How to Advertise Now

By Kim T. Gordon of Entrepreneur.com



When money's tight, the knee-jerk reaction for many entrepreneurs is to cut back on advertising. Unfortunately, the businesses that stop advertising simply drop out of sight, taking these entrepreneurs from slow sales to no sales -- fast. It's a risky move from which many may not recover.

Rather than eliminate your advertising in a recession, cut the fat from your campaign, and focus on the right media choices for the highest ROI. To figure out what to cut and what to keep, use this checklist to choose the right media for your business in this challenging economy.

1. Advertise where prospects look first. Where will your customers look when they've decided to buy what you sell? A vast majority of Americans research purchases on the Internet before buying online or in a brick-and-mortar store.

Placing advertising on search engines may be an important part of your scaled-down campaign. Other search media include trade and industrial directories, both online and in print, newspaper circulars, classified ads, and shopper sections of specialty magazines. By advertising where prospective customers look, you'll shorten your sales cycle and lower your cost per sale.

2. Use media that touch prospects often. Even when your customers aren't in search mode, they still interact with other important media. Discover which media touch your best prospects throughout the day.

Do they read a particular newspaper? Which TV and radio programs do they enjoy and at what times of the day?

If you're targeting B2B prospects, zero in on the industry publications that rely on for information. Both business and consumer prospects have favorite Web sites they frequent. Armed with this vital information, you can strategically place ads in media you know play central roles in their daily lives.