{"id":65375,"date":"2023-01-17T09:45:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-17T15:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vendasta.com\/blog\/?p=65375"},"modified":"2026-03-14T17:35:33","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T17:35:33","slug":"how-to-increase-sales-during-recession","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vendasta.com\/blog\/how-to-increase-sales-during-recession\/","title":{"rendered":"Marketing Agencies: How to Increase Sales During a Recession"},"content":{"rendered":"

The scary R-word has been floating around for a while now. While experts still disagree about whether we\u2019ve crossed the threshold into recession territory, it\u2019s clear that bumpy economic times lay ahead.<\/p>\n

Doing business in a recessionary economic climate is challenging for most industries, and marketing is no exception. Budgets tighten, deals become more challenging to close, and the competition becomes stiffer.<\/p>\n

However, there are also unique opportunities for marketing agencies during recessions<\/a>. We\u2019ll cover how to increase sales during a recession so that your agency can turn this challenge into an opportunity for growth.<\/p>\n[et_pb_section global_module=\"112798 \"][\/et_pb_section]\n

The challenge for marketing agencies<\/h2>\n

Before diving into the strategies you can for how to increase sales during a recession, it\u2019s worth acknowledging the very real challenges that marketing agencies face<\/a> when economic activity is slow. This helps to contextualize the sales strategies we\u2019ll go over in the following section.<\/p>\n

Shrinking marketing budgets<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s likely that some of your clients are beginning to adjust their budgets downward. They may not stop using your services altogether, but many small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) respond to the pressure to limit spending by slashing marketing budgets. Marketing often isn\u2019t seen as directly related to their ability to deliver their product or service. They might believe they can cut back on spending without impacting their core business too much.<\/p>\n

Some clients don\u2019t survive<\/h3>\n

Depending on how bad a recession gets, some SMB clients simply might not make it through and decide to close down. Whether this happens to your client base depends largely on the types of clients you serve.<\/p>\n

In-house teams are prioritized<\/h3>\n

Many companies decide to load their in-house staff with more responsibilities, including those that might have been previously handled by external agencies.<\/p>\n

Read “How to survive a recession: The agency playbook” and gain the actionable strategies, tactics, and checklist your agency needs to adapt in tough economic times.<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Is sales recession-proof?<\/h2>\n

Despite these challenges, marketing dollars do<\/em> get spent during a recession, and your job as a marketing agency owner is to discover the clients most likely to maintain their marketing budget despite the economic outlook. The most successful marketing agencies will double down on their efforts to identify and convert those valuable clients. In other words, sales become an even more important function during a recession.<\/p>\n

With an idea of what some of the greatest challenges to a marketing agency are during an economic downturn, let\u2019s take a look at how to increase sales<\/a> during a recession, despite these common difficulties.<\/p>\n

Target resilient industries to boost sales during a recession<\/h2>\n

As a marketing agency owner, you\u2019re fortunate enough to have a business with the flexibility to manage different economic circumstances. You can always shift your focus to different types of clients depending on which industries have the most cash to spend on marketing services at any given moment.<\/p>\n

For how to increase sales during a recession, try to grow the share of your client base that is in recession-proof industries<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Some industries have shown themselves, time and time again, to be exceptionally resilient even when the rest of the economy is taking a nosedive. By padding your client list with businesses in these industries, you can set yourself up to remain busy and profitable during a recession.<\/p>\n

So, what are some industries that are recognized as recession-proof? Here are some reliable examples:<\/p>\n