THE LATEST: Marketing budgets slashed to record lows across all industries; how IMPACT+ helps companies implement They Ask, You Answer; and how one company's marketing helped them thrive during COVID-19

Here's THE LATEST digital sales and marketing news, so you can do your jobs better and make smarter decisions faster.

Marketing budgets slashed to record lows across all industries; how IMPACT+ helps companies implement They Ask, You Answer; and how one company's marketing helped them thrive during COVID-19 ... this is THE LATEST!  🔥 Hot off the presses Gartner: Slashed 2021 marketing budgets increases in-house marketing ownership How IMPACT+ empowers small businesses implement they They Ask, You Answer approach to inbound Learn how Planful thrived during COVID-19 thanks to their marketing (exclusive interview) 💸 If you want to drive more sales from inbound marketing, you need to hire a content manager. But how many of you feel overwhelmed by the prospect of hiring such a critical role that you've never hired before? If you're saying "that's me," then my course on how to hire a content manager is for you. During my keynote Video Sals and Marketing World, I talked a lot about how, if history has taught us anything, it's that we take leaps forward in innovation and embrace wonderful inventions at scale when we're backed into a corner ... not when things are easy. For example, meet Ruth Graves Wakefield: Image: Nestle Toll House via CNN In the late 1930s, Ruth (a chef and co-owner of the Toll House Inn) invented the chocolate chip cookie!  Originally, the tasty treats were intended only for those who visited the inn. That changed, however, when locals started sending them in care packages to soldiers overseas in World War II. As they say, the rest is history. (Now, it's estimated that 7 billion chocolate chip cookies are eaten each year in the United States alone!) Looking toward our businesses, marketing leaders are reportedly in quite a serious pickle – new data from Gartner shows marketing budgets across all industries have been slashed to record lows. As a result, companies have brought 29% of previously outsourced marketing work in-house in the past year, with that number likely to grow.  Although I think it's a huge bummer that marketing teams around the world are feeling the strain of deep budget cuts and lack of support, this move toward in-housing marketing activities ... is that really a bad thing? Prior to COVID-19, we could pay for the luxury of partnering with agencies for our inbound marketing – but that's not the reality we live in anymore. And, if we're being honest with ourselves, how much should we have been relying on outsourced agencies in the first place? Maybe in-house is our version of the chocolate chip cookie.🍪 And now, here's THE LATEST... As marketing budgets are slashed to record lows, more stuff is moving in-house ... but is that really a bad thing? (6-minute article) Marketing leaders understood why they were being asked to "do more with less" during the pandemic, but they were optimistic budgets would rebound in 2021. Unfortunately, new data from Gartner shows their "optimism was misplaced." As a result, many marketing teams across all industries are bringing more activities in-house – but in my analysis of this new data, I explore whether or not this is actually a bad thing. 📚 Related reads and resources: Why outsourcing your content is not a smart move (+ video) Outsourcing is broken: Rethinking the client-agency relationship IMPACT+ course: How to hire a content manager for your company with Liz Moorehead How IMPACT+ helps small businesses implement a They Ask, You Answer approach to inbound marketing (7-minute read) When you stumble on new ideas and methodologies such as They Ask, You Answer – a revolutionary approach to drive more sales with inbound marketing – they excite you, right? But you can also feel as if you don't know how to make it a reality because the everyday demands of your company take so much time and effort. In this article from IMPACT Member Success Manager Connor DeLaney, unlock how IMPACT+ can help you, as a small business, achieve your most audacious growth goals with They Ask, You Answer. 📚 Related reads and resources: Wait, what the heck is They Ask, You Answer? How to run a powerful They Ask, You Answer book club IMPACT+ course: They Ask, You Answer fundamentals with Marcus Sheridan Learn how one company's marketing helped them thrive during COVID-19 (44-minute podcast)  What happens when you take on a new role as CMO and develop a new marketing strategy, only to have a pandemic hit just months later? This week on the Inbound Success podcast, Planful CMO Rowan Tonkin talks about his experience since taking on the role of head of marketing at Planful and how focusing completely on their ideal customers' needs and pain points helped them succeed during the pandemic. 📚 Related reads and resources: Our traffic and leads are down, what are we doing wrong with our inbound marketing strategy? So much has changed in recent years, so what's the purpose of marketing now in 2021 and beyond? IMPACT+ course: Investing in incredible digital sales and marketing results with Chris Duprey Upcoming events The Indispensable Coach (August 10; online, everywhere) You deliver results for your clients, but are you indispensable? The answer is probably no. Spend one day to become your client's most indispensable asset and create a more profitable business. On-demand IMPACT+ spotlight After a ton of internal collaboration, meetings, and research, you've nailed your messaging strategy. Still, something isn't right. For some reason, your website is failing to close the deal by attracting and converting those perfect-fit prospects. Often, the culprit for this is your website copy. Instead of bringing those customers to you, the well-intentioned words you've chosen are letting you down by scaring off, confusing, or otherwise repelling the people you're trying to reach. If website copywriting for your company is stumping you, this quick IMPACT+ lesson is for you. If you're not already a Pro member, enjoy your first 14 days of IMPACT+ Pro free to gain access to our entire on-demand events library. Weeklong nonsense Even Ham is thinking about starting his own newsletter called "HAM'S HANDSOME THOUGHTS ABOUT THE NEIGHBORS ARE OUTSIDE AGAIN AND CAN I PLEASE HAVE SOME OF YOUR CHICKEN THANK YOU." Liz Moorehead Editor-in-chief,  @whatlizsaid P.S. We created IMPACT+ to empower business leaders, marketers and sales pros to drive more revenue with inbound marketing. But we only consider ourselves successful in achieving that goal if you say we are! Would you please take two minutes to complete this survey about your experience with IMPACT+? Thank you!❤️ IMPACT teaches business leaders how to build high-performing teams that achieve extraordinary digital sales and marketing results through coaching, online training, and in-person experiences. We look forward to joining you on your journey to becoming a hero for your own company at impactplus.com. Creating heroes, growing businesses, changing lives. Sent with 💙 by IMPACT  IMPACT, 470 James Street, Suite 10, New Haven, CT Manage preferences | Unsubscribe