An Advertising Opportunity that Small Businesses Shouldn't Miss: Pt. 1

Being in the business of providing marketing and advertising services to small- to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) and non-profits, I know all too well the hesitancy that many prospects have(whether they explicitly express it or not) about spending money on "those things" in a tough economy. But it's not just small businesses, large corporations are also cutting back on advertising and marketing. When reading trade publications or participating in online industry forums, it's apparent, everyone is feeling the crunch. Which also explains why many of the big agencies are now courting small businesses (which they once routinely ignored).

However, I tell propects and clients alike, that they need to advertise, because it's NOT a non-essential item. Personally, I believe when it comes to advertising, small businesses can actually use an economic downturn to their advantage. Here's why, most businesses cut back or stop advertising during a downturn. But if you continue to advertise, guess who comes to the consumer's mind first when it's time to make a purchase? Another advantage of advertising in a tightened economy is that you'll get a good deal. Most reps will be happy to negotiate with you.

But there's another reason to pony up your advertising dollar; online advertising. Online advertising is what many small businesses already use, and now a very interesting shift in the landscape is taking place. This shift, which I will discuss in my next post, should be cause for any SMB to get really excited about planning their next online campaign. But I'll give you a couple of hints, cost and customization.

I want you to watch the short video below from Borrell Associates. They're talking about their survey, 2011 Outlook: SMBs Become Everybody's New Best Friend (you can get the survey on their website, but it'll cost you). If you've never advertised online, you need to. Funny, it took a survey for the large agencies to learn what those of us who've been serving small businesses already knew, online advertising works well for small businesses AND it can be really affordable.

On a scale of 1 to 5, for small and mid-sized businesses, how important is having online advertising in the mix?