Planning Your Postcard Marketing Campaign
October 15, 2008
Before you create your postcard, do a little planning. Ask yourself:1. Why are you doing this card mailing? Do you want to get new clients? Or do you want to stay in touch with existing clients?2. To whom are you going to be mailing these cards? Which begs another question: who’s on your mailing list? Now, you may be saying, “Martha, how can you ask such a thing? I don’t even have a mailing list!”Okay, you don’t have a proper list quite yet, but do you know anyone? I mean, do you have any friends, family, colleagues, former classmates, former coworkers, military buddies, or neighbors? I’ll bet you do.Now, all you need to do is get their names, addresses and other pertinent info into a database program like Act!, Capstralia Contact Expert, Microsoft Excel, Goldmine or Microsoft Outlook. There. Now you have yourself a mailing list.And, furthermore, you have the best kind of mailing list there is, because it’s made up of people you know. They’re going to be much more interested in what you have to offer than a list that’s made up of a bunch of strangers.Your list of people who know you may well do a lot of business with you. Or your list folks may send you business. Mine sure do!
Top Five Tips For Designing Marketing Strategies That Get Results
October 11, 2008
"But this won’t work" said Steve. "I’ve tried it in the past and had no response." Does this sound familiar? My newer clients often resist implementing certain strategies based on past experiences. However, I usually find out that it wasn’t the strategy itself ? but how it was implemented that caused the dismal results.
So whether you are designing a simple flier or developing a plan for a strategic partnership you can increase your chances for success by following these five tips.
1. Develop Your Marketing For Your Potential Clients ? Not Yourself.
What looks good to you may not necessarily be appealing to your audience. It’s OK to ask your friends and associates for feedback ? but their comments are only relevant if they are members of your target market. Also ? just because everyone else advertises in a certain way is not a proof that it works.
2. Provide Answers To These Three Critical Marketing Questions:
QUESTION 1: What’s this about? Check that your materials immediately and clearly communicate what you offer, who it’s for and what’s the next step you are asking them to take.
Top Four Marketing Secrets of Building a Professional Practice
October 7, 2008
Building a coaching or consulting practice can be rewarding and lucrative. Sadly, many who get started on this path simply can’t make it. Almost daily I talk to people who give up on their dream of "solopreneurship" and, resentfully, join the ranks of job seekers.
What disturbs me the most is that many of them are talented and skilled professionals; real experts in their field. With just a bit of marketing know-how they may have been able to generate healthy six-figure incomes doing the work they love.
Instead, they spend tons of money getting more certifications. They are becoming "master technicians" mistakenly thinking that alone will get them clients. But that’s not how it works at all!
Let’s take the coaching profession for example. You see, prospective clients don’t even know the difference between ICF, CTI, Hudson, Adler, CoachVille or any other certification. They have no clue what CPC, MCC or other letters you might be putting behind your last name mean ? nor do they care! What they care about is results ? what benefits they’ll receive.
Why Direct Mail Advertising Works And How To Lower Your Costs
October 6, 2008
I met a lady who said she received a notice in the mail from a company offering plaques of various animals. She knew her daughter would love them as a gift and ordered them. This lady said, “I don’t know how they got my name but I sure am pleased to have found out about those beautiful plaques, my daughter just loves them.”
THAT is direct mail advertising at work.
If you have a product or service that needs exposure you can mail 1,000 or more sales messages at reduced postage rates. That’s a savings of at least 14 cents on lettersize and 51 cents on oversize for each piece by using Canada Post’s Addressed Admail? postal option. Postage could be even lower but that depends on your list.
Mailing in quantities of 1,000 or more can present you with challenges you never thought about. That is why Sasha Peters has written a simple, easy to use guide book that explains all the intricacies of using addressed admail?. Your list, the various postal options and how to work with a mailing service all work together to make your mailings go smoothly.
The Magic of Keep-in-Touch Marketing
October 1, 2008
Yesterday I received a phone call from an acquaintance that I’ve met once or twice but haven’t seen in over a year. She wanted to let me know that she was referring me to a client of hers who needed help with his Web site copy. Although I hadn’t thought about her in months, she mentioned that she’d received a postcard from me for the past two quarters - and that’s why she instantly thought of my services when her client voiced his need. Although it wasn’t really magic, it sure felt like it. That’s the magic of keep-in-touch marketing - people remember you and feel like they know you, and eventually, they often give you business or refer others to you.
Want to develop some "keep-in-touch magic" of your own? It’s easy. You’ve probably got a number of names in your contact database, but when was the last time they heard from you? If you’re like many business owners or marketers, you spend more time looking for new business than keeping in touch with your current and former clients. But nurturing the relationships you already have is crucial to growing a successful business. And finding a way to keep in touch with those contacts on a regular basis is integral for keeping yourself and your business on their minds.
Refresh Your Web Site
September 28, 2008
So you have a Web site. And so does most every business these days. But what you really need is a way to set your business apart from the competition, an online presence that will keep clients and prospects coming back again and again.
As usual, outstanding content may be your solution. While clear, well-written content is vital (see my June 2004 newsletter for tips about this), fresh, well-written content may be even more important for bringing new and repeat visitors to your site. Fresh, or regularly updated content, can help you and your business in several ways:
1. Higher rankings. Frequent updates can help your site rank higher in search engines, making it easier for Web surfers to find you. 2. Regular visitors. Often-refreshed content can keep your site interesting, giving visitors a reason to check back frequently for new information. 3. Updated appearance. Adding new content on a regular basis makes your site appear current. When a Web site’s most recent update is from August 2002, visitors may question whether the company is dependable or even still in business. 4. Enhanced reputation. Regularly freshened content can help establish your company as an expert resource for your target audience. By providing frequent updates and useful information, focused on your target market, you’ll keep them coming back for more of your expertise and eventually, to buy your products and services.
Write Better Web Content
September 24, 2008
If you’re reading this article, chances are that you, like most professionals these days, understand the value of the Internet. It may be where you go to buy movie or concert tickets, browse restaurant menus, or plan your vacations. Most likely, you also turn to the Web to research business strategies, vendors and other companies.
But what about those surfers who are researching your company? When they visit your Web site, will they find what they’re looking for? Does your site provide the information they need in an interesting format that will keep them there long enough to convince them to do business with you?
While an attractive, professional-looking site is an important start, content is king. (What else would you expect from a copywriter?) But seriously, your site will never be truly effective without well-written content that answers visitors’ questions and creates enough interest to keep them coming back.
So how do you create effective content for the Web? It may be easier than you think. With all the bad writing out there on the Internet, even minimal effort can help set yours apart. Here’s a start: Good Web content can always be described by these four adjectives.
Practical Advice to Generate Successful Campaigns Using Merged Lists
September 22, 2008
You could end up with poor results when designing a direct mail campaign that combines your inhouse list with one or more rented lists. Merging lists generates a set of conditions that you may not have thought about at the conception stage. It is better to face the challenges before finalizing your design and strategy to avoid last minute alterations that so often occur. Once you determine your strategy, we strongly suggest you rent your lists early and work closely with the personnel handling your data processing.
Preview the lists before agreeing to rent.
Before renting lists, ask to see a sample of the output, not the field layouts, but actual samples of data. Watch for the following:
? Field names. A field called "Title" does not contain the same information as "Position". Ensure the list contains the right level for contact.
? Field content. Confirm you will capture all the information you need. The copy you create has to blend with the data for the target audience and personalization
Pre-Cleaning and Updating Addresses in Your Database
September 19, 2008
When you send a direct mail piece using the Addressed Admail reduced postage option, it can cost you anywhere from 60 cents to $1.25 or more for printing, mail production and postage. Items that cannot be delivered will be "recycled" by Canada Post resulting in your money going down the drain. Not only that, without updating your database you will continue to spend money on undeliverable advertising.
It makes $ense for you to spend time analyzing your database to check delivery information before sending it out for data processing and to update your list regularly.
How to Pre-Clean Addresses
No matter how large your list is please take some time to do the following:
How Your List Affects Postage Costs
September 16, 2008
HOW YOUR LIST AFFECTS POSTAGE COSTS AND WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT!
The quality and accuracy of address information in mailing lists is one of the areas least understood and largely overlooked by most businesses using direct mail. To get an advertising message delivered the address must be correct! Many firms that use direct mail neglect this vital aspect. Is there a "printing" mentality of creating "one" and reproducing it "thousands" of times? The "one to one" aspect of valuing each individual’s information must be applied to every single record in a list.
Quality data entry and following input guidelines consistently generates accurate street, city, province and postal code information. Consistent data entry also improves the ability to match records and eliminate duplicates. Every duplicate mailed results in a poor company image and costs double in printing, mail processing and postage to reach the same person twice. Direct marketers need to be concerned about how many duplicates are in the list, determine how much it is costing and ask what can be done about it!
