by Jack Criss
Publisher, Greater Jackson Business

Disclosure here, if you don’t already know: I have a horse in the race of promoting advertising.

Yes, Greater Jackson Business (and yours truly) survives by advertising revenue. So naturally I’m going to urge people and businesses to keep spending money on promoting their goods. But, in advocating such, I’m also including spending revenue with other mediums besides print and, yes, even those who publish magazines besides myself.

Since the Meltdown of ’08 most all businesses have had to make cuts. Usually (and unfortunately) one of the first things to go out of the company budget was the advertising dollars. Why?

Well, many advertisers believe that they don’t really get the “bang for the buck” that they should out of advertising. They also claimed (in pre-internet days) that tracking the success of any particular ad was dubious at best, if not outright impossible.

Still other businesses felt that advertising was just exhibitionism and that it could be done away with entirely without bottom lines being adversely affected. In fact, I even heard from more than one former advertiser that they didn’t want to appear as if they were “sticking their head out” above other businesses lest they appear arrogant or haughty in down economic times. In other words, these businesses wanted to lay low for what they believed would be a better end-perception in the eyes of the buying public. (“Well, if they can afford to spend THAT much in advertising, they must not need MY business…”)

As well as being a writer, editor and publisher, I am a salesman and have been for many years. Moreover, I believe passionately in my product which is a prerequisite for any successful salesperson. And I will tell you now, unequivocally, that I believe the absolute best time to advertise is precisely when times are uncertain and the competition has slacked off in self-promotion. The iron is hot for you to strike and the customers are there for you to take. How is that?

Well, visibility actually is a GOOD thing. It reminds the consumer—your potential customer—that you are, in fact, still alive and kicking and wanting them to come see you and spend money. Far from being presumptuous, I find such a message reassuring as a customer myself. Additionally, if you advertise specials, discounts, and the things that distinguish and differentiate you from your competition, don’t you think NEW customers will give you a try? I do.

While others in your field of business are being quiet, cutting their ad budgets, why don’t you keep yours the same or even increase it a little? Certainly you must be particular and look for the good advertising deals (and believe you me, they are out there. My number is 601-750-6587 if you want to talk great multi-media ad deals! My shameless plug for the column…) But, spent wisely, I think the current climate is very ripe for you to pick off some new business from the competition through new advertising and maybe bring your existing customers in more regularly.