Direct Mail Marketing | Direct Marketing Catalogs

15 Ways to Manage Your E-Mail More Effectively

2009-10-18T22:34:00.000-07:00

• Are you tired of searching for e-mail messages you know are somewhere?• Is your electronic “In Box” full of outdated messages?• Do you frequently get ultimatums from your IS department to “clean up your act?”
Love it or hate it – or both! – e-mail is increasingly the primary method for communicating in today’s digital world – at work and at home. Research shows that introducing e-mail into a company increases printing by 40%.
In seminars, I often ask attendees, “How many of you print out your e-mail?” The vast majority raise their hand – timidly! But let’s face it, sometimes paper is highly practical. Complex proposals, for example, often require discussions where you need a printed copy that result in physical notes, making the electronic e-mail less valuable than the printed out version.
On the other hand, printing out everything is not likely a good solution. The key to managing e-mail is determining when to keep hard copy and when to keep electronic copy, keeping in mind that sometimes both may be practical. In the case described above, for example, the printed version has value for discussion, and the electronic version has value for creating new versions after the discussion. In either event, the principles of The Paper Tiger methodology will improve communication and increase productivity.
6 Tips for Sending E-mail Your Recipients Will Love:
1. Use the Subject line to clearly describe the topic of your e-mail. This is helpful for the recipient, and for you if you want to find a message you’ve sent.
2. Include only one subject per e-mail message. This method will greatly simplify e-mail filing and retrieval.
3. For a lengthy or complicated e-mail, create the e-mail in your word processing program and then copy to your e-mail. If you have an e-mail glitch during the sending process, you can easily retrieve your message!
4. When replying to any e-mail, attach enough of the old message for the recipient to remember the content of the original e-mail, but delete unnecessary information or duplication.
5. Avoid sending e-mail attachments whenever possible. Receivers are becoming more reluctant to open attachments due to the increasing prevalence of viruses that can come through attachments. In some instances, you may send an attachment, and include the attachment in the body of the e-mail, with the explanation that the attachment will have better formatting, but the recipient could get the gist of the message without opening the attachment.
6. Consider using your contact management software (such as ACT!) to send all of your outgoing e-mail. With many programs, you can attach your outgoing e-mail messages to the recipients, and other related contacts, and they will automatically appear in the Out Box of your e-mail program.
9 Tips for Managing Your Incoming E-mail:
1. To avoid an overflowing e-mail In Box, create folders. For example, you might have folders for each of your direct reports, for each project, for a committee which you chair, and for subjects of particular interest. (For example, I have a folder “statistics” since I frequently need that info for the media.)
2. Whenever you open your incoming e-mail, apply The FAT System™ (File-Act-Toss) to each e-mail.
3. If you aren’t sure you need it, toss it! Unlike a paper wastebasket, you can always retrieve e-mail from electronic trash by using the “Find Message” feature available in most e-mail programs. (If the company empties the trash without your knowledge, create a folder called “My Trash.”)
4. Apply the “2-Do Rule” whenever possible. If you can reply in 2 minutes, then do it right away. It will take longer to file it and retrieve it again than to “just do it!”
5. For e-mail that takes more time to reply, either leave them in Inbox or file in an appropriate folder such as “Action”or “Reply.”
6. If you use Paper Tiger Permanent Action Files for managing your paper (Call, Discuss, On-Line, etc.), you can use it to file the paper copy of e-mail that requires your action, such as “Discuss with John.”
7. For e-mail you want to keep in electronic format, drag to the appropriate folder as described in Tip #1.
8. If you need or want a paper copy of an e-mail for future reference, print it out and file it in your paper management system, i.e. Paper Tiger, so you can find it again in 5 seconds or less!
9. After you have finished with an e-mail folder (such as a specific project), you can store it on a floppy or ZIP disk in case you need it later.
Do you have some “tricks of the trade” I didn’t describe, or have questions about the ones I suggested, feel free to e-mail me - I love to hear from you.

Trade Show Announcements and Invitations For Your Company

2009-03-31T07:07:00.000-07:00

Trade shows can be an important part of your business whether you are announcing a new product or highlighting the features and benefits of your existing products and services. This can be a great way to reach out to many professionals in your industry.
Invitations New clients who are not necessarily professionals in the industry that you are in may not know about the exhibition and your presence at that show. Sending your client a trade show invitation to is a perfect way to involve your clients. Get your clients involved and excited about seeing your new products and services up close and personal.
Potential new clients may be getting multiple invitations to the show you are inviting them to. You'll need to make sure you have an eye-catching invitation and some great incentive to have these new clients come to your booth. These corporate invitations need to be both professional and engaging. And since access to this event might cost you and your company a fair amount of money you'll need to make sure you make an economical choice.
Announcements While still very important, announcements can be slightly more informal. Recipients of the trade show announcement are typically already exhibitors and/or guests at the show. They will not need an invitation or access to the show, but need to know where your booth will be located and which products or services you will be exhibiting. Pick an announcement that is exciting and still informative. These shows can be big, so you want to make sure you get lots of the right kind of traffic at your booth.
Once you get your clients to your booth at the trade show, make sure it is worth their time. Prepare your booth to look professional and informative. Another great trade show trick is sending your guests away with a small 'gift.' Visitors to your booth should leave with a trinket or small gift with your logo.
Events around the trade show The actual trade show is often only part of all the action. After the show ends for the evening, there are many parties, events and dinners for most attendees. If you are planning an event outside of the exhibition, make sure you get your corporate invitations ready early. If your clients can't get into the show, they can certainly attend your event after the show - which can sometimes be more fun. Keep a few of your corporate party invitations handy at the booth, too as you might want to hand them out to a potential client who stops by your booth.

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The Transformation of Direct Mail

2009-03-26T06:43:00.000-07:00

The year 2008 was a challenging year for just about every business competing for work. I don't need to go into the why, that's well known. I will however comment on the why when it comes to an industry that was on a decline even prior to the nation-wide economic crisis; direct mail.
For so long the words were Spray & Pray. Print a million generic postcards, spray on the last known address for residents in a certain area (or not so certain), and pray that 1 percent of recipients respond to the offer or message. This was difficult even when postage rates were low and print was cheap. In printing, as in nearly all industries, production costs increase. However, with the amount of junk out there people tend to get immune to all the advertisements and that 1 percent response does not increase.
So, is direct mail dead? Well, in some cases the Spray & Pray still works with the right offer on a product or service that everyone needs. But overall, the industry has been waiting for a change. There is no question that now is the time to make that transformation.
The transformation of direct mail is not some new revelation that one person suddenly came up with. Direct mail has had the technology to increase response at extraordinary levels for years. There are print companies and marketers doing it today. There are even more companies out there that say they can do it. Variable Data Printing - That's the word out there anyway.
The transformation however is more than simply slapping Dear Mary and a picture of a puppy on a postcard to Mary Smith at 122 Main Street. The transformation of direct mail is Relevance through Personalization.
Relevance starts with the data. Learn and utilize everything possible from the data you have. Name, gender, age, demographic, community... the possibilities are endless. Take a good look at the data and use it in a way that works for the person you are mailing. If you can present the recipient with information or an offer that is completely relevant, hit them and be sure to track results. If your offer is not relevant look into including an offer with a PURL (personal URL or website) to collect more data and make the next mailing a more targeted piece.
As we see more marketers and printers transform into better Direct Mailers we will see a huge shift in the way we look at advertising with efficiency. All of a sudden we are sending less junk mail, increasing our demands for sustainability, increasing our profits, and fulfilling the needs of those looking for the goods and services we are trying to sell.

Using Promotional Products Effectively at Your Trade Show

2009-03-20T02:02:00.000-07:00

Next time you participate in a tradeshow take some time to just people watch. So many times attendees travel aimlessly up and down tradeshow aisle. They seem to be wandering; mostly looking for "something" to catch their eye. Because the attendee is "open to new things" a huge advantage is created for the exhibitors. That being said, there is great potential for new business. Taking advantage and maximizing the talents of your company is essential to trade show success. If you look to break down the components of trade show success there are 3 major elements: Booth Presentation, The RIGHT personnel to Manage the Booth, and The Essential Give-A-Way.
As an exhibitor, a trade show can be a major investment. There are charges relating to booth presentation, employee participation and of course the giveaways that are used to brand a company's name or lure a potential client in for a closer look at what one has to offer. Careful planning in all three of these areas is critically important. While I'll touch on the importance of the first two, my main focus will be on the 3 major element - the essential give-a-way and how to effectively plan the investment so you get the best possible return.
Booth Presentation
Often you have only 5 seconds or less to attract some one visually to your booth. That being said, attention to detail is very important. Spend some time ensuring the look of your booth flows nicely, keep it clean, and inviting.
The RIGHT Personnel to Manage the Booth
Whom ever you select to represent your company should present the proper image at all times. When considering who will attend a tradeshow be sure to evaluate their communication skills, tidy appearance, and "fake it till you make it" attitude. Tradeshows can be long and demanding hours.
The Essential Give-A-Way
There are two schools of thought regarding give-a-ways; feed the masses or keep a small stash just for the "good prospects". Although both have their advantages be careful when selecting which way to go. Perhaps the answer lies somewhere in-between (so long as you've themed the event). With a mix of both schools of thought and a well planned tradeshow theme for your company; you will present a situation which allows the biggest "bang for the buck".
Selecting your overall theme should be first. Once you have those plans firm it's now time to select the appropriate giveaways. Too often companies just have "stuff" with their name on it. Not that that's bad, it just less memorable and quickly forgotten. When you theme your trade show, you create an experience for the attendee. This has proven time and again to be the most effective way to retain mind share.
So where to start... here's a an idea that was very successful for one of our clients in the past.
A daycare facility was participating in a local community show to bolster attendance for their summer camp. They were looking for useful handouts that both adults and kids would enjoy. We recommended using our Sun Care Kit as a gift, for anyone willing to sign up that day. The price was well within their budget. The slim design would fit perfectly into pockets, backpacks, or purses. It contained sunscreen packets and bandages which were ideal for outdoor activities. They ordered 500 pieces with the imprint simply saying "SUMMER FUN, SEE YOU SOON!" and their camp's name. The adults loved the sunscreen, and the kids loved the bandages! They also order balloons with their logo on it as a give-a-way for all who stopped by their booth. The event was a huge success!

The Portable Hybrid Display - A Different Trade Show Exhibit

2009-03-16T02:30:00.000-07:00

Practically every exhibit system claims to be "portable"
Portable Hybrids are the newest design category
Before purchasing a portable or modular exhibit system, ask yourself these questions
Probably no term in the exhibit industry is more overused and less understood than the word "portable." Practically every display system from those promoting modular convenience to those claiming a "custom look," reinforce their message with the siren song of portability. Why the sudden rush to jump on the portable bandwagon? The answer is easy -- money. Anyone who participates in trade shows or events has a portable display in their inventory. It may be a pop up or a banner stand or several table top displays. These are easy to transport, easy to setup, and easy on the budget. Recently, the portable segment has added a new category -- Portable Hybrids. Portable Hybrids are an alternative to traditional portables and offer several advantages to companies seeking either to downsize from an island display or step up from a traditional portable. Hybrids, by their very nature, are easily customizable since they are designed using aluminum extrusion, tension fabric, and modular components. Are they custom exhibits? No, but not every show or every budget requires a custom exhibit. However, every company deserves a custom solution tailored to their marketing goals. Understanding what portable means in the tradeshow industry can be a challenge. You must decide not only where a particular product falls within the portable spectrum, but also how much portability you really need. Before deciding on any portable (or modular) display, consider the following guidelines and questions:
Know your exhibit goals. What are your immediate and long-term goals? A portable display should be viewed as a long-term investment rather than a short-term solution.
Is your organization expecting to grow over the next couple of years? How does this effect your trade show needs?
Do you need one product to accomplish multiple display requirements? Or, is it better to purchase different displays to accomplish your various trade show needs?
View decisions about exhibit hardware, exhibit design, and exhibit graphics separately. It is too easy to be swayed by any one element.All three must work together. Consider shipping and drayage costs.
Price is important, but price should never be the number one factor in your decision when purchasing a portable exhibit.
Ask questions. Not all portable displays are created equal. Each has its unique strengths and weaknesses.

Email Marketing - Getting it Right, Getting it Read

2009-03-13T06:55:00.000-07:00

Email is one of the most effective direct marketing techniques available. When done well it enables us to talk to large numbers of prospects and customers in an instant; alerting them to offers, telling them about new products and services and forming an ongoing relationship. Done wrong, email marketing emails get deleted without even being viewed. Even worse, our emails can be viewed as annoying spam, damaging the very relationships we are all trying so hard to nurture. So, as professional marketers, how can we ensure our carefully crafted email marketing pieces get read in the first place? It starts with the subject line Research has shown that open rates vary enormously, depending on the subject line used. Common sense tells us that punchy subject lines with attention grabbing headlines are going to do better than dull versions. However, it comes as a big surprise to many marketers to learn that the best open rates are from 'informative' rather than 'creative' subject lines. One notable study revealed subject lines such as, "[COMPANYNAME] Newsletter - February 2009" typically outperform lines such as "The Future of International Trade" by a factor of 5 or more. The simple truth is that the best performing subject lines describe the subject of the email. To do something different flies in the face of hard evidence and is only attempted by the very brave or the foolhardy. Not all email readers display the entire subject line. Just because you use Microsoft Mail doesn't mean that all your readers do too. Keeping your subject line length below 51 characters will ensure that everyone can see all of your subject line, no matter what email program they are using. Some words are better than others Be wary of words that trigger spam filters. The obvious ones are "free" and "discount". Most spam filtering works by scoring the email according to length, origin, words used, images and so on. Once a threshold has been reached the email is classified as spam and the software rejects it. Even punctuation such as exclamation marks in a subject line can increase your score, bringing you closer to the threshold. If you are unsure about how to avoid spam triggers in your email marketing copy, a professional email broadcaster will be happy to advise you. Grab Attention above the Fold In email marketing, preview panes are the equivalent of the copy that falls above the fold of a letter. Preview panes have become the standard way of quickly glancing at an email and deciding whether it's worth reading or not. In our quest to get our emails read, our mission is to grab attention "above the fold" using our most compelling copy and imagery. Design and write your email so that your offer, call-to-action, urgency indicator and branding all appear "above the fold". Be aware that each email reader will have a different preference for their preview pane. This results in the area available to grab attention being significantly different for each. Design and test your email marketing pieces in different formats to ensure your "above the fold" copy can be viewed in each. Many preview panes block images by default, so 'alt tag' considerations should be included in the creative and design process. Alt tags also help improve accessibility to those with visual impairments. UK Companies are required by law to take reasonable steps to ensure accessibility under the 2005 amendments to the Disability Discrimination Act, so missing out alt tags could prove a costly mistake. Perhaps because email is so ubiquitous and everyone writes emails every day, companies have a tendency to devalue them. However, as this article has shown, there is a lot to think about when planning an email marketing piece. A final suggestion is that precisely because there is such a lot to think about and because things are changing so quickly in the world of email marketing, calling a friendly expert once in a while is a great shortcut to success.

A Key Marketing Strategy - Bundling

2009-03-12T01:14:00.001-07:00

Have you ever bought a CPU, monitor, keyboard and mouse for one packaged price? Have you eaten a McDonald's Value Meal? If you have, you have been "bundled."
Bundling is a very common marketing practice. In fact, you have probably bought many "bundles" without even realizing it. But, believe me, the marketers in the companies doing the bundling have thought a lot about it.
Bundling involves combining two or more products and/or services together to create a new product that can be marketed as one package. While the concept sounds simple, there are many forms of bundling. For example,
Pure bundling offers a package that cannot be broken apart. A good example of this is a new car. You wouldn't buy one without the tires, would you?
Mixed bundling offers customers the choice of buying the entire package or some or all of the components. For example, burger chains offer combo meals, but customers can buy each of the items separately.
Bundling also includes tie-in sales: buy a product and get a discount on goods necessary to use the product. For example, if you buy a printer, you get a discount on the ink.
Add-on bundling offers an item only if the main item is purchased. Get your car waxed free with the purchase of a car wash.
Sales rebates, coupons and cross-couponing are also bundling strategies. For instance, get a coupon for cookies if you buy our milk.
Bundling can enhance your pricing, delivery, loyalty or customer service. So let's consider ways bundling may be your ultimate marketing weapon. Consider these possible strategies, and identify ways they might work for your business:
Bundling can be used to introduce a new product or service. Either bundle the new product with a familiar item, or enhance its perceived value with the added incentive of an additional product tied to it. Familiar household items like plug-in air fresheners or shower cleaner dispensers are great examples. The actual dispenser of the product is sold as a bundle with the refills.
Bundling can be used to make customers aware of a little known or undervalued product. Not enough sales of that new dessert at your restaurant? Offer a sample size with every entrée.
Bundling can disguise your pricing strategy - one price for several items gives the perception of a "deal" and obscures the price of each individual piece.
Bundling can shape customer-buying practices. Microsoft is so successful because they package their software with new computers. (How many PC-based businesses don't use Microsoft Word or Microsoft Explorer?) Tide became the product of choice for many homemakers after they used the sample that came in their washing machines. (OK, so I'm dating myself.)
Bundling can simplify life for a customer. A computer package with CPU, monitor, keyboard and mouse offers a "one stop" shopping experience, and also assures that all components will be compatible. (Now if only all software packages worked that way!)
Bundling can be used to help tie customers to you and your products, increasing customer loyalty. While discounts may be offered for bundles, (as in the case of insurance companies offering a discount if homeowners and auto insurance policies are purchased together) the value to customers may lie more in the efficiency that results from using a single supplier for multiple products. We continue to see cable operators and telephone companies bundling phone, Internet, and TV with the promise that it's easier to deal with one company and one bill.
Bundling can also be used as a premium to enhance the attractiveness of your service. If you are a real estate agent, for example, offering a staging service as part of your package to prospective sellers can enhance your value.
Now it's your turn to get creative! Consider the bundling examples above and brainstorm ways to apply them to your business. Think of ways to help your customers solve problems, save time, or enhance their lives!

How Much Should You Spend on Marketing Your Home Based Business?

2009-03-11T00:24:00.001-07:00

How much to spend on marketing, the question often confuses online business owners. There's no doubt that marketing is a necessary expense and not some luxury which only large businesses afford, but businesses with limited funds should be careful when budgeting their marketing campaigns. Also, the cost incurred at marketing will add to the prices of the product, this is another reason to keep a check on your marketing expenditures.
Marketing is not all about spending:
Marketing is normally linked to some expensive crowd-pulling techniques but reality is that marketing success is not always a result of heavy spending. Good results can be achieved by smart planning, selecting your target market wisely, finding low cost mediums to reach these customers, and some effective message which is prepared while keeping in mind the targeted customer's psychology. Huge fund allocation may be helpful but it's not an alternate to these basics in any case. When choosing your online business, make sure you don't have to compete with large corporations, right in the beginning.
Avail Low cost tools as much as you can:
While large companies spend hefty amounts on pay per click campaigns and advertisements, you can depend safely on low cost (even free) mediums like blogging, e-mail marketing or submitting into free directories. These resources can take some time in generating results but patience pays in the end. Start from these inexpensive techniques to make your customer's base. Another advantage these mediums have over those advertisements and other expensive mediums is the level of interaction you can have with your customers.
Increase your marketing budget as your business grows:
A positive aspect of internet marketing is that you can start with minimum amount and decide on whether to increase or not, from the response you get. It doesn't matter which method you are going to use, whether you decide to try some PPC marketing, affiliate marketing, user generated content or hiring some marketing company; you can start from the minimum amount possible. If the results are satisfactory you can increase your spending later on.
The budget required for online business advertisement varies from business to business, depending on the competition, product or services you are offering, and of course your financial capacity. Although excessive spending can hurt the business, but trying to save more by cutting down your marketing expense drastically is not a wise move either. The trick is to maintain a balance between these two extremes.

Are You a Purple Cow?

2009-03-06T22:58:00.000-08:00

There is no such thing as a free lunch, but there is such a thing as free promotion. And believe me, in these trying economic times, free is a word that everyone should be paying attention to.
Ask Yourself This Question -- What Makes You Unique? Your mother always told you there was nobody in the world like you. She was right, you know. Author and marketer Seth Godin takes that concept one step further in his book, Purple Cow. In Purple Cow, Godin tells business owners to transform their business by being remarkable.
Simply put, if you want to stand out, be the purple cow. One great way to showcase your inner purple cow-ness is the free social media site known as Squidoo (which incidentally, is also the creation of Seth Godin). You can create a fully-featured webpage (called "lenses") which showcases your unique perspective on virtually any topic you can think of.
If you can think it, you can Squidoo it.
Cows and Squids...Are You Kidding Me? Yes, I suppose on the surface the concept may sound a bit odd. But then again, folks thought that Isaac Newton was a few fries short of a Happy Meal in his day -- and we all know how that turned out.
Squidoo is a hand-built collection of nearly 900,000 web pages built by everyday folks like you and I - on topics that range from how to grow a perfect bonsai, to how to crochet a tea cozy.
Squidoo Showcases the Remarkable Squidoo offers users the perfect (and did I mention free?) platform to showcase their remarkable talents, business, hobbies, and interests.
Here's some examples to help get you started.
Think about what aspects of your business or craft are unique. Do you make wreaths from vines that grow on your own property? Sharing the process of how you scout out the vines in the forest, pull them down, and shape them into wreaths. Include some photos, or maybe even a YouTube video of the process.
What if you operate a business that has faced a great deal of overseas competition? Capitalize on the fact that you are providing a product or service that is made in the USA, and how your company is keeping jobs here in this country. In these tough economic times, such factors are major selling points.
Perhaps you are a genealogy buff. Start a lens on your family's history. Where did they come from? If they emigrated to the US, what was their motivation? What types of obstacles did they encounter as they began to create a new life in this country?
Maybe you sell holiday ornaments, and your business takes a bit of a dive after the first of the year. Your Squidoo lens can help drive traffic to your main website by offering information on Christmas around the world, little-known customs, share stories of "the worst holiday gift," and more.
Making Money With Squidoo Squidoo offers you a very real opportunity to drive targeted traffic to your website, blog, eBay listings, or etsy shop. In addition to those direct earning opportunities, you can also integrate third-party affiliate links from programs you may already be involved in. Finally, by incorporating any of the multitude of modules offered by Squidoo, you can earn from products offered within the listings at eBay and Amazon.
A Word of Caution Not everyone on Squidoo has caught on to the importance of showcasing what makes them remarkable, which is all the better for you. While your first instinct may be to throw up a quick page and wait for the tsunami of traffic, I urge you to resist the urge. First of all, you'll wind up sorely disappointed. Second of all, you'll shoot your credibility as a lensmaster. Instead, consider browsing the site a bit, and get a feel for the type of content you see on other people's lenses. Then, check out their ranking.
I can guarantee you that there is a correlation between the lenses ranking well, and the quality of the content they showcase. Focus your efforts on building content that is useful and interesting, and you'll have yourself a winner.

Relocating to St Paul?

2009-03-06T00:31:00.001-08:00

There have been many people relocating to St. Paul, Minnesota in the last several years. There are many reasons to relocate there but for many it is work and school. You will have to know some things before moving there. For instance driving in St. Paul is a lot different than driving in Miami. So if you are from a warm climate, get ready for a drastic change. Some days in the winter in St. Paul may be -40 with 3 feet of snow! Nothing like Miami at all! Then there is parking fees, traffic jams, tailgating just to mention a few. Then it is a kinder city too. Many people will let you out of busy intersections and let pedestrians cross in crosswalks. Unlike so many other bigger cities, that you sit or stand and wait for a long time and hope for the best.
St Paul is located on the Mississippi River and you can look one way, see the capital building, turn another way, and see the beautiful skyline in the distance. You can even visit the Indian Mounds. There are so many wonderful attractions in St. Paul for you to enjoy while living there. There is historic Como Park that is known worldwide for their sea Lion Exhibit. In addition, there are many other interesting animals that will make it a full day of excitement. There are many wonderful antique stores such as Grandma's Attic. You will also find many museums, specialty shops, parks and of course many different Pubs and bars. If you are looking for music and want to see your favorite performer, you can check out the Xcel Energy Center. This arena, stadium, and field are guest to many different attractions. Onto of all that you can go and watch the Minnesota Vikings!
If you're just thinking about relocating to St. Paul and haven't done anything you can go online and check out housing, schools, jobs and a whole lot more. You can buy a house, enroll your kids in school, and get hired before even stepping foot in Minnesota it seems with the internet. But actually, you can get many things set up over the internet. You can get in contact with a realtor and have him give you some ideas of houses that are what you are looking for. Just tell him if you want to be close to subway or trains or what type of school you want and your price range. The realtor will set you right up. No matter what type of surroundings you are looking for you will surely find it in St. Paul, Minn. Living in St. Paul will be your last stop because you will love the place so much because of all the kind people and constant opportunities.
You will really love St. Paul if you are a sports fan. Besides the Minnesota Vikings you have the North stars Hockey team and the Timberwolves basketball team. Therefore, you will have many, many sports to enjoy because this is only a taste of what all you will enjoy with sports in St Paul!

Target Marketing to a Segmented Niche

2009-03-04T22:09:00.000-08:00

Okay so you have your niche. A niche is part of a money making industry that your business will operate in. You have your target market. A target market is that specific group of people that you will market it to.
It's time to figure out what that target market once, so you can sell it to them. People are individuals. You can't sell to a group, you can only sell one person or one client at a time.
Each person is different. But if you can figure out your ideal customer, you can market directly to that one person. For example if you are selling books that will help small businesses run better, you might have better success if you target your market.
As in, as opposed to marketing to a whole "small business" market, which is a big niche, you can market to just "Dental Offices" to start. You will craft your sales letter and run a campaign just to target Dentist Office Owners. You will have a highly targeted marketing and sales process design just for this one target market.
You might go as far as creating or changing your wares just for this one particular target market. For example if you were selling a book titled "How to Have A Successful Small Business", you could change the book slightly, maybe add a special chapter and call it, "How to Have a Successful Dentist Office".
If your product is more personal, maybe you have a male-baldness product. You could design different sales and marketing techniques that targets, fathers with young kids. You could try to play on fathers wanting to be more active with their kids.
Or you can target Husbands who wants to please their wife. Or young single men, who wants to date and find a wife. Etc. You can get highly targeted in your sales and marketing processes.

Mailing Lists - Keeping it Simple

2009-03-03T01:30:00.000-08:00

The right direct mailing list targets people who want your product or service.

The direct mail mailing list is a key factor in a successful direct mail marketing campaign and a major point to consider in small business marketing strategies where marketing ROI (Return On Investment) is a key concern.

What really makes your direct mail marketing and advertising campaign successful?

The biggest single factor in the success of your direct mail marketing strategy is who you send your mailings to.

A. You need a list.

This can be:

1) a list of existing customers or prospects who have inquired as a result of any of your marketing efforts or

2) a list which you purchase or in some cases obtain for free.

B. The mailing list must contain the names of people who are likely to be interested in the benefits of your products or services.

Don’t try and sell beer to the Temperance Society or real estate to people who cannot afford it. You have to target your direct mail marketing efforts.

What kinds of lists are available?

C. The three basic kinds of lists that you can use are (you can use all three):

1. Your own list of prospects and customers. This is a list that you collected with your own personal marketing efforts. This is known as a house list. These people are most likely to respond to your offers, because they have responded in the past.

2. A response list is a list of people that have actually done something. They have either purchased something from the people who put together the list or inquired in response to some offer or asked to be on the list. They have some level of interest in the topic or purpose of the list.

These people have not previously responded to you, but they have responded to someone in a related area (if you have purchased a correctly targeted list) so you know they are at least warm.

This is a direct mail mailing list you can purchase from the owner of the list (such as a magazine or company) or a list broker.

3. A compiled list is a list of people who were selected to be on the list because they possess the characteristics that you asked the list broker to screen for.

Examples of characteristics used to target correctly may include age, sex, geographic location, income level, etc. These are more fixed characteristics than response list characteristics, which are behavioral characteristics.

Case study: California based Sun Pacific Mortgage’s Forest Tardibuono found a great way to get the right direct mail mailing list for his company which has a very successful direct mail marketing strategy based on postcards and direct mail mailing lists.

“The title companies give us the mailing labels free. I’ll tell them we want all the homeowners in 95401 which is a zip we get most of our business from. So they’ll give us the mailing labels of anyone who is a homeowner from that lists. It saves money on labels and mailing lists. They’ll even limit searches to specific categories such as all homeowners from that zip who got a loan from certain companies and they’ll do the search according to that so I can really target the public so that the mailing will be more effective.”

Mailing lists, correctly targeted, can make the difference in a mediocre promotional campaign to a wildly successful promotional campaign. It really just depends on what you are willing to have – success or mediocrity. So which is it?

Using Direct Mail

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The advantages of using direct mail to promote your home-based or small business are:
Selectivity-the ability to send your advertising only to people and organizations who can use and pay for your product or service.
Flexibility-the freedom to use either the simplest or the most elaborate presentation, ranging from a single-sheet mailer to an entire package, and the flexibility to test all sorts of minor changes in your mailing pieces.
Control-unlike the random placement of a newspaper ad, your mailer stands alone, and you have room to tell the entire story with illustrations, testimonials and guarantees.
Knowledge of results-by coding every mailing, you can identify the source of each order as it arrives. To get the most out of your direct mail, be sure to pay attention to the following:
1. The outside envelope. Most direct-mail experts will tell you to place "teaser" copy on your envelope to encourage prospects to open it. Envelope copy such as "Look inside to learn how to save money at the grocery store" can be effective. But consider that if you put such copy on the outside of the envelope, you save the recipient the trouble of opening the letter.
2. The letter. There are four main ingredients in every successful direct-mail letter. The letter must attract attention, clearly explain the benefits to your potential customer, address any possible objections and call the reader to action. Long letters usually work better than short letters, especially on high-ticket items.
3. The brochure. Your brochure should be an extension of your letter. It's a place to tell your product's story with pictures and details. Some people will look at the pictures first, then decide if they should read the rest of your package.
4. A response form. Your package should have a separate response form and a reply envelope. The form should be easy to use and easy to fill out. Be sure to include your telephone number in case the prospect wants to ask a question or place an order by phone.
5. A reply envelope. Many businesses enclose postpaid envelopes for future orders. Even if you don't supply postage, the addressed reply envelope is an essential component of your direct-mail package. If a potential customer has to look for an envelope, they may put it down and have second thoughts.
Have a need to increase your profits. Make direct mail campaigns part of your marketing plan.