In tough economic times, every dollar counts. Companies are constantly under pressure to find ways to cut costs and stay in business. Marketing and advertising budgets tend to be one of the first things scrutinized when a company is in trouble. Slashing the budget for marketing, however, quickly brings about a decline in profits for most organizations. How do you make the most out of your marketing budget? The answer is smart marketing. Public relations and digital technology are the most effective smart marketing tools for increasing exposure in a challenging economy. With the right strategies and a well executed plan, a company's message can be delivered to a highly targeted audience in a short amount of time. Digital and public relations tactics range from the classic press release to search engine optimization (SEO) and social networking. Utilizing these tools can expose your company to exactly the right audiences for the greatest return on investment. The right marketing initiatives are of minimal cost and can be highly effective if properly utilized. Social networking is inexpensive and growing. Blogging and article publishing are low cost and great reputation builders. SEO only requires a minimal investment towards its implementation, and the traffic that it has the potential to generate is invaluable. In times like these, it is important to take advantage of the low cost options that can be optimized by an experienced communications firm. Effectively marketing through these mediums is critical to sustaining growth and staying resilient, and a good marketing communications firm can give you the guidance necessary to implement an effective, highly-specialized smart marketing campaign. Jessica Chabot, director of client services at Millennium Integrated Marketing, Concord, N.H.