Direct Mail Leads - Brand Identity Guru
Direct mail can be one of the most effective tactics to reach your target audience. Developing a strategy for direct mail is critical to obtaining the best ROI. If you just roll out any piece without a clear plan you are throwing your good marketing money away. Here are some tips I recommend: Get Direct Mail Sales Leads... You can't go wrong with these Brand-Aid tips: 1) Less is more- Sell the sizzle not the steak. 2) A package works better than a self mailer- A well crafted package can out pull a self mailer by a ratio of 4/1. 3) Personalize it- Computer personalization of the targets name will result in a higher response and deliver your brand in a more professional way. 4) Make it a no risk offer- Let your prospect know that they will receive free information with no risk or obligation. 5) Set a deadline- This will create urgency within the prospects mind. 6) Always use business reply postage- You pay for the return. 7) Call to action- A statement such as "receive our free XYZ analysis" to help solve the prospects problem. 8) Include a reply card, web-site address, and phone number- you can potentially double your response if you include a business reply card or other vehicle for written response. To measure how strong your brand is copy and paste: (http://brandidentityguru.com/bightml/brandmasterpiece.html). Then click "Take the brand strength test". This is a short survey that measures the strength of any company's brand. It's a great tool to see where you are today. Scott White is President of Brand Identity Guru (http://www.brandidentityguru.com), a leading brand consulting and market research firm located in Easton, Massachusetts, USA, near Boston. Brand Identity Guru specializes in creating corporate and product brands that increase sales, market share, customer loyalty, and brand valuation. Over the course of his 15-year branding career, Scott White has worked in a wide variety of industries: high-tech, manufacturing, computer hardware and software, telecommunications, banking, restaurants, fashion, healthcare, Internet, retail, and service businesses, as well as numerous non-profit organizations. Brand Identity Guru clients include: Sun Life Financial, Coca Cola, HP, Sun, Nordstrom, American Federal Mortgage, Simon (America's largest shopping mall manager) and many others, including numerous emerging growth companies. Scott White is a very enthusiastic speaker and has the gift of being able to explain the principles of branding in a compelling and entertaining manner so that people at all levels can understand.
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Boost Your Direct Mail Response Rates with Mapping Technology
On Superbowl Sunday, Domino's Pizza delivered more than 900,000 pizzas-and mapping technology helped. How do 60,000 pizza outlets serving 3 billion pizzas per year compete in an industry where reputations and dollars are dependent on "fast, hot and delivered to the door?" Global Positioning System (GPS) technology!
Do Not Consider Running the Same Yellow Page Ad until You Read This
Grant Businesses have a love-hate relationship with the Yellow Page directory On the one hand, business owners know they need to be there - even though everyone they compete against is there, too. They rightly fear their ad won't get noticed. That's why questions like, "How big should it be?" become important (along with up-grades that jack up an ad's cost). Are they worth it? Who knows! The whole topic is complicated and a tad intimidating. A lot is riding on the ad's ability to pull in more business. Advertisers don't feel they understand Yellow Page issues well enough to make the "right choice." So they often avoid thinking about it altogether. Even when they realize their ad isn't drawing much business, an advertiser is reluctant to make changes. To what? So, what's the rush? The Yellow Page directory only comes out once a year. Whether an ad performs like a dynamo or a disappointment, the business is stuck with it until the next directory comes around. So there's plenty of time to consider what could make it better. But somehow, people seldom do. But at some point, the ad shifts from back burner to urgent, as the next directory's deadline approaches. Decisions about what it will look like are often made "on the fly." So it never gets the scrutiny it deserves, so it can deliver the most "bang for the buck." Time pressure (coupled with the urging of the Sales Rep) leads many business owners to just "stick with what I have." That decision means hardly having to think about it at all. For another year, anyway. But that's not the best strategy - just the quickest.
A business owner should carefully consider the wisdom of each aspect of their directory listing - wording, images, size, options, which directories or headings, etc. Change involves more than the ad's appearance Never change your ad just to make it prettier. Modifications should help you connect even better with directory user's needs. That involves focusing your message and distinctive style (which is communicated in a glance) so it grabs them. Get the advice you need to fine-tune your ad from industry experts at http://www.yellowpagesage.com There's no need to feel stuck with an under-performing ad. Changing your ad can involve increasing or decreasing its size or features (or going in an unrelated direction). But such revisions are simple, compared to more complex and influential issues, like whether it communicates your distinctive personality and benefits. If you're unclear about your message, don't be surprised if readers don't get it. Sharpening your customer-grabbing message should be an ongoing concern, and not just for the Yellow Pages. Directory users are looking for information to make their buying choices easier. Looking and sounding like every other ad doesn't serve their needs - and it doesn't serve you, either. Re-assess the wisdom of your Yellow Page strategy What you spend for your Yellow Page listing is only a portion of your advertising budget. How big a slice should it be? Resist the temptation to over-spend for the value received (as most advertisers do). Costs should bear some relationship to the amount of business coming through them - which involves tracking your calls and sales. Consider directory costs relative to all the ways customers find you. Where does most new business really come from? Are marketing dollars better spent elsewhere? Figure the source of new business before getting caught by secondary questions like: how large, or which headings, or whether options like color make sense. Recognize the changes affecting directory usage. Buyers aren't relying on the print directory like they used to. Many use the Internet Yellow Pages (IYP) and search engines focused with local terms. Think about whether to direct some directory dollars there. Update your information to keep it current Business changes occur all the time. Don't forget to bring your data up to date when placing your next year's advertising. Business changes affecting your ad - Change of business name, or splitting into more than one company or brand - Added or different phone numbers; same with addresses - Add your Web site address (domain URL) or email address - Changed your policies, hours, services (like free delivery) - Additional product lines or services (like classes or supplies) - Update years in service (if in your ad) - New awards, degrees, etc. that can bolster credibility - Adding a partner (especially for professions) - Remove what's no longer true or relevant Think long and hard about what will make you stand out in the directory during the year (not just at renewal time). The success of your business could depend on how well your ad does its job. (c) 2004, Lynella Grant
How to Set Up & Organize Your Customer Mailing List For Optimum Results
Your list of customers who have previously bought from you isyour most important asset. These are the customers who willprovide you with return business, which is more profitable thanthe first sale. But, are you getting the most from your customerlist? There are some secrets you should know, so you can squeezethe most benefits out of your mailing list.
Why Target the Matures
The "Matures" are the generations that came along between 1909 and 1945. Born to and tempered by economic uncertainty, older Matures were nurtured by the New Deal and served in the mightiest armed force fielded by any nation. The Matures' core values are a roll call of traditional American culture: Honor; optimism, selflessness, dedication to a higher purpose (self-sacrifice equals virtue).
Building Credibility for Your Business
Small companies that rely on business-to-business sales often find it difficult to be seen as credible in the eyes of larger companies. If this is true for you, then this assessment might help you determine where you need to focus your attention in order to build your credibility.
Rate each item from 1 to 5. 1 = low/bad. 3 = not good, not bad, just OK. 5 = high/great.
Marketing Lessons from Santa
If a nonexistent man can change the world and millions of people with a message of joy then his marketing plan surely works. Right? Then what has Santa been doing right all these years that we can learn from?
Marketing Ideas Without Action Will Get You Nowhere!
Marketing Ideas Without Action Get You Nowhere
Top 9 Strategies To Attract More Clients Now
1. Advertise in trade journals, ezines, and web sites that cater to your ideal client.
Common Exhibit Marketing Mistakes: Ten Tips on How to Avoid Them
The key to great exhibiting is marketing. But marketing is a very inexact science that leaves room for a multitude of errors to occur. The following are 10 of the most common marketing mistakes that exhibitors often make. Learn to avoid them and you will increase your chances for a successful tradeshow.
Are Your Brochures Worth The Paper Theyre Printed On?
Brochures are one of the oldest marketing weapons in the business arsenal. And for good reason. A well done brochure lends an air of credibility while laying out a persuasive sales message. It conveys a lot of information and moves the customer along in the sales process. When it's done right.
Are You Losing Business?
As a small business owner, you are grateful for all of your clients or customers. But did you know that small business lose over 62% of sales because they don't follow up? You are caught up in the business of running your business you don't take the time to follow up with your clients.
Ten Tips for Creating a Winning Proposal ? Part 2
Part 1 of this series described five critical components for
creating a winning proposal. In some instances, these components
are all a prospective client needs to make a determination and
award the job. Be sure to carefully review the request for
proposal to determine the amount of information you need to
include in your proposal. Remember, each proposal is unique.
Moving a Business Relationship from Free to Fee: Power of Freebies - Part 2
In the last issue we looked at 5 reasons why giving stuff away is a great tactic for filling your pipeline.
Whats Your Marketing Attitude?
Entrepreneurs pay a lot of attention to the mechanics of marketing. They take workshops, read books, and hire consultants to find out how to do the best job they possibly can. With my own clients, I often discover that their knowledge of marketing techniques is quite good already. What they might lack is the right kind of marketing attitude.
What Can Star Wars Teach You About Creating a Buzz for Your Business?
Many people think marketing is some type of mystery that only a few select people know the secret too. In fact if you look at the entertainment industry you will find some of the best models to follow. Let's look at George Lucas and Star Wars. How long before the movie came out did you know it was coming? How many different places did you see an ad for it, someone talking about it, or writing about it? How many different ways does he tie in to advertise his movies that are "outside" the entertainment industry?
Non-Aggressive Marketing Ideas for Enterpreneurs
Do you cringe at the thought of trying to promote your business ? Does it feel like "selling yourself" or
egotism? Many individuals are not comfortable with marketing dimension of running a business.
Color Part 2: Formats and Systems
There are several color formats and systems available for mixing and specifying colors. Here, we explain three of the most common systems: RGB, CMYK, and Pantone colors.
Design Direct Mail Postcards Back-to-Front to Boost Response Rates
Conventional wisdom says that the front of a direct mail postcard is for the picture and the back is for the address, stamp and a short message.
Knock, knock. Whos There? Your Target Market, Are You Listening?
Have you ever had a conversation with a person who wasn't listening to anything you said?
Maximum Marketing - Minimum Budget
Two years ago I started my small Virtual Assistant business with a non-existent marketing budget. I borrowed marketing books from the library, read countless articles on the Internet and joined a professional trade association of my peers. I learned hundreds of marketing techniques and one valuable lesson. The lesson I learned is that the financial ruin of large companies is often achieved by incredibly expensive and glitzy marketing plans that do not take into account the company's ability to earn a profit. Over time, I found that the most effective marketing techniques that allow a company to make a profit are those that are inexpensive or free. What a fantastic discovery for me at that time! This knowledge, combined with hard work and excellent customer service, enabled my small business to expand at a phenomenal rate.
|