Antoine Elhashem writes…

It is important in difficult times not to loose track of how crucial a solid marketing plan is for your business to survive. All of us business owners and managers have to make adjustments and cut backs…but your advertising and marketing is more important these days than ever before. The competition will be fiercer for that expendable dollar in a consumer’s pocket. Buying habits are going to change. This is the time to make sure your business card stands out, your website is fabulous and your advertising jumps out of the pages at your potential customer.

Survival is going to be for the business with the best planned marketing, the best execution of marketing materials, and the best advertising campaigns. Here is something I found in Toronto Life:

“Recessions can provide a perfect opportunity. They clearly reward the aggressive advertiser and penalize the timid one. Many studies with the same conclusion; 80 years of well-documented research shows that companies that invest in marketing during a down economy come out ahead. Whether it’s sales, profits, market share, return on capital or market value, the spenders end up better off than the cutters”.

Here some very quick tips re things you should consider:

• -Maintain unparalleled customer service.
• -Try marketing and advertising ideas you have not tried before.
• -Partner with complimentary businesses to reach more customers.
• -Negotiate or renegotiate everything.
• -Go back to old customers and contacts and work them.
• -Take this time to build your brand – both corporate and personal via social networking. Make contacts, write something, start a blog get connected through as many avenues as possible in person and on the web.
• -Make sure your marketing materials stand out from the rest and ensure your website offers a customer-friendly experience.

Stay focused and keep in mind that this is the time to be more diligent about your marketing efforts with a plan that is assertive, hard hitting and uncompromising.