Do I start pushing — spend money on marketing again — or wait until things get a little better?
That’s a tough one. But here’s the easy answer. Yes, you ought to ALWAYS be investing in attracting people to your company. Right now, your marketing may not look the same.
If things are starting to turn, if you can see a glimmer, spend a little.
If things are feeling a little better than that, spend a little more. Just don’t put yourself at risk. You could be wrong.
BUT, nobody can afford to stop attracting people to their business. I have a client who grew his business into one of the largest of his type in the western U.S. Only to see it practically vanish, through no fault of his own (his company was tied to new home starts in Arizona).
His current marketing: Facebook. So far, three leads. Cost: his time (and he’s having fun!). I couldn’t get him to spend any time on Facebook when things were more normal. Now, he’s desperate enough.
My best advice: it is what it is. If things aren’t where you want them to be, if things are tough (rock — you — hard place), accept it and get busy doing what you can to attract people to your business.
If things are tougher, you probably can’t do what you’ve used to doing; what you’re comfortable doing. So, get over it.
If you can’t afford to do what you’ve always done:
Try sponsored search. Google Adwords is the largest.
Try emailing to your customers.
There are lots of things you can try. Try them.
