For most businesses, times are tough. Sales are down and the need to reduce overhead is a common sense approach unless you're the Federal Government. One line item that usually tops the list of expenses to be reduced is advertising. At Search Marketing Corporation, we believe that advertising dollars should be viewed as an investment for long and short term gain, not an expense. No matter your view on advertising budget, before you chop your marketing dollars, consider the following.

• Media Feels the Pinch Too - Television, radio, newspapers and online media outlets are all feeling the pinch of a slowed economy. This means that there are good deals to be had for advertisers.
• Consumers are Shopping Around -To make their limited discretionary income go further, consumers are spending more time comparing prices and services before making a decision. The internet serves as a prime tool for that research. Reducing your ad spend could take you out of contention for those consumer dollars.
• Improved ROAS - If fewer companies are competing for the same advertising space, the lower the costs will be to advertise, creating an environment that can improve your return on ad spend and reduce your cost per acquisition. If you currently don't need to reduce your prices to be competitive, you should see an increase in your gross profit margin. If you have reduced your prices to remain competitive, the reduction in advertising costs will help offset revenue lost due to lowered pricing.
• Gain a Foot Hold - As your competitors cut back on their ad spend, it provides you with an opportunity to improve branding and market share at reduced costs. Review your branding efforts and seek opportunities to improve brand recognition at reduced costs.
• Be Smart - Review your in-house marketing plans and current advertiser contracts. Make sure you are getting the most bang for your buck. Getting quotes, reviews or bids from new marketing companies is one way to compare your current efforts and find additional savings.