Communications Insight

The other day I was talking to my very smart client, Chloe Jackson, over at WaveMaker. WaveMaker has an easy programming environment for app development for the cloud.

Chloe has been with the company for several years and is very well-versed in all things-cloud related. She and I started talking about companies that are recession-friendly and of course, that lead to a discussion about how marketeers today can really take advantage of SaaS tools and services to cut their own costs and stretch their dollars.

Five ways to do this are:

1. Blogging. Blogging is incredibly time-intensive but incredibly cheap. Especially these days when we seem to have more time than money, blogging to build brand community is a no-brainer. Chris Keene, the CEO of WaveMaker, is a great example of a CEO who has done an excellent job of using his blog to build a following. Some of his techniques are worth mentioning: he only blogs when he really has something to say, his post are short, well-written and full of good conent, and he’s timely; his posts are tied-into what’s au courant.

2. Use Social Networks. Of course, everyone is talking about this and that’s because their is truth behind it. You can get the word out about your brand, your cause, your company through building presence on Facebook, Twitter and the like. You don’t want to do it in a way that amounts to spamming or posting annoying advertising-like information, but you do want to be there in a clever, humorous, helpful way.

3. Comment, comment, comment. Another easy way to get your “voice” to be heard is through the ability to comment on others’ blog posts. I encourage my clients to comment whenever they see a post that is relevant to their business and I advise them to post real content, again, not fluff, or annoying promotions. The tone should be informative, not defensive; helpful not snarky.

4. Learn about new ways to interact with the media. We are all aware that the “traditional” media outlets are transitioning to the web, and as they so, they are investing in ways to interact with their readers. Both the Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek have, over the last several weeks, rolled out community-based forums. At BusinessWeek this is called Exchange and it’s a place where you can exchange ideas with other readers, editors, and the at-large BusinessWeek community. I highly recommend getting involved in these communities. Again another great way to stay connected and it’s “free” except for your own time investment.

5. Lastly, explore and find SaaS based tools that help you in your job. Services like Basecamp from 37 Signals, LegalZoom and many others, are much more affordable than traditional desktop-based applications or outsourced services. And, their “scalable”, meaning you only use and pay for what you need today. That’s a great benefit for a limited marketing buget.

Do you have any tips to share for SaaSy, recession-proof marketing?