Demand for website marketing services is exploding while offline businesses all around the globe can’t escape the jaw dropping downturn. Businesses are shrinking expenses wherever they can during this economic downturn. But the reverse is happening in the online world. In fact, online marketing activities are stronger than ever. This is not only because companies want to flex and tone their competitive muscles but consumer online spending is increasing which is a red flag in this current market.

An economic downturn is a great time for companies to rethink and refocus their brands, costs, positioning, market share and competitors. Sure, there’s blood on the floor but when the axis stops its high voltage spin, companies everywhere take a collective sigh and work out their place in the world. And then it’s time to get out there and talk about their new generation of products or services as if they were Lazarus reborn.

A cocky advantage internet marketing has over print and other media is its extremely affordable, making it the logical choice whether every dollar counts or not. A collective sigh is one thing but if you snooze, you lose. Smart companies are improvising. They can't afford to not market. They need is affordable, cost effective, good returns on investment and sustainable platforms they can build on. Web 2.0 social media marketing provides it all and more.

Hundreds of companies all over the world of every shape and size offer website, blogging, article writing, video and marketing services
as well as pay per click and search engine optimization (SEO) services to stimulate and secure links back to their sites for solid search engine rankings. Costs are low, turnaround fast and outsourcing reliable. Traditional marketing services are still in demand but until delivery costs can be significantly reduced to compete they must wait patiently until budgets expand to permit expenditures that have fallen into the luxurious ‘you must be kidding’ category.

Social media marketing has an unfair advantage. It’s very affordable costing only a fraction on other marketing and advertising channels despite its enormous reach into cyber space. It also has high value, long term engineering elements that crank and build interest and trust in companies, products, people and culture by stimulating vital ongoing virtual conversations unlike the usual one-way company shake and rattle delivered by other mediums.

It’s also measurable. Highly measurable. Trial runs, tests and experiments are all easy to measure allowing you to see what works, what doesn't, who makes up your demographics and where they live. Most of these results are free allowing you to improve your campaigns with laser–like focus until you get it right.

Internet marketers will no doubt spoil the fun of, and possibly humiliate, traditional marketing as they tear away like rockets snatching budgets from those who refuse to believe that things have changed. Right now Web 2.0 social media marketing can’t lose. But the tables could turn in a blink if traditional media does something crazed and unusual to get everyone’s attention. It’s happened before.