Getting Ready for the New Year (When Money’s Tight): Why Going Quiet on Marketing and Imagery Is Risky

If your first reaction to the New Year is:

“We’ll just keep costs down for a bit and then think about marketing…”

…you’re definitely not the only one.

UK small businesses are still dealing with higher taxes, energy costs and finance pressures. Surveys show many firms expect flat or falling turnover, and a growing chunk are even predicting contraction or closure rather than growth.

At the same time, UK marketing budgets have started to wobble. The IPA Bellwether report found total marketing spend dropped in early 2025 for the first time in four years as businesses reacted to economic uncertainty and rising costs.

So if you’re looking at your numbers on the Wirral and thinking:

• “We’ll cut back on photography for now.”

• “We’ll stop updating the website.”

• “We’ll just rely on word of mouth.”

…you’re very much in line with what a lot of people are doing.

The problem is: decades of research suggest that going quiet on marketing during tough times is one of the riskiest moves you can make.

This isn’t a photographer trying to convince you to book a session. It’s what the data says.

What the research says about cutting marketing in a downturn

Let’s get specific.

1. Companies that keep (or grow) their marketing spend tend to pull ahead

McGraw-Hill Research looked at 600 companies across 16 industries during the 1981–82 recession and tracked them for several years. Firms that maintained or increased advertising during the recession saw significantly higher sales growth during and after the downturn than those that cut spend.

A review of multiple recessions by the Harvard Business Review (“Roaring Out of Recession”) examined 4,700 companies across three downturns. It found the businesses that performed best:

• Did cut some costs, but

• Continued to invest in marketing and improvement, not just survival

Those firms were far more likely to come out of the recession with higher sales and profits than competitors that focused only on cost-cutting.

2. “Going dark” on advertising can cause lasting damage

The IPA and Nielsen have analysed years of data on “share of voice” (how loud you are in the market) versus “share of market”. A long-standing finding: brands that raise their share of voice relative to competitors tend to grow market share, while those that stop advertising altogether often suffer double-digit share declines over time.

In simple terms: when others go quiet and you disappear too, nobody wins. But those who stay visible at a sensible level tend to take the space everyone else vacated.

3. Downturns make your money work harder if you use it well

Recession-period studies show that:

• Media rates often soften as overall ad spend falls

• The brands that keep advertising effectively during downturns often get more reach and impact for the same or slightly higher spend than in boom years

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So yes, money is tight. But historically, the pounds you do invest in visibility during harder times can be some of the most valuable you ever spend.

Where does photography and imagery fit into this?

All of that research talks about “marketing” in general. But if you look at how people actually buy now, visuals sit right at the centre.

1. Images drive trust and conversion

Multiple studies have found:

• Around 67% of consumers say the quality of a product image is “very important” when deciding what to buy online.

• High-quality product photos can increase ecommerce conversion rates by around 30–94% depending on the context.

• For local and service businesses, clear, professional images in search results make consumers significantly more likely to contact that business.

That’s not “nice to have for later”. That’s whether someone clicks you or the business next to you.

2. Your profile photo changes how people engage with you

On LinkedIn, simply having a profile photo gives you:

• Up to 2x more profile views

• Up to 3–9x more connection requests, depending on the study you look at

So if your face is your brand – which it is for a lot of small business owners on the Wirral – a good headshot isn’t vanity. It’s infrastructure.

3. Professional photography consistently boosts response in other sectors too

In property, for example:

• Listings with professional photography can get more online views, sell faster and achieve higher prices. Some analyses show 32–50% faster sales and big increases in perceived value.

Different market, same principle: people respond to what they can see.

Why “we’ll sort the images later” is a false economy

Putting this together:

• Tough economy → people more cautious

• More cautious people → more comparison

• More comparison → visuals, clarity and trust cues matter more, not less

If your website, Google profile or LinkedIn shows:

• A cropped holiday photo from 2016

• Dark, inconsistent product pictures

• Blurry team shots taken at 4:30pm on someone’s phone

…you’re effectively spending all year getting in front of people and then whispering “don’t pick me” at the crucial moment.

The research on recessions says: visibility and perceived strength matter more because everyone’s nervous.

Making every pound count: smarter, not louder

None of this means “throw money at ads and hope”.

What it does suggest is:

• Don’t disappear

• Spend on things that will work hard for you across channels

• Make it easy for potential customers to choose you when they do decide to spend

For a small business on the Wirral, that might look like:

1. One strong, up-to-date headshot

You’ll use it on:

• LinkedIn

• Your website “About” page

• Email footer

• Google Business Profile

• Networking directories (Chamber, Networx, etc.)

That’s one small investment supporting dozens of future opportunities.

2. A small set of “hero” product or service images

If you sell products:

• Get your bestsellers photographed properly

• Make sure those images are used everywhere: website, Etsy, Google, social

If you sell services:

• Commission a small set of branding images: you with a client, in your space, at your desk, on location around the Wirral

These become your go-to assets for the year.

3. Tight, focused marketing rather than constant noise

This is very much in line with IPA guidance on downturns: effectiveness matters more than ever.

For example:

• Optimise your Google Business Profile with fresh images and a couple of good posts each month

• Share one useful, image-led LinkedIn post a week instead of daily “filler”

• Use your best images in email signatures and proposals so you look consistent and professional

You’re not trying to shout louder than everyone else. You’re just making sure that when someone does come across you, you look like a safe, confident choice.

A simple “Get Ready for the New Year” image checklist

If you want somewhere concrete to start, try this:

1. Homepage check

   • Does your main image look current?

   • Does it clearly show you or what you sell?

2. About / Team page

   • Are your headshots consistent and up to date?

   • Would a stranger feel they recognise you from your photo?

3. Key service or product page

   • Are the images bright, clear and on-brand?

   • Would you trust this business based only on what you see?

4. Google Business Profile

   • Do you have at least a handful of good images showing your face, your space, your work?

5. Social and LinkedIn

   • Does your profile picture match the person who turns up at a meeting?

   • Are you still using random crops or heavily filtered selfies?

If the honest answer to a few of these is “no”, then updating your imagery is one of the most cost-effective New Year “marketing moves” you can make.

If you’re on the Wirral and feeling cautious…

You’re not wrong to be careful. The reports and numbers back up how tough things feel right now.

But the research is pretty clear on one point: going invisible rarely ends well.

A small, well-planned investment in your marketing – especially in the images people actually see – can put you in a stronger position when the mood and money start to lift again.

If you’d like a relaxed chat about:

• Updating your headshot so you’re happier being visible

• Refreshing a handful of key product or branding images

• Or planning a small shoot that works across your website, socials and print

…drop me a message.

No pressure, no hard sell – just a look at what would make the biggest difference for your business going into the New Year, with the budget you’ve actually got.