Frankly, I’m getting tired of everyone talking about the recession. Times are tough. Money is tight. Whining about the current situation won’t help your business. Take matters into your own hands and work to improve your business. The best way to generate sales is through marketing. The key to successful marketing is to understand how to leverage a budget and different media. This month’s 5ives will explore some basic truths to marketing on the cheap.

Be Louder – Chances are you don’t have the budget to repeat a message as many times as you would like. This means the ideas need to be a little more creative and a little more in your face. It isn’t always easy to be different or edgy, but when you don’t have the budget for repetition you better get the message across the first time.

Think Volume – Everyone is looking to save. If Company A has a better offer than Company B, more often than not Company A is going to get the business. That wasn’t always the case a few years ago, but people aren’t as willing to spend extra for the smile. If your business can compete with price and provide higher quality or better customer service, you will see even more business when the economy gets back on track.

Love Legwork – There are hundreds of media options. The cheapest ones are the ones you have to work at. Social media is the cheapest media available. Twitter, YouTube and Facebook are free. The catch is that they take a lot of time and effort to be effective. Fliers, door hangers and personal selling are tried and true old-school methods but they too take time and a little exercise. So called “set-it-and-forget-it” media doesn’t work on small budgets.

Get Excited – Too often people feel bashful about having a small budget. That’s a shame. Confidence in your strategy boosts employee morale. Your employees are your best brand advocates. Get them involved and keep them motivated. The bolder the idea and the more thrilled you can be to implement it the better.

Explore Media – Most people that read The Absolute Truth hail from Fargo Moorhead, so I’m speaking to you. There is a strong sense of tradition in our community and that translates to a strong adherence to traditional marketing. While traditional marketing is effective, it’s also expensive. That quarter-page ad in a local publication may reach 20,000 people, but is it as effective as the window display that costs the same and impacts 5,000? What if your guerrilla marketing or public relations event can get some airtime on the local news or spark some conversation around the water cooler?

There’s an old saying that you can always donate time, talent or treasure. Marketing on a shoestring means you may have to give more time or seek out real talent. If you need ideas to rally around or new ways of thinking and don’t have time, Absolute Marketing Group does. Our mission statement has said it from Day One, “Growth Through Creative Innovation”. There’s no obligation just conversation.