Don’t go quiet: Strategies for prioritizing communications in times of financial uncertainty

Between tariffs, state and federal funding uncertainties, and fears of a recession on the horizon, businesses and organizations across all industries are feeling the financial pressure. As we’ve seen time and time again, it’s tempting to reduce expenses in areas that aren’t core to your business – like internal and external communications, marketing and advertising, and government relations. While this can drive short-term bottom-line savings, it comes with long-term risk and cost. Who’s picking up the phone when reporters call? What happens in a crisis? How often are your most important audiences hearing from you?

When you need to stretch your dollar, you can still invest in communications while being mindful and efficient with your resources.

Enjoy the flexibility of outside support

Compared to hiring and training a full-time employee in your communications, creative or public affairs department, working with an outside consultant is more flexible, efficient and often more cost effective. You can quickly scale strategies to meet your needs and right-size your support to your available budget. When the financial picture is uncertain, this approach can help you maintain your existing communications priorities while you stabilize and plan for a long-term strategy. And a shameless plug: When you partner with an integrated, full-service firm like Goff Public, you have access to 25+ professionals with wide skillsets in media relations, public affairs, community engagement, graphic design, multimedia production, crisis communications and more.

Evaluate and align your priorities

Now is the time to look at the effectiveness of your strategies and ensure you aren’t wasting time and money on efforts that aren’t driving results. An audit – a deep dive into your internal or external communications, brand, or public affairs program – is a valuable exercise to get qualitative and quantitative data to make decisions. Our approach gives clients actionable recommendations on what they should start, stop and improve to get results.

Don’t go quiet

When there are emerging issues to manage and shifting priorities, it’s easy to lose sight of your proactive communications strategy. But don’t forget that positive storytelling helps grow your reputation and build trust with audiences. You don’t want the first time people hear from you to be during a crisis. Think of proactive storytelling as small deposits in the bank of trust – you never know when you’re going to need to borrow from it.

Continue nurturing relationships

Like your bank of trust, relationships are an incredibly valuable resource – and each one takes time and effort to cultivate. You can’t show up only when you need something or when it’s convenient for you. Prioritize connections with the people and organizations that matter most to your organization and ensure each outreach is mutually beneficial. Make sure that you’re getting value out of civic organizations, chambers of commerce, associations and the other groups where you spend your time and dollars.