IN THIS ISSUE

• DM is alive and well
• Don't Worry About Budget
• Boost Response
• Good Data Help
• Press Box
• Our Favorite Charities
• How Are We Doing?
• Hold That Thought

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HOLD THAT THOUGHT...

When insults had class...

He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire.

Winston Churchill

I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure.

Clarence Darrow

Selected by Long Island Business News readers as..

Reports of Direct Mail’s Death are Greatly Exaggerated!

Paraphrasing Mark Twain is a good way to describe the health of the direct mail industry. It’s “alive and well”…maybe not as vigorous as it could be…but definitely not in critical condition.

In every aspect of life…and business..change is the only constant. Today, the buzz is about Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and whatever is coming online in the next five minutes. Not long ago, the Sony Walkman was hi-tech. And, given the popularity of reality TV, how can we say that medium is dying? It has certainly evolved into something very different from the days of Lucy and Desi.

Direct mail is also evolving. For example:

• The DM industry has taken notice of the “greening” of America and taken action to meet new standards and correct misconceptions. Take a look at www.mailmovesamerica.org.

• The old “shotgun” approach to direct mail marketing has been replaced by a sniper’s mentality. Today, we’re using very targeted lists, with “segmentation” and “personalization” the real catchwords of savvy marketers.

While direct mail is certainly changing how it meets its goals, what isn’t shifting is its significant role in supporting marketing efforts. Direct mail is not dead, it’s just morphing into its next generation.

For more marketing tips, click here

Don’t Have a Big Marketing Budget? Don’t Worry.

There are many strategies you can use to stay competitive even if your marketing budget has shriveled with the recession.

Here are some tips:

• Offer clients and prospects something useful. It can simply be the latest product or industry information or tips on how they can save money with your product/service.

• Make better use of your company’s experts to spread the word. Have them speak at industry events, participate in media interviews or roundtables, or even write a short white paper that you can mail to clients and prospects.

• Publicize customer success stories. Mail postcards that feature how different customers use your product/service to solve their business problems; post them on your website.

• Get on the horn. Reaching out to loyal customers, as well as new prospects, with a personal telephone call will certainly help keep your enterprise in front of the pack.
  

 

For More Marketing Tips, Click Here

4 Ways to Boost Response

Over the past 50 years, direct mail has included everything from simple letters to talking picture frames. But, a successful mailing can cost a lot less and be just as effective as that talking picture frame, which, by this time, is most likely buried under old hockey knee pads in someone’s basement. Here’s how:

Most people are intrigued by a good offer. It can be a discount, a free gift or a rebate. In any case, make sure you highlight it in your letter. Try putting it in a box above the salutation.

Emphasize your product’s benefits, not its features. Tell your recipients how their lives will improve when they use your product. So what if your lawnmower has a 10-horsepower engine. That’s only a feature. What’s really important is that it can make life easier by cutting 40 feet in 20 minutes.

Personalize your letters and include a P.S. Send letters with information that is meaningful to specific customers, and don’t forget to repeat your offer in the P.S., which is often read before the body of the letter.

Change the size or format of your mailer. If you generally send a letter in a #10 envelope, try mailing a 6” x 9” postcard. It will catch people’s attention, and could boost your ROI.

 

Good Data Can Help
Grow Business

The rules have changed. With the availability of inexpensive database programs, database marketing and effective contact management are no longer a luxury of only large companies and organizations. Any business can keep track of — and grow — its customer base by following some basic rules:

• Look at how recently a customer bought your product/service to help you decide when to send them follow-up promotional material. For example, a customer who attended a Spring clothing sale may be up for coming back to the Fall event. But a new car buyer won’t be ready to replace the new purchase in six months. Keep track and send information relevant to your industry and customers’ buying habits.

• Check buying frequency. If a customer buys five times a year, look for ways to attract that customer to come in more often. So, find out what they buy, and offer them a discount the next time they visit.

• Assess your customers’ spending levels and try to build on them by making more enticing offers.

• Analyze your data, look for patterns, and create promotions, offers and services based on your findings. If Mrs. Smith buys only during the holidays, mail her a special – personalized - offer during the “off season.” If Mr. Jones buys only shirts, offer him a free tie with his next shirt.

 

For more effective marketing tips click here

Greg Demetriou at Linkedin.com

directmaildoneright.blogspot.com