Some marketing advice for today's economy: stay visible, learn new things, embrace change

Here's the thing. Being in the marketing services business, I was going to send out a catchy, fun, Halloween message; maybe something with a "Trick or Treat" or "Spooky" theme. Of course, it would all relate back to a message that would help you market your business better. Well, crafting these messages usually comes easy to me. Not this time. I decided to forget the creative angle and send out a message to my audience that addresses the state of the market head on. I thought it would be helpful to offer up some marketing advice during today's uncertain times. First, I am hearing time and time again that business owners have decided the best way to deal with this down market is to pull back, hunker down and wait for things to get better. In my opinion, bad strategy. Here are a few alternative strategies to consider: Stay visible! Businesses must stay visible during tough times. Keeping the word out about your company while your competition is invisible can pay off.  It is an opportune time to negotiate great advertising packages. In a distressed market, it can be more cost effective placing ads, coordinating a direct mail campaign or running radio ads. Media companies are feeling the pinch, too.  Learn new things! Put your brain to work. Get with it! It is time to educate yourself about all the new technology that can help you and your business. Go online and take a class (they are called webinars).  Sit at your desk and spend one hour learning something new. Trust me, it feels great! Embrace change! In times of distress we discover areas of strength.  When business is suffering, we are forced to look at every aspect of our company. We then discover the best and worst parts of our business. Right here, right now, is the time to change. How? Think about: What can/should we outsource, what new tools can we use to streamline our processes, what technology should we invest in to help our productivity and bottom line? Looking for new business solutions can position your business to be a lean, productive, profitable entity. My message to you is this: Take advantage of this time and not waste it. Recognize that this is a time of opportunity. Be brave, be smart.  Use this spot in history to improve your business. Get up to speed with all the great new tools available. Be ready to embrace the upswing in the market. You will be leaving your competitors in the dust. Good thoughts bring good things! Wendy Ganson is president of Imagine Marketing Group, Boston.