Double Your Budget, or Just Double Your Marketing?

I was clicking around activerain this morning, and came across a blog advising agents to double their marketing budgets in this soft market we are experiencing.  The idea, of course, being that you need to increase your marketing efforts in order to increase lead generation, so that you can keep your head above water in a down market.

Now, I'm all for the idea of doubling your marketing.  I think it's obvious that the more marketing you do, the better chance you will have of being successful even when others are struggling.  If you can afford to double your marketing budget, more power to you!

What concerns me, however, is that many agents can't afford to double their marketing budget.  Spending more can be difficult when you're making less.  I want agents in this position to know that it IS possible to double your marketing without spending a fortune!

How is this possible, considering the cost of printing, postage, and ads in the paper?  You can double (or triple, or quadruple) your marketing without the additional cost through E-MARKETING! 

E-Marketing is select target marketing using the contacts in your database.  The only cost associated is the relatively low monthly or yearly cost of the database itself.  Once it's in place, you should be able to send as many marketing pieces over the internet to as many contacts as you want at no additional charge!

An additional perk you'll get with E-Marketing:  the variety of marketing pieces you can send will increase exponentially!  Most databases will provide you with numerous templates for e-flyers, newsletters, etc., or you have the option to create your own.  If you're creative, your contacts will actually look forward to receiving your "keep in touch" pieces, instead of getting bored with the same old thing and immediately trashing them.