Add marketing mantras to your daily business routine.
Every business has a set of strategies that they follow in order to be successful. There are standards in place in order to be sure that you meet all of your quotas, goals, standards, expectations, etc.
Do you apply these same strategies to your marketing efforts? If not, you definitely should.
Marketing is a key part of your business’s success. You need to market your business in order to create brand awareness, cross-sell/upsell, retain customers, reactivate dormant customers, generate new leads, and measure business performance. It is important that you address your marketing needs when addressing your business objectives. To help you get started I have provided a few of my own personal marketing mantras:
- I will create and update a calendar to specifically manage my marketing objectives.
- I will be in constant (meaningful) contact with my customers (more on this subject can be found here).
- I will utilize integrated marketing systems to market my business (more on this subject can be found here).
- I will update my website regularly with fresh content.
- I will use opt-ins and subscriptions to build my list online.
- I will have a gratitude strategy in place for customers who purchase.
- I will actively seek out new sales leads.
- I will keep my mailing list up to date and reach out to them regularly.
- I will participate in at least one networking event each month.
- I will analyze my marketing performance and measure my response rates (more on this subject can be found here).
- I will follow up on sales leads.
- I will utilize social media marketing.
- I will post to social media sites at least once a day with meaningful content.
- I will utilize free local search engine marketing.
- I will ask for customer testimonials.
- I will ask for referrals or run a referral campaign.
- I will utilize incentives to increase participation from my audience on offers that I make (more on this subject can be found here).
- I will respond to all interactions from my audience (social media, voice mails, emails, etc).
- I will be open minded to new marketing techniques.
Many of these mantras are very involved processes requiring different mediums, applications, and strategies. All of these mantras can be satisfied with aggressive marketing via print, internet, and social media-and all of them can be integrated to create a super marketing force to help you grow your business.
These are a few of my personal favorites that I try to abide by regularly, but you don’t need to limit yourself to these. Any action that you take to create brand awareness, cross-sell/upsell, retain customers, reactivate dormant customers, generate new leads, or measure business performance is considered marketing your business. If you are already fulfilling some of these mantras then bravo! If you are not, I would consider trying a new marketing avenue that you haven’t explored before.
What are your marketing mantras? Do you have any that I haven’t listed above? Please share.
Amanda Moore
If you are unfamiliar with QR Codes visit our blog entry that discusses QR Codes in detail.
One of the biggest frustrations regarding QR Code usage right now is to find the best app to download for your mobile device. Choosing the best app depends on the Smartphone that you use. Some apps work better than others on different phones and many apps will not work at all on a phone that it doesn’t support.
This hiccup in the QR Code technology makes it difficult to suggest apps without having a discussion about phone models and app specifications. It has also been challenging for marketers who are using this new technology to market QR Codes without including an explanation in the text. Some marketers have opted to suggest the most popular QR Code app called i-nigma. Though I concede that an app suggestion is helpful, I insist that marketers refrain from suggesting just one app because it can limit response rates.
For example, if you suggest i-nigma to your audience and a receiver has a Blackberry the app will not work and the receiver may lose interest and dismiss the interactive technology.
I am really excited to share a great new resource for locating QR Code apps. We here at PIP Printing and Marketing Services in Tampa have compiled a few of the best QR Code apps and cataloged them at www.BestQRCodeApp.com. The website also features a free QR Code generator, detailed information about QR Codes, and creative QR Code samples.
Find the best QR Code reader app for your phone.
Visit the site and find the best app for you-it’s really that easy! We also are encouraging visitors to make suggestions about great QR Code apps that they have discovered. If you have an app that you think would be a good addition to the site let us know!
Amanda Moore
Like most people, I typically dismiss email advertisements in a matter of seconds. If the subject line doesn’t grab my attention in the first few words, or if I am unfamiliar with the sender, the advertisement immediately goes to the trash. This week, however, I received an email advertisement that caught my attention for all the wrong reasons. This email had an odd subject line which read: “Great deals on personalized Christmas ornaments.”
You can imagine my surprise at seeing this subject line in the middle of January. Common sense seems to dictate that you shouldn’t be marketing a holiday product after the holiday has passed, yet this happens more often than you might expect. I immediately discarded the email without reading the offer, incentive, or product details. The company may have had an amazing product or offer, but it fell on deaf ears since it was the beginning of the New Year and I had no current or foreseeable need for the product.
Market in a Timely Manner
One of the most important aspects to keep in mind about your marketing materials is the timing of your message or offer. You want your marketing piece to reach your target audience at a time when your product or service is relevant, and when they might be in the market to buy.
A few things to consider when contemplating the timeliness of your marketing:
- Does your marketing piece or offer correspond with a holiday? Whether it is a specific date or a holiday season, be sure that you marketing piece arrives before the holiday.
- Does your offer include and expiration date? If so, be sure that your message is received in advance so that the offer is still good and the prospect has an opportunity to take advantage.
- Is your product or service seasonal? Be sure to market your company during peak buying times. For example, it would do you no good to advertise tax preparation in May.
- When are you most likely to reach your target audience? When marketing with T.V., Radio, Internet, or email, identify when your potential customers are tuning in and reach out to them then. There is no use in advertising a cereal for children during late night CNN.
- Are your marketing messages automated? Automated marketing via the internet, email, or social media is a real time saver, but be sure that your automation is timed correctly.
Think ahead when planning your marketing strategy. If your marketing piece is time sensitive you need to start preparing in advance. I advise many of my clients to flip ahead in their calendars to identify future marketing opportunities like a Christmas card mailing or a big summer blowout sale over Labor Day weekend. Then, mark your calendar at least a month ahead of the event (for a printed marketing piece) which will give you ample time to brainstorm, create, produce, and distribute your marketing materials. Keep in mind that if you intend to create a multimedia marketing campaign, distribute large quantities, or allow time for follow up, you may need to begin preparations more than a month in advance.
A mistake concerning the timeliness of your marketing may seem insignificant but it can affect your company’s credibility. It will be obvious that you did not prepare in advance. It may also appear that you have little concern for your product or customer if you didn’t care enough to give them adequate time to digest and react to your marketing piece. Some companies intentionally distribute coupons or offers that leave receivers with little time to take advantage of an offer-this just frustrates the receiver and hurts the company’s credibility.
I cant stress it enough when I say check the relevance, check the relevance, recheck the relevance of your marketing pieces! When in doubt, think about it from the receiver’s perspective. Would this be timely relevant to you if you received it? If not, shelf the idea and use it when the time is right.
Amanda Moore
The Latest Mobile Marketing Application
Today, your customers and prospects are becoming more mobile and depending on their smart phone devices more and more as sources of information. Utilizing a QR Code in your marketing materials will give you an opportunity to reach out to your mobile customers and prospects in a new and efficient way!
What is a QR Code?
A QR Codes is a two dimensional bar code that can be printed on any marketing materials to link printed materials to mobile and Internet marketing efforts. QR Codes can be easily programmed to communicate several types of information. After the receiver scans the QR Code with their smart phone, the bar code will automatically prompt the user‘s phone to launch a website, play a video, automatically enter contact information into contact list, send an email, send a text message, or make a phone call. QR Codes are completely customizable and the possibilities are truly endless. Most importantly, they are trackable and we are able to see how many individuals scanned a specific QR Code and when. This trackability makes QR Codes a valuable (and affordable) response tracking mechanism for all marketing materials.
How does it work?
- Use a smart phone with Internet access.
- Download a free bar code reader app (see bottom of article for app suggestions).
- Scan or take a picture of the QR Code with the reader app.
- Phone will automatically launch the code’s message or feature.
How to use a QR Code
What can QR Codes do for you?
QR Codes are basically an image, just like any other graphic, and can be placed on any and all marketing materials such as: business cards, fliers, brochures, promotional items, t-shirts, car wraps, signs, posters, direct mail, print ads, and more! They can be used alone to drive traffic to a website or along with a personalized URL or coupon offer to increase response rates. They allow you to:
- Increase response rates (almost anyone who knows about this technology finds it difficult to resist scanning the bar codes).
- Measure the effectiveness of your campaign; different QR Codes can be generated for each individual project and tracked.
- Integrate print, mobile, and Internet marketing with three “touch points” in one printed item.
- Plus, you will be on the cutting edge of a marketing strategy that is still relatively new in the United States.
More Information:
For more information use your smart phone to scan the QR Code at the top of the page (if you need to download an app see the suggestions at the end of this article). If you do not have a smart phone but are still interested in learning more, just click on the QR Code at the top of the page.
Go ahead, give it a try!
QR Code Reader Suggestions
(all apps are free and linked to the image, just click the logo)
Your marketing efforts can make it rain money...
I spoke with a young lady today who spends a considerable amount of money on marketing every month. When I asked her why she invests so much in her marketing efforts her response was: “you have to market in order to grow your business.”
Great answer! I then asked her what her response rates were on those marketing efforts-but she didn’t know. I asked her what the conversion rates were from prospects into customers -again she didn’t know. Finally, I asked about her return on investment (ROI)-she had no clue!
Does this sound familiar? Many businesses spend their limited marketing budgets on campaigns while having no idea if their efforts are paying off.
“Marketing without efforts to determine what is working is no different than throwing a bunch of pasta at the wall and seeing what sticks. Defining your returns and ratios are critical in your success,” says Joe Malinowski, of Business Networking Life.
To dissect the ROI of your latest marketing campaign ask yourself the following questions:
- What campaigns or initiatives generated the most leads over the past two years?
- What is your conversion rate for leads to customers?
- What campaigns generate the most revenue for dollars spent?
- Was your marketing successful? Did you conduct a ROI analysis?
- If so, what was your return on investment?
Analyzing your marketing performance can turn your marketing efforts into an investment, rather than an expense. How much is one new customer worth to you? Is that profit worth your investment?
Amanda Moore
Proper email etiquette can work wonders...
Email marketing is a fast growing trend. It is quick, easy, and generates a substantial response rate when utilized properly. According to the Direct Marketing Association, email marketing produced the absolute highest response rate for users seeking to generate leads.
While many marketers are jumping on the email blast band wagon, some still opt for a plain old fashioned email written personally. The latter can be just as effective as a professionally written and flashy email blast, if you mind your email etiquette.
I received two emails this week that caught my attention for two drastically different reasons. The first was from a job applicant who was submitting a resume. Although my company has no job openings right now, I opened the attachment because his email was so well written. The applicant had perfect grammar, spelling, addressed me personally, and took the time to do some research on my company. As I read the email, I felt as if this job seeker knew me, my business, and what I was looking for in an employee. Unfortunately, I do not have a position to offer him but you can bet I am keeping his resume.
The second email was forwarded to me by a friend and actually was a marketing email from a competitor of mine. I have never seen a more unprofessional email. The email had purple font, grammar mistakes, spelling issues, illegal use of ellipsis, capitalization mistakes, random poetry-like indentations all over the place, and exclamation point abuse. My first impression was that I would never do business with this person.
Good email etiquette can be very handy in trying to get your message across. I’m not suggesting that you need to write like Mark Twain but a few tips can help:
- Use a subject line that is interesting and pertinent. You reader should be enticed to open it.
- Use a professional font, color, and signature. Anything too cute will be seen as unprofessional.
- Personalize the email, especially if you want to get the reader’s attention. If you can’t afford expensive email blast services then send the same email to all of your contacts but perhaps personalize the opening sentence.
- Use proper grammar. You don’t need to sound like and English professor, just utilize simple rules you learned in grammar school. Mistakes are fine (no one is perfect) but avoid obvious mistakes such as punctuation or capitalization.
- When in doubt-Google your question. A useful grammar sight can be found at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
- Spell check is your friend, but do not rely on it to catch misused words or grammatical errors. For example, if you are trying to say “whether or not” and you spell it “weather” the spell check will over look it and your receiver will think you want to discuss the recent cold front.
- Reread your email for mistakes. I can’t stress this enough!
- Do your homework. Find out about the company and include some of that information in your email. Looking at your target’s website is a great way to learn their mission statement or business objectives and incorporate some of those key words into your email. The receiver will unwittingly get a sense that you mesh with their company.
Remember, this email could be your first and last communication with a prospect. Emails are easy to ignore and easier to delete, so make your email worthwhile and professional.
Amanda Moore
Are you measuring your response rates?
When I ask about response rates or conversion rates all too often my customers convey that they have no idea what types of responses they are getting to their marketing. This is counterproductive to their marketing efforts.
If you don’t know the response rates to a marketing piece, you don’t know whether or not it is effective. If you don’t know whether or not it is effective, then you don’t know if it is a worthy return on your investment. If you don’t know if it is a good return on your investment, then you are just blindly pumping money into your marketing.—does any of this make sense?
Response mechanisms can come in many forms that can apply to different marketing pieces and different budgets. Personalized URLs, generic URLs, landing pages, and online surveys can all be used to capture who is responding to your call-to-action (register to win an iPod touch before September 1st at www.XyZ.com).
These online response mechanisms are very effective, very impressive, and generate more response rates but they are not fitting for every project or budget. Some response mechanisms can include a toll free number, calling a specific salesperson, or sending an email to a specific address, all of which can be measured.
Another alternative is to use your marketing piece as your response mechanism. Perhaps your campaign includes a coupon/voucher with a serial number that must be redeemed for the incentive. At the end of the promotion you can calculate how many vouchers were redeemed and determine who responded by the serial number.
Sometimes a response mechanism will generate no response. Although unfortunate, this is still very useful feedback. It may be time to rethink the before mentioned elements of your marketing piece and uncover why it isn’t effective. Remember, no feedback is good feedback!
Analyzing your marketing performance is key to successful marketing efforts. This is the most important step of the entire marketing process. It will help drive better results and your marketing performance depends on it!
Frustrated by your marketing?
I can’t generate new leads! My customers have left me for my competitor! They are not buying enough! I can’t seem to gain market share! They are not responding to my mailers! That postcard is too expensive! –My marketing isn’t working!
Everywhere I turn these days it seems that everyone is questioning their marketing. Although there is no sure fire formula that will bring success, there are ways to improve your marketing, enhance your response rates, and see a better return on your investment.
The next few blogs are intended to analyze your marketing efforts and will be presented in six short segments where we will discuss:
• Message and Copy
• Frequency and Timing
• Creative and Branding
• Call-to-Action and Incentive
• Target Audience and Data
• Response Mechanisms
Amanda Moore
Ask the right questions to uncover your marketing objectives...
Analyzing marketing performance is a key part of your marketing efforts. Tracking the responses to a campaign and analyzing its performance by utilizing valuable campaign data will drive better results.
How is the campaign performing? What is your return on investment? How much is your cost per lead? Is the campaign generating any new sales?
These questions can be overwhelming, but here are a few questions to ask yourself in order to diagnose the results of your current marketing efforts and identify areas that need improvement:
• What marketing initiatives have generated the most leads over the past few years?
• What is your conversion rate for leads to customers?
• What is the average length of a sales cycle? How are you trying to shorten this?
• Who is your target audience? Has this changed due to current economic conditions, pricing, or competition?
• How do you differ from your competitors? How do you communicate this to your customers?
• How do you grow the sales of your current customer base?
• How effective are your customer retention campaigns?
• What are the major forces driving change in your industry? How are you coping with this?
• What are the opportunities for growing your business in the future?
Asking yourself these simple questions will help you to uncover your business and marketing objectives. This exercise will allow you to figure out what is or isn’t working, what has worked in the past, and where you would like to be in the future. These questions will allow you to identify positive and negative trends in your marketing efforts, which is the key to successful marketing performance.
Keep in mind that not all feedback will be positive feedback, but it will be useful information in analyzing your marketing performance. For example, perhaps you launch a great new campaign with direct mail pieces and receive little or no response. First reaction might be to give up on direct mail because it will never work. After careful analysis you might come to realize that maybe the message or copy wasn’t conveying your company’s message. Or perhaps your mail list needs to be cleaned up or your offer didn’t resonate with the recipient.
Marketing campaigns are made up of multiple components that all need to come together in the right way in order to be effective. If you analyze and receive negative feedback…GREAT! At least it is feedback and it’s a step in the right direction to proactively managing your marketing campaigns to be as effective as they can be.
Amanda Moore
Cut through the clutter with a creative twist on direct mail
Integrated direct marketing campaigns consist of coordinated promotional efforts that send a consistent message across multiple marketing vehicles to individually target specific consumers more directly. Because consumers gain information from a wide variety of marketing vehicles and media sources, it is important to cut through the clutter and reach your audience through a variety of channels.
Consumers are overwhelmed by marketing communications so you must make sure to create communications that are timely, relevant, creative, interesting, personalized and contain value. It’s important that promotions contain a unique personalized message, multiple touch points (such as email, mail, or website), one-to-one marketing, and interactive components.
Promotional objectives to consider for an integrated direct marketing campaign:
• Create Awareness
• Stimulate Demand
• Identify Prospects
• Retain Loyal Customers
• Combat Competitive Promotional Efforts
• Reduce Sales Fluctuations
The Direct Marketing Association credits Dimensional Mail as the number one most effective and track-able advertising method with a 5.59 response rate compared to telephone (2.53), catalog (2.24), and direct mail (2.15).
Integrated direct marketing campaigns can consist of any of the following services: personalized direct mail, list acquisition, email, program analysis reports, dimensional mail, promotional items, customized flyers, envelope websites, personalized URLs, generic URLs, web page, online survey, and variable data.
I recently designed an integrated direct marketing campaign that consisted of a dimensional mailer, variable data, promotional item, website initiatives, and customized flyers. My campaign was themed so that it was relevant to my prospects and timely in terms of our economic recession. The package had a label on the box with a variable and posed a marketing uestion to my decision maker.
It wasn’t until they opened the box and saw the contents inside that they knew who had sent the package; and by then I had them hooked. They were already cooing over the goodies inside, personal touch, creative presentation, and information included about how to increase their business with my products and services. The informational piece discussed our differentials, directed them to our website for more information, and included a call to action that offered a gift card to a popular dining establishment if they set up an appointment. The package stood out from the typical direct mail clutter and caught my customers’ attention right away.
The most important part of an integrated direct marketing campaign is to analyze performance, follow up, and get feedback. Did prospects respond to your call to action (i.e. call for an appointment)? If not, consider sending a follow-up mailer, email, or make a phone call to be sure they received it. How successful a promotion is depends widely on the quantity and quality of the feedback you receive.
My campaign has had a 36% response rate so far and was a tremendous return on my investment! Ask yourself, what was the response rate for your last direct marketing campaign? Do you know what your ROI was?
Amanda Moore
