Nan Moon, managing partner of the clothing retailer American Joe, uses email in a unique way to make a personal connection between customers and her company. Whenever a new customer signs up for a catalog or enters one of the company’s online contests, Moon sends a personal email to say thanks. She sends between 100 and 200 such messages per week, and many customers reply back.

One result of Moon’s email strategy is that she has discovered the target market for her clothing, designed for men ages 25 to 45, isn’t what she thought it was. “These are women buying for their husbands, their children, their nephews,” she notes. Once she learned that, Moon knew she should keep the email conversation going. “Women do use email to make connections,” she says.

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In a weak economy, strategic communications are especially important because customers still have wants and needs. Businesses that maintain a regular dialogue stand the best chance of weathering the economic crisis, experts contend. Here are four low-cost ways to bolster a strategic marketing communication plan:

1. Give news releases personality. Don’t write an advertisement; offer news that will educate and entertain your target audience. Start with a catchy headline. Roberta Guise, a small business expert in San Francisco, points to a press release she wrote about a World War II–era submarine being moved into dry dock. “The headline read, ‘WWII Submarine Gets a Shave and a Haircut.’ It [triggered] live coverage from almost every TV station in the area, as well as stories on the radio and in print,” Guise recalls.

   As for what’s newsworthy, Guise says a novel business idea that you’ve developed and successfully implemented, a new product or service offering, or tips that can help solve your customers’ problems are likely to attract the most media attention. And thanks to the evolution of Web sites like PRLog.org and Free-News-Release.com, you can post your press releases for free.

2. Launch a blog. In a recent survey of corporate bloggers by the Internet marketing firm HubSpot, 75 percent said their blogs are “useful,” “important,” or “critical” to their business. The most effective blogs drive a huge volume of traffic to their Web site, boost a company’s search engine ranking, and generate sales leads.

   According to Jeanne Jennings, a marketing strategist in Washington, D.C., the information in a blog must be credible and relevant to readers, use conversational language, and position the writer as a thought leader. Daily updates are the norm, but weekly posts work too. “Understand your audience and what they want to read,” Jennings notes. “Be authentic.” (To launch a blog, visit Wordpress.com or Typepad.com.)

3. Send regular e-newsletters. This is an excellent way to keep in touch with your customers and keep them motivated to do business with you. Consider: 71 percent of consumers remember email communications when making purchases at the sending company’s Web site, according to a study by the marketing services firm Epsilon.

   An e-newsletter should offer more than a sales pitch; it must provide valuable information that readers can use. Jennings subscribes to the 60-40 rule: 60 percent editorial copy, 40 percent promotional copy. If possible, include a link to a white paper, a special report, or a blog. It’s also good practice to invite readers to contribute articles, Guise says. The optimal time to send an e-newsletter is around lunch because many people eat at their desks and want to look busy, Jennings adds.

4. Build a referral network. This is the most cost-effective (read: free) communication strategy you can exploit, but it takes time and patience. “Don’t assume that if people use your services and like you that they’ll tell other people,” Jennings says. “Remind them to recommend you.”

   When Guise is having one-on-one conversations with customers, she asks leading questions. “This happened to me with a client for whom I’d just completed a flier to promote her speaking business,” she recalls. “While we were discussing what her future plans were, I snuck in the idea that she may need some PR. She retained me on the spot to do a PR campaign for her.”

   Alan Bayham, president of Bayham Consulting in Madisonville, La., is a big believer in networking with other businesses that can help you succeed. A car insurance company, for example, can network with auto body repair shops. “The companies within your circle of influence refer customers to each other and also share skills and expertise to enhance their own business,” he says.

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