Carpe Diem: Selling Marketing in a Down Economy

Right now, nobody's spending money on anything extraneous. In turn, business owners are doing the same thing. The problem is, what is perceived as "extraneous spending" isn't always. Here are some points to remind your potential clients about the value of marketing in a down economy.

1. Things will turn around eventually. Where will you be when that happens?
   Down economies have happened before, and they'll happen again. Even when things are bad, it's not enough to simply survive. You have to make sure people know you're still around and still valid. Especially now, it's very easy for anyone to accidentally assume you've closed your doors and have moved on.
   
   
2. You don't have to spend a lot to be present
   Designers and branding specialists should remind their clients that there are very economical ways of having a marketing presence without spending exhorbitant amounts of money. Usage of the web is one of these ways. For instance, a restaurant could easily establish a website with a coupon-of-the-day link. This creates desire to revisit the website, and hopefully revisit the restaurant.
   
   
3. You get more bang for your buck in a down economy.
   With everyone vying by tooth and nail for every bit of business they can get, now's sure to be the best time for your client to make a move in their marketing. Various media opportunities, such as the struggling newspaper market, could also be cheaper right now. Regardless, the point is to remind them to seize the opportunity while it's available.
   

The thing to remember is that everyone's having a tough time right now, so the ones who are willing to bend a little further in their budget or their time are going to be ahead of the ones who are pinching pennies or paralyzed by fear. If you can help your customers remember that, you will be in good shape in the end, too.