Plenty of experts will tell you that aggressive marketing spending makes sense in a recession – but there’s a chicken and egg situation you’ll have to address. If business is slow, you don’t have the money to aggressively launch new marketing campaigns; if you don’t launch new marketing campaigns, it’s hard to get business to pick up.

Putting that problem aside, now is a good time to get started. Consumer confidence is starting to pick up and there are signs that the Federal stimulus is helping the economy towards a slow recovery.

So if it’s time to start new marketing efforts but you don’t have extra budget to throw around, what do you do? Here are a few low- and even no-cost marketing tactics you can apply right now.

1. Amp up an existing marketing program

A good way to get started is to pick a marketing program you currently run or have run in the past and take a fresh look at it. Think creatively about what you could do if you spent 10% more on that program: not just more ads or direct mail pieces, but some new edge, offer, or gimmick.

An example the experts at MarketingSherpa caught recently was OfficeMax’s paper-bag insert into the Sunday papers. Sure, that cost them more than their typical Sunday newspaper flyer – but it stands out as a fun, creative piece.

Pick a mail piece, trade show, newspaper ad, online campaign – any single marketing activity – and come up with a creative way to spruce it up, make it stand out, or enhance its performance.

2. Take control of your online presence

This may or may not fit your definition of marketing, but more and more conversations and interactions with your company are happening online – and they’re not all going to be on your web site, if you have one. (What’s that – you don’t even have a web site yet? Don’t get me started.)

First up is claiming your local listing on Google, Bing, and other major search engines. More information here – but the gist is making sure you’re in control of what the search engines are saying is “official” about your business.

If your business is covered by industry review sites like Yelp, TripAdvisor, or other consumer-facing sites, make sure you’re registered on those sites as well, so you can respond to any potentially damaging comments.

If no such site exists for your business, look for professional forums, associations, and other online hangouts where your customers are talking to each other. Believe me – it exists, and if you’re not at least paying attention, you’re missing out on a chance to build relationships.

3. Try Internet lead generation

Ok I admit it, this one is self-serving, as BuyerZone is in the lead generation business. But it’s a low-cost way to find new potential customers, and when you absolutely need a measurable ROI on your marketing spend, it’s hard to beat.

Lead generation programs are available in all kinds of industries and approaches. BuyerZone focuses mainly on office products and services, construction equipment, and software, but if we’re not right for you, chances are there’s a source out there for you – like ServiceMagic for home contractors of all kinds.

The best lead generation companies share a few characteristics: they attract prospects who are actively looking to make purchases, they let you carefully define what types of buyers you’re interested in connecting with, they verify contact information, and they offer a refund policy for any mistakes that may slip through.

The best part is the easy-to-measure ROI: just compare how much you spend on a batch of leads with the value of the sales you make from them. Find out more about BuyerZone’s lead generation programs – or check out the full list of products and services that we can provide leads for.

4. Get social

Twitter? Facebook? LinkedIn? Yes, the social media channels have been getting a blizzard of publicity this year, and for good reason: with no investment except your time, you can expand your reach, build your brand, and start bringing in new customers.

However, unlike lead generation or direct mail, social media activities don’t usually result in immediately measurable sales: they’re longer-term, brand-building activities. But since they can take a while to build up steam, it makes sense to start participating in one or two social outlets sooner rather than later.

Of course, a few high-profile successes don’t mean these channels are a perfect outlet for everyone. And they take a lot of time to get right: there are plenty of mistakes you can make on Twitter, on Facebook, and in social media in general. Don’t just rush in headfirst: take your time and watch what other businesses are doing before getting too involved. You’ll find there’s a long term payoff that comes from being connected to customers through multiple channels

5. Go for content marketing

Content marketing is the idea that providing valuable information without a heavy-handed marketing message is an effective way to grow your business. Content marketing evangelist Joe Pulizzi has plenty to say about content marketing, including this great overview of what content marketing is and how to do it.

It can be something as simple as a blog post, a podcast or short video, a white paper, or email newsletter. Write something helpful, interesting, funny, maybe even controversial – whatever it is that your customers need – then distribute it as widely as you can. By providing great info for free and without heavy-handed marketing messages, you build trust with your customers and prospects, making them more likely to come back next time they need to buy.

Note that in any kind of content marketing, you’ll have to include some basic marketing messages about your company – but it’s important to keep them light and out of the way.

What free or low-cost marketing tactics do you like? Let us know below. And no, standing on the sidewalk in a sandwich board isn’t going to cut it.