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With marketing budgets under scrutiny, doing more with less is essential for creating a positive return on your investment. The fact is that marketing budgets are shrinking in today's difficult economic climate. This is the exact opposite of what should actually happen. When times are tough, its time to start marketing.

With marketing budgets under scrutiny, doing more with less is essential for creating a positive return on your investment. The fact is that marketing budgets are shrinking in today's difficult economic climate. This is the exact opposite of what should actually happen. When times are tough, its time to start marketing.

How can you do more with a shrinking budget? The answer is simple. Create more way to market in a viral way. Essentially, let others do the selling for you. Here are a few suggestions for getting your marketing moving.

Leverage all you do. Whenever you make a contact with browsers, prospects, customers, or friends, consider how you can communicate information about your products and services. Is there a way to use each interaction as a stepping stone to assess needs, offer solutions, and move individuals through the purchase decision process?

Start a referral campaign. You'd be amazed at how many companies do not have a standard procedure for acquiring referrals. It's simple to begin a referral campaign. The quickest way is to simply ask your previous customers for the contact information of others who might benefit from your product or service.

Focus on your communications. If you are sending letters, giving away business cards, or packing someones groceries, be sure to include a flier or message about other products and services you offer. You may even consider a special offer that can be included with each of these touch points.

Keep testing new things. Especially in tough times, it is very important to dedicate a portion of your budget toward trying new marketing methods or ideas. Even if it is just ten percent of your budget, all it takes is one success idea to have a significant impact on your lead flow or revenue.

Improving marketing results does not have to cost you money. In fact, some of the best, most successful marketing ideas were started with little or no money. Think viral. How can you leverage the assets you already have? By taking what you have and making it better or expanding it, your results will often scale. To many people stop short of fully riding out their marketing campaigns and enjoying the results they can achieve if only they persist.

One final idea to consider. Take a closer look at your website. Can you do more to attract visitors and have them provide some information about themselves? This could be access to a free instructional video or ebook. As the economy worsens, people are looking for more free information and helpful advice. So give it to them. The result will be a trusting relationship. When they have money, they will buy from your versus your competitors.

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