Posted by Cynthia Fedor on
March 7th, 2012 |
Leave a Comment
If you haven’t already, you need to start thinking about how consumers may interact with your business via mobile devices. According to comScore’s latest report, “2012 Mobile Future in Focus,” smartphone ownership nearly doubled in 2011 alone (more than 100 million Americans now have a smartphone) and a growing number of consumers are using them to perform activities such as search, email, social networking, and shopping.
Here are a few highlights from the report and why these mobile trends should matter to you.
Nearly 50% of U.S. and Canadian mobile subscribers used mobile browsers. That means they’re potentially visiting your website while on their smartphone, tablet, or other mobile device with access to the web. If your website is not optimized to look good or be functional on these devices, you could be providing an unsatisfactory user experience or even losing customers.
Tips on getting your site ready for mobile devices: choose blog/website templates that utilize responsive design or that are mobile-friendly; choose an ecommerce solution that offers a mobile version of your store site in parallel with the ‘regular’ version; or use tools like Mobify to create a mobile version of your existing site. Read More »
Posted by Cynthia Fedor on
February 21st, 2012 |
1 Response
For small business owners that are investigating new ways to optimize and track local marketing initiatives, QR codes can be intimidating. QR codes are high-tech looking. They’re kind of ugly. And, worst of all, they force marketers to examine how traditional media, like direct mail and print, can work with digital media and digital platforms in a seamless way. A lot of small business owners I know are very savvy and open to learning about new technologies. Even so, many are not sure how to actually generate a QR code, when and where to use one, and how to tell if consumers are even scanning them.
This post is dedicated to the do-it-yourself small business owners out there. For you, I’ve outlined a quick and dirty way to generate QR codes and track responses. Read More »
Posted by Cynthia Fedor on
February 3rd, 2012 |
1 Response
Say the word “flyers” and most people immediately imagine colorful pieces of flimsy paper, tucked under a car’s windshield wiper, casually flapping in the wind. Others may picture street team members handing out flyers to folks passing by. Sure, these are typical uses for flyers; but this media type has so much more potential.
Check out these simple flyer printing ideas for business… and feel free to leave your own suggestions in the comments. Read More »
Posted by Cynthia Fedor on
January 31st, 2012 |
Leave a Comment
Every now and again, we like to share examples of the marketing campaigns we’ve developed to achieve our business goals. By doing so, we hope to shed light on ways you can optimize your own campaigns and integrate digital technologies with traditional channels to get revenue-generating results. Below is a case study of one of our recent campaigns, the Agency Envision Campaign. Feedback and questions are welcome. Enjoy!
OBJECTIVES:
The purpose of the campaign is to nurture existing agency leads while showcasing how new digital technologies could help them streamline, track, and grow their clients’ direct mail activities. Additionally, QuantumDigital needed to break any existing assumptions that positioned their company as simply a direct mail fulfillment and print facility. The target audience was comprised of key decision makers within the advertising/marketing industry who develop direct mail campaigns for enterprise-level clients. Read More »
Posted by Cynthia Fedor on
January 26th, 2012 |
Leave a Comment
Today I came across an informative yet short and sweet article titled, “How Running a Small Business Has Changed,” on AMEX’s Open Forum site. It featured an interview with Jay Goltz, a 33-year veteran small-business owner and New York Times columnist. When asked, “Why is small business different now than ever before?” he answered, referencing today’s challenging economic climate:
“The interesting part about this one is you’ve got a recession and at the very same time you’ve got technological advancements that have changed the business environment. It used to be if the economy went bad, you suffered through it, cut some expenses, and, a year later, things went back to business as usual. Now… the fact is, you need to continue to spend money to stay up with the new technologies in the changing marketplace.”
For SMB’s to stay competitive, or even simply remain in business today, they need to utilize available technologies to streamline processes, uncover new efficiencies, and better connect with consumers whenever and wherever they can.
Read More »
Posted by Cynthia Fedor on
January 10th, 2012 |
Leave a Comment
Direct mail isn’t what it used to be—boring and impersonal. Thanks to digital printing capabilities, new marketing technologies like QR codes, and an integrated multi-channel approach, direct mail today can be interactive and meaningful. As a result, marketers are recognizing this medium as a critical part of lead-generation campaigns.
Here are three ways savvy marketers are using direct mail to build, qualify and nurture leads while saving time and money.
Spreading the Word Offline to Get People Online
Businesses are quickly starting to realize that social media marketing is not a passing trend but a valuable way to find prospects and nurture leads. Participating in conversations with consumers online is now a necessity for influencing the public’s perception of brand and their purchasing behavior.
With this in mind, how do marketers capture the attention of new prospects that aren’t already online and get them to join the conversation? They use targeted direct mail to drive new leads to websites and social networking profiles. Read More »
Posted by Cynthia Fedor on
December 9th, 2011 |
Leave a Comment
Any communication from a business, including emails, is an extension of brand. The tone set by email design represents part of the brand’s story. It conveys a great deal about an email’s sender and the email’s purpose before any content is read by the recipient. Additionally, design affects how email platforms filter, categorize and display messages. Therefore, understanding design in these terms will help marketers improve deliverability and ROI.
Here are some best practices to follow for effective email design.
Understanding the objective of an email
Understanding the main purpose and goal of an email communication is critical to developing effective email design. The design strategy will change based upon the objective and intended goal. For example, newsletters should have a different design and layout than a sales email or brand-building email. This is because recipients look for visual cues to guide them through the email’s content and to determine how it should be read. Read More »
Posted by Cynthia Fedor on
December 9th, 2011 |
Leave a Comment
During the holiday season, as many turn their focus toward spending time with family and friends, a lot of professionals tend to check out and let their marketing efforts wane. Sure, everybody deserves a much needed break from all the hard work they’ve been doing throughout the year; but successful marketers know that this is the perfect opportunity to get a jump start on business for 2012. They take advantage of the fact that many choose to hibernate rather than stay visible and available in the month of December.
Here are some ideas that can help you maintain productivity and stay visible in your local market during the holiday season. Read More »
Posted by Cynthia Fedor on
November 29th, 2011 |
2 Responses
Business cards are useful for sharing contact information; however, days of the rolodex are gone. Customers may not keep business cards around for long or consolidate them in a spot that makes it easy to access the information printed on them when needed. This doesn’t mean that they’re going away anytime soon. For several reasons, printed business cards are here to stay.
By getting creative with substrate and by including different information, you can keep business cards within your customers’ reach and your business in front of their eyes. Printing business cards on magnetic paper is one classic option.
Here are 4 fresh ways to use magnetic business cards:
Strengthen customer loyalty and encourage repeat business
Include a coupon code on your magnetic business card that loyal customers can use throughout the year. Easy access to even a small discount on goods and services can motivate repeat and just-in-time purchases. This tactic is ideal for take-out/food delivery franchises, salons or hair care providers, carpet cleaning services and other service-based businesses.
Read More »
Posted by Cynthia Fedor on
November 14th, 2011 |
Leave a Comment
I’m sure you’ve heard these two statements before: 1) It takes more time, effort, and money to acquire a new customer than to keep an existing one. 2) Eighty percent of your business comes from twenty percent of your customers (the Pareto principle or 80–20 rule).
These are common principles to hear in business marketing. They suggest that if a marketer simply focuses on improving customer retention and loyalty, they can maintain revenue or even increase revenue over time. As Fred Reichheld states in his book, The Loyalty Effect, “a five percent improvement in customer retention rates will yield between a 25 to 100% increase in profits across a wide range of industries.” Keeping this in mind, why do many small businesses seem to ignore easy opportunities to ask for repeat business from existing customers?
I’m asking because just recently I realized that it had been over three years since my last eye exam, just under a year since my last hair cut, and a really long time since I had someone clean out my home’s air ducts. Receiving an email communication or direct mail postcard from my providers could not only act as a reminder for me to schedule an appointment but would also let me know that they’re thinking of me; that they want my repeat business. Read More »
Loading ...