You’re not going to change the economy so you might as well roll with it. Use this time to build trust with your clients, examine your failures, get creative, and learn to listen.

Recession Offers Fine Fertilizer to Grow Your Business [via LG Business Solutions]

While overall search volumes continue to grow, the all-important conversion rates are slowing. Why? Because people are cautious. » Continue reading “Expect Search Marketing Results to Slow”

We’ve said it before. Economic downturns can can offer a wealth of opportunities to smart marketers. But just how long do you have to take advantage of it? The editors of Money Magazine predict the recovery will begin in the second quarter of 2009.

2009: Year of the Thaw [via CNNMoney.com]

Just in case you missed Thursday’s B2B Online / Eloqua webinar on Justifying Your Marketing Spend in a Tough Economy, I’m listing here a few of the more interesting findings. I confess to leaving the webinar before it was over - not because I was bored but because of a prior commitment. I made it all the way through the presentation by Stefan Tornquist, Research Director at MarketingSherpa, and most of these points come from him.

Interesting finding #1:

27% of the attendees at a recent (October) Advertising conference indicated that they plan to increase their marketing budgets in response to the current economic situation.

Undoubtedly, these are companies that understand the competitive opportunities that present themselves when economic conditions force or scare other companies into retreat.

History shows us that these companies - the ones who increase or at least maintain aggressive marketing programs - are the companies that will come out ahead when the economy turns around. » Continue reading “4 Findings that Reflect Marketing in a Poor Economy”

Canadian consulting firm, Arcus, recently researched marketing strategies in a slow market and found 7 key drivers of successful marketing plans. Among these is taking the time to really understand how your most profitable customers are redefining value in a recession. Chances are good that buyers will expect more for their money, will spend more time searching for value and will be less brand-loyal than they usually are.

Marketing in a Recession [via Canadian Marketing Association].