It can also be a deadly decision. What happens when the economy picks up and customers start spending money again? Will your business even be on their radar screens?

Rather than pulling back, small businesses should pick up their marketing pace when things are slow. But instead of spending gobs of money trying to court news customers, why not concentrate on the one’s you already have?

Aftrer all, you’ve probably already spent considerably time and money wooing them in the first place. You’ve already overcome the toughest hurdle: you’ve gotten them to give you a try. They’ve liked what they saw and they bought.

Now, you want to keep them coming back. Again and again and again.

How do you do it? The easiest way is with great customer service. Anticipate their needs. Solve their problems. Smile a lot and tell them how much your appreciate their business.

Try a customer rewards program. Send your loyal customers a special offer, a discount, a two-for-one deal. Make them feel important as your customer.

Another possibility is a referral program. Give your customer an incentive to introduce friends or family members to your product or service. You win two ways: you thank your loyal customers in a worthwhile, tangible way, and you open your market to new potential customers who are, in a way, pre-qualified by way of endorsement.

How about former customers? Ones who bought from you in the past but, for one reason or another, stopped. Try to bring them back with a special offer designed especially for former clients.

Slow times can be scary for small business owners. But imagine how you’ll feel when things pick up and you’re left behind.

Wow! Unless good journalism has changed in the last few years — come to think of it, maybe it has — most respectable reporters would be loathe to use canned quotes in a story of any substance. At the very least, they would want confirmation from that source that the quote was accurate. And using a prepared quote doesn’t allow for any follow up questions that curious reporters might have.

Anyway, if you are preparing a press release and hope that the reporter will use canned quotes, here a few guidelines:

1. Cut the fluff. Self-serving platitudes are the first thing to go. In newsroom, they’re called “throw-away quotes.” If they somehow make it into a story, they are the first to get cut.
2. Make it interesting. Don’t quote your CEO as saying the company has been around for 20 years or that sales are up 20 percent. Have him say something insightful, controversial or memorable.
3. Write the way he speaks. Some quotes from CEOs sound stiff and rehearsed. Try to make it sound like he actually said it.
4. Anticipate follow-ups. Think like a reporter. What else might be asked? Stay on message but provide answers to additional questions.
5. Offer to arrange an interview. Let the media know your source is available for questions. Providing quotes and then denying access to the source throw up a red flag.
6. Prepare your source.. If the media does call, go through a mock interview with your source. Ask the same tough questions the media will ask. Be confrontational, if necessary.

Well, I’ve changed my mind. It’s not that newspapers have made some remarkable comeback; on the contrary, some of the bigger chains are on the verge of financial meltdown because they have or soon will default on debt payments. More cuts could be forthcoming.

Rather than a challenge, I’ve come to view the slow demise of newspapers as an opportunity. With editorial staffs cut to the bone, editors and reporters are more desperate than ever for good story ideas. I’ve always felt that one of the most important roles a PR person can fill is to make life easier for journalists. The more you can do to provide background and access to sources, the better chance you will have of seeing your story in print.

A well-written press release that follows AP style and isn’t too company oriented is still a powerful tool. The major dailies will continue to develop their own stories, and the small community weeklies will print every word, assuming you follow basic guidelines. But I’ve noticed that some regional dailies — with declining but still significant readership — have become much more receptive to running press releases with minor adjustments. Photos, too, are more acceptable than they once were.

Of course, this is not to say newspapers still carry the influence they did, say, 15 or 20 years ago. You still need to include the Internet, with its myriad of social media outlets, in your PR mix.

The other day, I was checking out the InfoUSA.com website on behalf of a client who is thinking about doing a modest direct mail campaign. After choosing criteria and generating a mailing list, I had to register on the company’s website to get a price quote.

I filled out the short form and hit the submit button. At that precise moment, my phone rang. Wouldn’t it be something, I joked with him, if it was InfoUSA calling to welcome me to their database.

Alas, that wasn’t the case.

However, five minutes later I did receive a call from InfoUSA welcoming me and assuring me I would receive personalized attention if I needed it. It made me feel welcomed and appreciated. As a new customer, it made me feel confident that I will be able to get help.

In these tough times, successful marketing is all about relationships. It doesn’t have to be expensive ad campaigns or elaborate branding efforts, although those sure are helpful. For InfoUSA, all it took was a simple timely phone call from a cheerful voice to get our relationship off to a flying start.

What caught my attention during the hour-long discussion was the annoying little things we PR-types do that at best cause media members to roll their eyes and at worst to totally ignore us. Here is a sampling:

1. Not Being Prepared. Segall told of a recent instance when a PR firm sent out a timely press release his station wanted to follow up on, but no one was around to take his call. The story never happened.
2. Phone Calls. While every member of the panel said they welcomed phone calls, they warned members of the audience against calling on certain times and days. Establish a working relationship with individual media members and learn the best times to make contact. All said they check press release distribution services only occasionally.
3. Respect deadlines. Don’t call at 9 a.m. with a story that’s happening at noon, unless it’s major breaking news. Sounds like common sense, but the panel said it happens all the time.
4. Long Press Releases. More than a page of two or is big turnoff. No one has time to plow through a short novel. A catchy headline and strong opening paragraph are the key to attracting attention. Fancy logos and clever layouts are more distracting than helpful.
5. Not Knowing What the Media Wants. Too many times, editors and reporters are pitched story ideas they would never consider doing. Study a publication such as The Philadelphia Business Journal to understand the kinds of stories they do.
6. Thinking the Media Exist to Give You Publicity. While some reporters and editors have soft spots for pet causes, they emphasized their top priority is serving their readers/viewers/listeners.
7. Press Kits. Bulky folders jammed with executive profiles, five-year sales projections and glossy photos are overkill. Putting the same information on a CD is better. A comprehensive website is best.

Stumble Upon is cool service that helps you explore the Internet in a surprising, entertaining and efficient way. Essentially, you indicate your areas of interest – personal, professional, social – and, with a click of the Stumble button on your browser, you are directed to a random web page that matches your interests. There’s a lot more to it, but that’s all you need to know for now. Here’s a good explanation about Stumble and how to get it set up on your computer.

Anyway, I’ve decided that every Friday, I will bring you my Five Favorite Stumbles of the Week. Most will be related to public relations and marketing, but occasionally I may share a quirky, off-beat site that will make you laugh or cringe. Who knows?

Here are this week’s offerings:

1. Did you know colors play a key role in direct marketing? According to author Dean Rieck of Direct Creative, color is a form of nonverbal communication that increases brand identity, assists in memory, increases a reader’s participation in ads, and improves readership, learning, and comprehension. Find out more about using color in your marketing materials.
2. If you are a loyal reader of this blog, you know my roots are in the newspaper business. So imagine my surprise when one of my first Stumbles this week took me to the Newseum website. In addition to all sorts of neat information about the history of newspapers, it includes the current day’s front pages from more than 600 newspapers in 61 countries. You may never get any work done after visiting this site.
3. As a self-employed writer and editor sometimes I feel like I have three fulltime jobs: salesman, consultant and office manager. I’m always looking for ways to make efficient use of my time. One of my Stumbles last week took me to Freelance Switch, which offers 101 Essential Freelancing Resources. I didn’t check all 101 links, but they include everything from help with project management and organization to a compilation of sites that offer templates, photos and flash files. There are also sections on legal matters, web tools, advertising and marketing.
4. I’m a big proponent of using the right word in the right situation. Because of subtle differences in meanings, using the wrong word could have serious implications. Over at E-Commerce Optimization and Marketing, check out the list of 14 Words That LOSE Money. You might be surprised at some of the common words to avoid.
5. Do you really understand how the marketing brain works? Are you harnessing its immense potential to make your business generate greater revenues? Wouldn’t your strategy and tactics be vastly different, if you understood these psychological marketing ideas? The folks at Psychotactics.com offer some useful tips for getting inside your customers’ minds to see what makes them act.

That’s it for this week. Happy Stumbling.

Joe offers all sorts of great tips on how to keeping your writing interesting, informative and, most of all, motivational. I was particularly impresed with his “Five Secret Laws of Hypnotic Persuasion” as described here:

ENGAGEMENT. The more you engage your readers, the more inclined they will be to buy your item when you ask for the order. Ask questions. Ask them to complete a task. Make your site interactive. Do you know what I mean?

CHOICE. Give people choices that are win-win for both sides. One item to buy or not to buy is not a good choice. Two items to buy — to choose between — gives the reader a sense of control. “Do you want this now or later?” implies they will want it.

EGO. Stroke the reader’s ego but do it sincerely. Don’t lie. Don’t mislead. We all want flattery. You. Me. All of us. Pet a dog and he’ll follow you home. You’re smart, so you probably already know this one.

REWARD. Reward people who do what you ask - such as buy from you. Give them bonuses, premiums, unexpected extras. This creates value, removes buyer’s remorse, and strokes the ego.

CURIOSITY. What’s the most powerful psychological tool any hypnotic Writer can use? I use this one every day. I might make a call to a friend and say, “Guess how much the most expensive Mercedes-Benz in history just sold for?” I won’t give the answer until I’m done saying whatever I called to say. My question opens their mind — engages, them, yes — but also locks them onto my every word. At the end, I’ll tell them a 1929 two-seater Mercedes-Benz just sold for more than $4 million, thereby completing the story.

“Increase our sales a bunch, I guess.” he said.

It was like he had some inherent desire to execute a marketing plan but no clue about what he wanted to see happen. If you don’t know where you’re going, it’s pretty likely you’ll make a few wrong turns along the way. And how will you know if and when you arrive at your destination?

When it comes to putting together a marketing plan, follow these five guidelines:

Identify Your Goals. Be specific and include milestones to assess your success. For example: “I want to increase sales by 10 percent in Pennsylvania over the next six months.” Have goals for the next six-months, 12-months and 18-months.

Set deadlines. Establish a drop-dead date for everything and stick to it. Don’t let other projects get in the way. Marketing is the lifeblood of growing a business. If you miss deadlines, it will throw off your ability to measure results against your stated goals.

Acquire the Tools You Will Need. Make a list of the resources you will need to execute your marketing plan. Budget is at the top of the list. Allocate enough dollars to do the job right. Skills are next — writing, graphic design, SEO, printing, etc. There are plenty of freelancers out there who can do those jobs. Unless you are proficient and can afford to spend substantial time on these tasks, consider outsourcing.

Develop an Action Plan. It should be specific enough to get the job done but flexible enough to adapt to rapidly changing markets. Allow enough lead time to create advertising campaigns, direct mail pieces, newsletters and such so they hit at just the right time. A calendar book devoted exclusively to your marketing plan is essential so you can see how various tactics will interact.

Just Do It. If you don’t see results right away, don’t give up. Marketing and public relations plans take time to take root. A well-crafted marketing plan is designed for the long haul, which is why knowing what you are trying to accomplish is so important.

As a former reporter, I would recommend full disclosure up front to my client in a similar situation. News coming from a source tends to be much less sensationalized than something that is dug up and reported by the media.

Here is how I would have handled it: during Palin’s acceptance speech, she would have noted the whirlwind that has been her life of late and slipped in, almost matter of factly, that her daughter is pregnant and that she is looking forward to being a grandmother, framing it as a positive development. That would be it.

Now, the media would certainly seize the story and run with it. But it would have none of the “gotcha” mentality that seems so pervasive and it would short-circuit those probing questions about whether McCain knew and if she was properly vetted.

Face it: the media will find out about such things, whether it’s a political candidate, a product launch, a merger or a new CEO. And when they do, it will be a field day, especially among some bloggers who don’t have to abide by the same rules as mainstream journalists.

My advise is to work with someone who knows the kinds of issues that will push the media’s buttons and get out in front so you can control the story line.

The problem with many testimonials is that they come off sounding canned and solicited. Does anyone really talk in superlatives, with losts of exclamation points?

Over at Copyblogger, Dean Reick just wrapped up a terrific four-part series about testimonials, their importance and use. The final installment reveals subtle ways your can integrate testimonials into brochures, newsletters and sales copy.

Here are my favorites from his list:

Provide case histories of some of your best customers or clients. Studies show that tangible case histories can be more effective than statistics. Simply write up an account of how someone solved a problem or derived a benefit. Before and after descriptions are particularly effective.

Tout the number of products sold. “More than 5,000 satisfied customers!” It always helps to keep good records. Dig through your sales statistics and see what figures you can come up with. You might have to estimate, but make it reasonable and believable. And be sure you have data to support your claim.

Warn customers about limited product. “Supplies are limited.” This shows popularity plus scarcity, another powerful human motivator. Be careful. If you cry wolf, people will eventually stop believing you.

Say how long your product or service has been a bestseller. “America’s leader in cell phone ring tones since 1998.” This says popularity, quality, and consistency. This can often be more effective than just saying how long you’ve been around.

Cite information on your market leadership. “The #1 pomegranate pie maker in Ohio!” Being first or tops in your market is an unbeatable claim. If you can’t be the first to start your type of business, come up something you are first at.

Show important or well-known people using your product or service. This invokes the “halo” effect, connecting the good feeling people have for the celebrity to your wares. Just make sure you have permission.

Cite favorable reviews. Third-party information is always powerful. Some products are lucky enough to get reviews spontaneously, but as a rule you must notify people of your product or service and suggest a review. Don’t be shy.

Cite mentions in the media. Newsworthy products and services are more trusted. If you get a favorable mention, you can quote it. Otherwise, you can list media coverage. This is an argument for a good public relations effort.

Associate your product or service with respected magazines. “As seen in Widgets Today Magazine.” List the magazines you advertise in to show public approval of your product or service.

Associate your product or service with respected media. “As seen on TV.” Television is considered very credible. If you appear there, you have instant credibility. List the networks your advertisements have appeared on.