Market More Now To Sell More Later!

Yes it's true that businesses have all but stopped spending during the current recession. However, that does not mean that demand has stopped as well. In fact, demand for any product or service remains the same during a recession. Sales are certainly down but demand never vanishes.

Simply put, demand vanishes when there is no longer a need for a product or service. This has nothing to do with the economy and more to do with the product or service offered. Small businesses now more than ever need to focus their advertising and marketing dollars in order to stay alive.

Unfortunately, too many business owners start saving by cutting their lifeline, their marketing budget. Effectively, business owners, managers and marketers hang up on customers by ending the conversation (so to speak). It's important now more than ever to communicate with your current and prospective customers. They need to know you are still an option when planning their own budgets and purchases.

One key thing to remember is that cutting your marketing budget now hurts your brand's equity down the road. When the economy recovers, as we all know it will, businesses that cut their marketing will find themselves trailing their competitors and staggering to keep up.

3 Steps to take.....

1. Track and analyze your marketing every step of the way. In this digital world it is increasingly easier to track, measure and analyze your marketing effectiveness. From here you can easily determine what works and repeat, repeat, repeat!

2. Eliminate the "pie in the sky" marketing campaign and K.I.S.S (Keep It Simple Silly). Go for what works. If the idea is to save money, now is not the time to take a chance on an idea your neighbor, the retired army general, gave you (we all live next to an army general don't we?).

3. Beef up your websites and email campaigns. These are often forgotten features of your business that will yield great dividends and remind customers you are still available for them. Be sure your website is using the most up to date search practices.

Hopefully, your competitors are unwise and they choose to cut their marketing budgets, in a less-cluttered environment take the opportunity to stand out.