Throughout the economic downturn, experts have suggested that now is the time to increase marketing and advertising spending because it’s likely your competitors are pulling back. But how can you increase marketing with constricting budgets, decreased cash flow, and diminishing revenues? Welcome to the catch-22 of business marketing.

Fortunately, there are ways to boost your marketing efforts, generate more sales, and build stronger customer relationships without necessarily increasing spending, says Brent Sampson, author of Sell Your Book on Amazon and Self-Publishing Simplified. Here are five marketing tricks you can adopt immediately to boost your business during slow times:

Act now to download your free copy of 10 Secrets for Successful Customer Relationship Marketing without cost or obligation.

1. Start a blog. Blogging is one of the least expensive methods for establishing a professional “presence” on the Internet, but it’s also time-consuming and takes commitment. The good news is once you create a blog and it begins receiving a growing number of visitors, you have a “home base” with which you can leverage additional Internet marketing resources, such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. WordPress, one of the most popular blogging platforms, is completely free, and you can create your blog instantly.

2. Participate in other blogs. Once you have established yourself as a thought leader in the blogosphere, share your opinions in the “comments” section of other relevant blogs. By reading other blogs pertinent to your industry or topic, you become more knowledgeable, and by sharing knowledge or insights with other blog visitors, you further establish your own expertise. It also doesn’t hurt that you can include a link back to your own blog within your signature.

3. Write and publish a book. Publishing a book is easier and faster than ever thanks to the growing number of self-publishing service providers. As an expert in your industry, you possess the knowledge and experience to write and publish a book that is relevant to your past, present, and future customers. A book of this nature, in its simplest form, is basically a rewrite of your business model combined with a rewrite of your product/service manual. It should communicate all the advantages/benefits of your product or service. Not only is a book a revenue channel in its own right, but it further establishes your expertise to new customers and provides a low-cost entry to your business. Once you have published a book, you have the opportunity to reach new customers through Amazon.com. 

4. Engage in pay-per-click advertising. Once you have an established Web presence, you can successfully engage in a hot marketing trend that delivers a high return on investment: pay-per-click Internet advertising through Google and Yahoo. Services such as Google Analytics will help you identify your cost-per-lead, and your own business model should help you identify an acceptable cost-per-lead. If your actual cost-per-lead is lower than your acceptable cost-per-lead, you have a successful marketing campaign. Otherwise, it needs a little refining. 

5. Create dedicated landing pages. Make sure people who click on your online ads land on a dedicated landing page, not your home page. If possible, create landing pages specific to each prospect (for example, male shoppers, mothers), and offer a wealth of expert information to gain their trust and loyalty. People buy from experts who they have reason to trust. 

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