Recession Proof Your Business

Gord Trembath of  Brainstorm Communications
We are very pleased and  proud to have Gord as a strategic alliance  http://www.achieving-excellence.com/strategic_alliances.php
Brainstorm is a free weekly online magazine that is dedicated to providing smaller companies with leading-edge information to help them to make the best decisions for their business, without taking more than a few minutes of their time. – Enjoy his article.
5 ways to cut your marketing costs without sacrificing results
It seems to be a universal opinion by most marketing professionals that cutting your marketing budget when the economy slows down is the wrong thing to do. If anything, now’s the time to turn up the volume on your marketing message, not turn it down. But let’s be honest, that’s easy to say and not always easy to do. When your revenue starts to drop below a certain point, saving money by cutting expenses becomes a necessity. The real question becomes is there a way to do both? Maintain or increase your marketing and save money? Depending on your business, absolutely.
 1. Evaluate where you’re spending. Some marketing is for results, some is for building your brand, and some if for your ego. The bottom line is if it’s not bringing in direct business, re-evaluate your offer, change up your message, or cut back.
 2. Negotiate for lower rates. Many mainstream media channels are struggling right now. That means they tend to be more willing to cut a deal to keep you on board. Negotiate hard to get a better rate and don’t be afraid to drop your ads for a few weeks to get what you’re after.
3. Buy smaller ads. The three words you’ll never hear from an advertising sales rep. A slight reduction in your ad size will reduce your advertising expenses without any measurable impact on results. Take advantage of it.
4. Get more creative. It’s convenient to run the same ad in the same place all the time. It’s also lazy and the best way for your ads to go unnoticed. Get more creative with the ad space you do buy in order to offset any reduction in frequency or ad size.
 5. Consider the classifieds. Classified ads often draw as good or better results as display ads for a fraction of the cost, and thanks to free classified sites like craigslist you can tap into a massive audience of viewers without any cost at all. The key is to constantly test new offers, try out new ideas, and resist the urge to get complacent. Effective marketing takes time and effort, but it doesn’t always have to take a lot of money.
For more information on Gord and Brainstorm Communications – call
(778)839-6257  or email:  bstorm@bstormweb.com