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At a time with so much economic turmoil, it is widely understood that marketing budgets are the first to go. While I don’t agree with most of these decisions, there are many variables that go into the decision making process for these companies. My feeling is that marketing yourself is one of the most important things a company can do. With marketing budgets shrinking and the the pressure on marketers increases, it is time to fight back. As a marketer whose success is hard to pinpoint, it is now time to show your organization what you are worth. In the age of declining marketing budgets it is time to do more with less. Don’t be worried though, through shifts in today’s marketing world your job can become easier by adopting new tactics. If you are faced with the dilemma of a shrinking budget and your boss breathing down your neck you need to do two things.

1. Just like you are doing in the stock market, it is now time to diversify your marketing budget and it’s time to shift to a new form in internet marketing.
2. Show people what you are worth, tighten up your Marketing metrics

Shifting your marketing dollars to the internet is all you hear about these days, but it is inevitable. Internet marketing costs less than traditional marketing (in most cases), is more direct, and is trackable. Developing a strong internet presence combined with pr efforts can be very successful for the audience searching for your company or product. In a poll by Epsilon 63% of the senior marketing executives polled predicted an increase in interactive/online marketing. Showing your target audience quality information is more important than the soccer mom who drives by that billboard about the latest Seth Rogan movie every day. Instead, there are many places on the internet that would be better suited for this advertisement. In this instance, advertisements on Facebook, Myspace, google ads, etc. would probably capture the target audience more appropriately and yield better results. As I noted before, internet marketing is growing and it is time for you to jump on the bandwagon before everyone else does.

Marketing metrics is your friend. Narrowing down your marketing metrics will turn that yelling and screaming conversation with your boss into a calm discussion about how your favorite football team did last weekend. If you know how successful you have been and you can prove it, there is no way you will be the bad guy anymore. In an article “B2B Marketing’s Balance Act” in Marketing Management it lists marketing metrics as the number 4 challenge facing marketers today. This should lead marketers to plan out their marketing budget more appropriately. Marketers need to invest in methods that promote their company or product effectively and can be tracked. If your efforts lead to millions in sales and you are not getting credit for it, there is something wrong with that. Internet marketing is a trackable solution through Google Analytics, Alexa, Technorati, etc. Boosting your companies internet presence combined with effective internet marketing techniques can make your efforts trackable and more effective in the long run.

Overall, the ability to track your marketing efforts is a problem that most marketers find with traditional marketing efforts such as print ads, billboards, etc. Being able to shift marketing dollars to the internet and reach a directed audience combined with the ability to track your success will save you a lot of hassle. The best way to tackle your decreasing marketing budget and untrackable success is to attack it and think through the process. Making these necessary changes can save your company money and increase the impact of your marketing department.