Part 1
I ran across an excellent article written by Debra Jason, in the January issue of “Inside Direct Mail.” The title drew my attention immediately as all marketing professionals are struggling with this topic whether you are an individual business owner or a multi-million dollar enterprise. The fact is, our market has changed and is forcing us to stop “resting on our laurels” and look for more creative measures in keeping our name out in the marketplace.
We have been cautioning our own customers to not reduce their market presence, because if they do, a competitor moves in and becomes top-of-mind. “Marketing in Turbulent Times,” gives excellent tips on how to stay connected and be more creative in your marketing efforts when budgets get tight. I’ve added commentary to a few key points that are listed in the article.
Pick up the phone. I agree. Take a moment to reach out to past satisfied customers, prospective new clients and if you attend trade shows CALL those that stopped by with an offer to get started with your service today. Call your local customers and meet them for coffee, schedule an office visit with executives at top companies – make your presence known. If you don’t, I guarantee your competitors will.
Contact the press about an accomplishment, a new product, service or technology that is making an impact in your space. Make sure your article isn’t a sales pitch. The more educational the piece the better. The press also loves to share successful case studies of your clients.
Offer to speak in public. Find a topic that you can be viewed as an expert on and volunteer to speak at your local Chamber meetings, upcoming trade shows or host your own speaking engagement. Here is an example: If you are a real estate agent you may want to host a seminar on how to prepare your home for sale. Offer a meal to everyone attending and a door prize for anyone that brings a friend. Maybe invite a satisfied customer to speak on how their home buyer/selling experience went.
Here is a tip of my own, drive potential new prospects to your web site and offer an area where they can opt-in to receive promotions, educational whitepapers, news and tips via an enewsletter. Then USE this valuable information to keep your brand in front of them. Hey, they visited you they are interested.
And another, talk to your customers! If someone is already doing business with you, take the time to nurture that relationship by offering educational podcasts, webinars, emails, whitepapers and promotions that will be relevant to their needs.
Last one for today, take advantage of the popular social networking sites. LinkedIn and Facebook are two excellent sources to join. Send LinkedIn invitations to everyone in your “sphere of influence.” Your contacts can also provide letters of referral that are posted right to your personal page to be viewed by all visitors.
Part 2
Direct Mail: The Powerful and Profitable Marketing Tool
So based on my introduction above, you may be asking, “Well, this is great Jamie, but what tools can I use to keep in front of my audience without breaking the bank?” It just so happens that we did the research for you and filled our whitepaper titled, “Understanding Direct Mail Impact and ROI,” with market statistics. For example, did you know that nearly 50% of marketers will increase spending on direct mail and email in 2009? Or that, highly personalized color direct mail can offer a 6.5% response rate?
Other topics include:
• Why Direct Mail? Why Now?
• Direct Mail Design and Best Practices
• Direct Mail and New Technology
• Using Integrated Marketing to Boost Results
• Quick Tips: Companion Marketing in Action
Visit our whitepapers page and download, “Understanding Direct Mail Impact and ROI” today.
If you feel like sharing the love, comment on how you are continuing to market your company on a tight budget.
Until next week,
Jamie
