by Cynthia Fedor | November 29th, 2011
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 »
by Jamie Matusek | November 16th, 2011
This year at the REALTORS® Conference & Expo in Anaheim, CA, the focus was on new technology and faster, easier ways to get everyday tasks completed. There was a definite shift from the ‘old regime’ to a new generation of real estate professionals; not necessarily having anything to do with age, rather, a shift in business and marketing strategy. Not many attendees wanted to take printed collateral from booths that they visited. Instead, many asked for an overview of information. They could also be seen snapping photos with their smart phones of booths and information that intrigued them.
QuantumDigital’s mission this year was also focused on delivering time-saving technologies to busy real estate professionals. TriggerMarketing® was featured at QuantumDigital’s booth. It’s an instant just listed/sold program that uses the best of traditional mail, mobile response technologies, the web and social media to deliver warm, local leads directly to the agents inbox. Agents, brokers and top decision makers alike all commented that the program was a “no brainer” and could save them valuable time. The goal, many said, is to get more listings in this competitive market and they could see how TriggerMarketing could help them quickly build awareness in their communities.
The TriggerMarketing program integrates with property listing databases. Within seconds of adding a new listing or changing the status of an existing listing in a database, the program sends the listing agent an email asking if they would like to launch a campaign. Postcards are immediately designed using key information about the listed or sold property, along with photos and trackable technologies. When a recipient responds to the direct mail postcard by scanning a QR code, texting a short code, or typing a unique code on a landing page, the agent receives a real-time warm-lead alert which allows them to immediately follow up. Read More »
by Cynthia Fedor | November 14th, 2011
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 »
by Cynthia Fedor | October 28th, 2011
It’s time to break out the calligraphy pens, mailing labels, and stamps! Greeting card season is just around the corner—offering the perfect opportunity to strengthen business relationships, help win back past clients, or show appreciation to existing clients for their continued business.
A well–planned greeting card campaign can make a deep and lasting impression on audiences. However, campaigns that lack attention to detail or that are not 100 percent sincere can turn prospects and customers off in a big way.
Here are five key elements of great business greeting cards:
Personalization: Most people see greeting cards as an intimate and personal way to engage with family, friends, and colleagues. The medium alone suggests a personal exchange; so keep it that way. Start by addressing the recipient by name rather than using a generic greeting. Reference the nature of your relationship in the greeting card message (is the recipient a trusted partner, a long–time customer, new prospect, etc). And if you’re thinking about including a promotional offer or call to action, make sure it’s highly relevant for the recipient.
Image Selection & Card Design: Your greeting card is an extension of your brand, so although there is flexibility to try something new in terms of design, it should reflect the overall look and feel of your brand. And if you’re sending greeting cards during the winter season, take a few extra moments to think about the images you’ll use (should you go with an image depicting snow–covered mountain tops, Santa Clause, a Star of David, or a nativity scene, etc)? Consider this:
From a 2010 article, “Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays? Americans Divided on That, Too.” posted on Politics Daily: Read More »
by Cynthia Fedor | October 26th, 2011
In an effort to stimulate direct mail marketing activities and generate revenue from postage on direct mail postcard campaigns, the USPS has been rolling out various programs targeted at small business owners and DIY marketers. An article in the October 2011 issue of Deliver magazine features their latest service offering called Every Door Direct Mail. It’s described as a “simplified mailing process” or an easy way for businesses to target prospects in specific geographic areas, even if they don’t have a list of names and addresses at their disposal.
To a small business owner strapped for time and unfamiliar with direct mail marketing execution, this program sounds like a dream. Unfortunately, the given summary of the program is grossly oversimplified and fails to mention huge flaws.
For starters, small business owners and marketers willing to try the Every Door Direct Mail program will need to make sure their running shoes are tied on securely—because they’ll have to make several trips to their local Post Office. Rather than the four–step process advertised by the program’s description, marketers will have to do a lot to get mail out the door and into local mailboxes.
Read More »
