Should I be advertising when the economy is bad?

In a recession, the first dollars that a company usually cuts come from the advertising budget. Advertising in a recession is actually a smart business move to grow your business now and for the future. Most small businesses have a limited advertising budget. During a recession, it's easy to make up some of those dollars by holding back on advertising.

All that really does is open up the marketplace for that company's competitors. The presence the business has spent ad dollars on to build up is now an open field for the competitors that are willing to advertise.

Let's say you own an auto parts store. Consumers still need your company, no matter what the economy. Cars still break down. They still need windshield wipers and people will even buy those tree air fresheners. Your company can be the one the customer chooses because you've made your own presence known.

Standing out in the marketplace is hard enough when you and your competition are battling it out in the ad world. As your competition cuts back on ad spending, your advertising can cut through that clutter.

Consumers may not be spending as much but they are still spending. If you're not the company they think of when they do spend, your sales will decrease. While your competition is cutting back, you have the chance to be the company consumers spend with now while gaining their future business as you continue to advertise in good times and bad.

In a bad economy, there are many opportunities to expose your business to new customers that aren't always possible in a good economy. Advertisisng in newspapers can be explored to help you solidify your place in business and stand out from your competitors.