chat.