“In Business” by Roland Millward

For many businesses there is a need to continually generate new leads. There are many ways this is done, advertising in the press, TV, Radio, Internet, billboards, mail shots, telephone calls and generating new business from old leads, existing clients and referrals. Leads are the lifeblood of business and when times are good the generation of leads tends to take care of itself. However we are now in a recession and every penny counts. Vast amounts of money that were once thrown at the standard forms of advertising hoping that some of it would work is now a luxury that most businesses can not afford. Some businesses of course have never had that luxury.

It now takes time and careful planning to see where you should be spending most of your advertising budget and how effective it is. Start with past clients or those leads that have not yet converted. Set aside time each day to phone and see how those clients are doing. What are their current needs? How can your business meet those needs in the current economic climate?

Businesses today that are offering great value (not necessarily the lowest prices), good service and go that extra mile will win business in these tougher times. Allocate a slot each day when you and your team will make those calls. If you are going to spend money on advertising use every trick in the book to make it effective. Get some expert advice and save wasting money. It is possible to get some free advertising if you know how!

Don’t forget per per click and here is some free software to help you use Google to the full. All you need is Firefox a free web browser (it’s better and safer than IE Explorer for all your needs) and you will really be able to use Google Adwords cost effectively.