by Lorie Grant DeWorken

Created on: September 18, 2009   Last Updated: September 28, 2009

Small businesses that survive and thrive in tough economic times get strategic. They find the best ways to use their increasingly limited resources. They realize that, even in tough economic times, they must not let their customers forget who they are or what they do. Key partners in this are advertising and marketing.

Advertising and marketing are never a waste for small businesses that weigh the options and maximize every ad dollar. The current options include: television, radio, magazines, direct mail, outdoor (i.e., billboards, bus wraps, etc.), Internet and newspaper.

It is fairly simple to narrow this field on a tight budget -

- Too expensive to purchase effectively: television, radio, magazines.

- Too expensive and/or time-consuming to produce with impact: television, direct mail, outdoor.

- Too broad an audience: television, radio, outdoor.

- Too time-driven: editorial calendars for magazines, drive times for radio.

Newspaper doesn't face many of these restrictions. It can be affordable to produce and purchase, target specific audiences, and run on any given day with quick turnaround times. Best of all, the "traditional" medium of newspaper is not so traditional anymore. It now offers comprehensive cross-media opportunities that maximize key aspects of multiple media. When small businesses use the newspaper they receive exposure in the traditional print medium, but now have targeted Internet, direct mail, and magazine opportunities to choose from too.

Internet placement is now a standard option when buying newspaper ads and maximizes exposure against a specific target audience while extending the reach of a print ad. Both print and Internet newspaper advertising allow for audience targeting. For traditional newspapers, geographic targeting is highly effective at putting ads before specific audiences in certain counties, neighborhoods, or even zip codes.

On the Internet, behavioral targeting through tools like Yahoo! Behavioral Targeting reaches the most likely prospects - those ready to buy, sell, sign-up, or who like the kinds of things a business offers. Whatever the case may be, there are behavioral targeting models that provide key information on potential clients and how to best reach them on the Internet.

Another way to reach potential clients is through content. Participating in niche publications or direct mail pieces distributed via the newspaper puts a small business in the most appropriate content and audience environment in a powerful way.

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