Media Dollars Shift to Digital in Downturn SEPTEMBER 16, 2009 Spending recovery will lag economic recovery The economic downturn is causing most marketers to decrease media spending budgets, and the remaining expenditures are shifting further toward digital, according to a Q2 2009 survey by Round2. More than two-thirds of senior executives in the Western US responding to the “2009 Media Survey Results & Analysis” reported their media budgets would decrease at least somewhat in 2009 compared with 2008. Still, almost one-quarter expected spending to climb by up to 10%, and a few respondents reported even greater increases. While a majority of respondents said they would hold budgets for each medium except print steady in 2009 compared with 2008, digital was still the clear winner. Budgets were more likely to be cut than increased for traditional media such as TV, radio and direct mail, but more respondents said they would up their investments in e-mail marketing, search and interactive than said spending would be reduced. E-mail marketing was the channel most likely to see an increase in spending in 2009, and print was the biggest loser. The across-the-board shift from traditional to digital media is no surprise—it represents a general reallocation of marketing budgets to newer media channels. Media spending cuts due to the economic downturn tended to fall most heavily on print, where spending had previously been highest. Just 1.8% of respondents reported cutting each of e-mail marketing, search and interactive because of the recession. Online advertising may not be immune from economic problems, but it is well-insulated. This is in line with estimates of US advertising spending on various media. For example, Barclays Capital predicted in its “Internet Data Book July 2009” that spending on every medium but online would decrease this year. Very few marketers in Round2’s survey were prepared to move forward aggressively with their expenditures in the down economy. More than 37%, however, said they would be looking for new media opportunities. The next-most-common answer, with 35.7% of respondents, was to spend the bare minimum until the economy recovers. About one-fifth of marketers reported doing “business as usual” despite the downturn. Asked when they expected to see economic recovery, almost 60% of marketers said in 2010. Although nearly one-fifth of respondents were optimistic enough to expect recovery this year, 17.3% claimed recovery would come in 2011, and a few indicated 2012. Media spending levels may lag that recovery somewhat. One-half of responding marketers said they expected their expenditures to return to peak levels in 2011. Fewer than one-third thought 2010 would bring them back to their previous budgets. Keep up on the latest digital trends. Learn more about an eMarketer Total Access subscription, today. Check out today’s other article, “Measuring the Business Effects of Web 2.0.” Get more articles like this one delivered every day. Click here for the eMarketer Daily newsletter. Read More Articles E-Mail This Article Print RSS Feed Add eMarketer to Google Toolbar

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Dream BIG, its your Future

Imagine a row of trees with only one or two thriving in full bloom. Where does your attention go? Your focus doesn't go to the small spindly looking trees with no leaves but rather to the ones with full blossoms and leaves. Yet many businesses tend to cut back their marketing and wonder why they're not attracting the business they need in order to thrive.

Scores of business owners cut off critical marketing and promotion limbs because they hallucinate they can't afford to do so in times like these.

I'm here to tell you that someone in your industry is thriving during these economic times. Hopefully it's you. If not, you are in luck since this article discusses how you can start to blossom and be more attractive to your ideal clients.

There are plenty of things you can do that won't cost you anything but some time, energy and ingenuity.

Here is a list of 8 simple and effective things you can do to grow your business.

Give a talk — leverage your time and message by sharing your story with more than one person at a time. There are many groups in the area that are looking for people to speak to their organization that have a good message. This is not the time to give your sales pitch. This is the time to let people see and hear who you are and how they can benefit.

Write an article — Provide information on how you help or have helped people with your products and services. Suggest tips and tricks that can help make your prospect's life easier, better or less stressful.

Ask for referrals — One of the best prospects for our business is someone that has been referred to us by a satisfied client. The mistake many business owners and sales professionals make is never asking for referrals. They hide behind the false assumption that it is unprofessional to ask for referrals. Here's the newsflash…it's unprofessional to not ask. If you don't ask, you will be out of business; without out a profession.

Provide discount coupons — Incent people to come to your place of business or website by offering discounts. It works. Determine what works for you and your client and just do it.

Leverage social media (twitter, facebook, linkedin, email, etc.) — This could be a whole article unto itself. Leveraging these tools is the new gold rush. Growing a business is all about growing your database of prospects. Social media makes this so easy. Don't miss the “Land Grab” opportunity.

Maximize your website — Is your website set up to convert visitors to clients by being interactive or is it just a nice and expensive electronic brochure? Have a compelling message targeted to your ideal client that engages them and invites them to take action to either buy or learn more.

Offer free reports — Create a special report on how your client can either avoid making costly mistakes or benefit from a better strategy. Offering this as a free download from your website is a great way to capture prospect contact information.

Pick up the phone and call 8 — Good things happen when people connect. Imagine how your business would be different three months from now if you were in the habit of making 8 outbound calls every working day to prospects and existing clients to connect with them and communicate new opportunities.

If you are not implementing these you are starving at the barbecue. I would suggest introducing one or two of these strategies into your business plan starting this month and implementing a couple more starting the following month. You and your clients will be glad you did.

www.globalmarketplace7.com

Use Talk Power for Success

Feburary 23rd @ 8pm eastern time

I am very excited for you to meet a very good friend of mine. He is very successful in our company, a great communicator in discribing just how Helloworld opporates. Earl Mann lives in Baltimore Maryland and has been full time for over 2 years. He has something very special planned for this Live Broadcast, you don't want to miss it.
Go to http://www.timingovertalent.net/ 6pm Arizona time ~~ 8pm eastern time. Be there, you will learn a whole new way of video communication for you family, friends and business partners.
If you have any questions write me back.
See you there on the Broadcast.
Warmly Suzan