Is Your Marketing Doing Its Job?

by Michele Shubert | February 22nd, 2012

When we send out marketing, we have a specific goal in mind. We want customers to stay customers and non-customers to convert. We want recipients to recognize our brand.

Sometime before the holidays, I received two boxes in the mail. One was from a vendor whose goal was to form a business relationship, the other from a company with which we are already doing business. Both types of communications are equally important—nurturing prospects to turn them into customers, and keeping current customers as loyal customers.

Here’s something to consider when designing your marketing mailings: Put yourself in the place of your recipients. If you received your own package or mailer, how do you think you would react to it? Read More »

3 Ways to Use Direct Mail Postcards for Building Leads

by Cynthia Fedor | January 10th, 2012

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

Social Media PostcardBusinesses 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 »

Dissection of an Email Done Wrong

by Michele Shubert | December 15th, 2011

The world of email marketing is one of constant change. As spammers find ways to circumvent spam filters, the filters become smarter and more sophisticated. And email marketers who want their messages to make it to recipients’ inboxes have to stay up-to-date and make constant adjustments to their email marketing program.

There’s an email in my inbox from a company name I recognize. It’s from a large company, a national brand, one I have not given permission to email me. Studying marketing messages we receive from other companies and analyzing our personal reactions to them can help us learn and improve our own email marketing practices.

Let’s take a look at the email.

Here’s the subject line: “Connect 2012 – 5 Reasons to Connect.” Not super enticing, but there’s a smidgeon of interest. It’s from a Fortune 500 company, so I’m inclined to open it. But since I never signed up to receive emails from this sender, there’s hesitation. It’s probably spam. Spammers are smart like that.

Tip: Even though your recipients know who you are, if you send to them without their permission, they may think you’re a spammer. Read More »