Direct Mail Response Rate - How To Increase It

In the marketing realm it is important that you get to directly reach to your target audiences and get them attracted to your business. One medium of this is direct mail. Direct Mail is still powerful to the fact that they still work for ages. If you haven’t tried direct mail marketing then you should experience the incredible value it gives. All you need to be equipped of is to know how to increase your marketing value by increasing your direct mail response rate.

There are a lot of established strategies out there to increase your direct mail response rate.

Here are jump-start ideas that you can apply to:

1. Choose the right medium. Be it postcards, personalized letters in colored envelopes, CDs or other commercial materials it’s up to your choosing. Make your material stand out from others. The key is to attracting your customers. Sending out plain materials is uninviting. Use postage stamps as much to give a personal feeling to your mails.
2. Reward your customers. Rewarding your customers is a great relationship-building strategy. Let them know that they have become the assets of your success. You can include in your mail gift checks or coupons that give discounts or freebies. Don’t forget the thank you notes and show them your biggest appreciations.
3. Have a personal touch. Studies have shown that hand-written mails give your recipients the feeling of engaging with the real world. Moreover these are the ones that are opened more than those that are electronically-written. In your material put your name along with the address and as well as use the recipient’s name in the communication. At most avoid being generic. You can even get personal with your customers by sending them mails on their birthdays or anniversaries. Don’t forget to ask them testimonials.
4. Attract customers. There are a lot of engagement activities that customers can be attracted with. Host social parties and invite them to join. Hold seminars that gives exposure on your products and services to your customers. Throw in contests and public sales and emphasize on big prizes and discounts. Indulge in charities and ask them to partner out with you. Make sure you target on the right concepts. Time, money and effort will be wasted if you can’t attract your customers. Direct mail response rates jumps to heights if you innovate on ideas how to attract customers.
5. Mail often. The more you mail the more your recipients get to know you or your company and your products and/or services. Just make sure that your contents are relevant and interesting. Make them think when will you be delivering the next set of mails.

Using direct mail to market your business requires hard work but pays with big returns when done right.

UPDATE: There’s a very good direct mail course called Offline Arbitrage that just came out.  I’ve been doing direct mail for a long time and it’s pretty solid. **

Direct Mail Statistics

At some point most small or new businesses decide to try a direct mail marketing program. Direct mail is one of many ways for a business to market their product or services. One of the first things you need to consider are the Direct Mail Statistics and before you embark on a direct mail campaign you need to estimate what your typical response rate should be.

It can be very hard to estimate what the response rate might be on some campaigns, so it is helpful to keep in mind what the industry average is. The industry average response rate is around 2.6%. Keep in mind though that is just an average. If you count on getting a response rate of 2.6% you might be really disappointed when your response rate is possibly as low as .2%. Also take in to account your product or service. If you have a high-end product or service then a .2% response rate might be average for your industry and still a very good response rate.Keep in mind that these Direct Mail Statistics are the industry average.

A good way to figure out what kind of response rate your looking for is to figure out what your break even point is going to be. This is the percentage of sales achieved from the direct mail campaign that will be needed in order to cover the costs of the direct mail campaign. If your break even point is too high you might want to reconsider doing the campaign or maybe changing things to make it cheaper.  Direct Mail Statistics won’t help you figure out your own break even point, but they can help you decide if your campaign might be close to the goal of breaking even.

Direct Mail Statistics can help you to decide whether a campaign will possibly work, but sometimes it is best to just try out a small campaign to see If the smaller campaign works well then try increasing the size of it. If it doesn’t, then try making some changes before deciding it isn’t working. No matter what, always keep your expectations on the outcome at a reasonable level. It is better to underestimate and do better then you think you will, then to overestimate and do worse.

** If you’re looking for a step-by-step how to for direct mail marketing (namely marketing with postcards), there is an awesome course called Offline Arbitrage out.  It’s one of the best I’ve seen and my team and I use it on a daily basis to profit from direct mail. **

Last week, I was struck by two things – the lackluster performance of newspaper advertising and the fact that my mom loves Facebook.

The first leads into the second…

Newspaper circulation is declining.  That much we know.  The story is being told by all of the newspapers going out of business.  Billboards, no matter how many times they rotate a minute or how bright they seem to light up a March night, can’t hold a candle to the traffic and interest generated by a Twitter feed.

But yet people are dumping money into newspaper advertising?!

Let me put this a bit differently…  To buy a newspaper ad in our local newspaper – one ad – it’s $4,000.  Put that same money in banner ads or a text link ad campaign – You’re ad will be featured by 15-20 highly targeted sites with millions of page views for one whole month!

The kicker – you can track the results of your campaigns…

On to Facebook.  My mom loves it.  She keeps up with her friends, the kids of her friends and her college professors.  The Facebook demographic is changing.  College kids are on there, sure.  But so are their parents so they can keep up with their sons and daughters without always being on the phone.  Those parents are friends with other parents…  Get the picture?

So, let’s revisit the initial question.  Is your target market reading the newspaper?  Or are they on Facebook and Twitter and Youtube?

Do you want to spend $4000 for a one day ad that is limited to zip codes, or does it make sense to pursue banner advertising and Facebook ads?

The answer is simple.  And it’s not going to be found in black and white pages that fold over…

JD

Trade shows can prove to be an excellent source of marketing. If you want to get noticed in the public eye and have a great headstart, then trade shows are the thing for you. If you are a small business owner, you would understand the importance of it and are probably already using this tool. Trade shows are organized exhibitions by companies of a specific industry where they come together to showcase their products and services. This is easily one of the best ways to promote your offerings and get hold of new clients in the process. For scoring better clients and getting highlighted during one of the trade shows, you need to promote yourself well and be seen frequently.

The best part about trade shows are that they are easily accessible and are generally promoted on big platforms. Most of them are open for the public in general and that is when you can strike a blow on your potential clients. Every now and then you will come across companies which organize industry specific or client specific trade shows. Getting the right display is what draws the line between successful and failed company stalls. What should be paid attention to is getting an attractive display which will attract more customers and force them to come and check out your products/services. In fact if you are planning to get noticed in any trade show soon, some of the following pointers could be helpful:-

1. Spend some time on researching. Make sure you choose the best and the relatively successful trade shows. Talk to people who have been there before and use the feedback. This will save you a lot of time and disappointment as well.
2. If you are planning to go to a far off place to attend one, you might want to make sure you arrive as early as possible. Try and grab early discounts on the stall bookings or booths, arrange your accommodation, travel and printed materials etc. One of the best places to book your own booth would be somewhere near an already famous corporate name. This shall automatically increase the prospects of being seen that that in normal circumstances.
3. Make sure you make full use of the exhibitor’s kit that is given to everyone who books a booth. It is very easy to get lost in the confusing forms that must be filled out. You might have to deal with 2 companies in all: one the producing company, the other, which is responsible for renting out the necessary equipment. You might also require a little bit of manpower for carrying your display materials in and out of the hall/center.
4. Make a budget and stick to it. If you are a small business owner, don’t forget counting expenses like employee accommodation, snacks, meals, traveling, etc. Try and cut costs and make a realistic budget.
5. Set up a time-table for the day. Take out time for everything including setting up right, taking a walk on the floor to make your face a little familiar, checking out the competitor’s booth etc.
6. Give out something for free. Offer your clients a free give-away like a pen or a calendar. The chances are that they will keep it and in fact use it which will in turn only be beneficial for you. In fact, giving out free chocolates or mints to passersby is a good and efficient way of attracting your audience. Small things like these can be really beneficial.
7. Keep the energy alive. If you want a response from your customers, you better keep your team happy and enthusiastic. They should feel good about what they are promoting and never lose a smile. Ask them to be dressed appropriately and be attentive.

These are just some of the pointers that can help you take off the pressure of work There are other things as well like making a small presentation or presenting by way of pictures or stories to grab the attention of your clients. Use video, audio etc. as it will give it a more authentic and classy look. Just don’t be afraid to experiment with ideas and stay creative in limits.

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ChirpMarketing

a form of marketing that is used to convey short messages that are highly centralized, can create impact and grab target market’s attention without them having to spend substantial amount of time looking at the marketing message.

ChirpMarketer

any person or business who uses Twitter or other similar services to create brand awareness with short, enticing messages that call for action

Marketing on Twitter therefore is ChirpMarketing and anyone using Twitter to market are ChirpMarketers.

Twitter as you all know is one of the best online communication tools out there. It helps you connect with other users and share your views and ideas. The key to any marketing strategy is to communicate, which can be through content, images, video or any other forms of marketing. Marketing thrives on communication and communication online thrives on Twitter to say the least. Twitter has emerged as one of the most influential marketing platform and this is the reason why we are seeing more and more companies diving into it.

The growth of Twitter has been nothing short of a miracle. Although the service itself has yet to see any form of revenue, more and more businesses are implementing Twitter into their marketing strategy. If you are a business and you don’t exist on twitter yet, you are losing a good share of your target market. Movies, retail products, services you name it and you will find businesses related to these on Twitter. There is a reason these businesses have taken the leap and embraced “chirpmarketing.” Communication is the key to building a presence and an influential presence can do good to your business in many ways.

Lets quick take a look at why your business should exist on twitter,

1. Communication - Marketing thrives on communication. Twitter gives you a platform to send messages that are short yet effective. The 140 character limitation to some might be a pain but to effective marketers this is a blessing. If you can convey your message within 140 characters your consumers are most likely to pay attention to you rather than a sales copy that takes almost 30 minutes to read.
2. Branding - If you exist on Twitter, you exist on the web. Period. Twitter can tremendously help in creating brand through community participation.
3. Humanization - Twitter gives you a platform which helps you participate actively as an individual community member rather than a business as a whole. Think about it, how many businesses actually can and do share “what they are doing?” not very many. Twitter’s foundation is based on that very question that allows you to participate without being tied to marketing itself.
4. Customer Service – Lately I have been more inclined to use twitter search rather than google when I am looking for customer service for a particular business. Whether it is an airline ticket that I bought or problem with my hosting service, I am tempted to “@” them on twitter rather than call and wait for hours.
5. Trust - Social Media presence is built on “trust factor” and the same rule applies on twitter as well. Twitter gives you a platform that hosts millions of active users where you can gain presence within a short amount of time and build the trust factor. By the way, I recently bought a DELL computer although I am more inclined towards HP simply by seeing DELL’s active participation on Twitter, and of course recommendation from other Twitter users. Marketing isn’t simply about selling products, it is about influencing and Twitter helps you influence the market not through your business profile alone but through the community itself.

Let us quick take a look at a graph that shows the growth of Twitter since its launch in 2006,

You can clearly see from the image above that twitter has enjoyed a steady growth. I can almost guarantee that by the end of 2009 we will be seeing more and more businesses dropping off of Facebook and using twitter more aggressively as a marketing tool.

Are you chirping yet?

]]> http://marketinghackz.com/why-you-should-use-twitter-and-become-a-chirpmarketer/feed/ 8 http://marketinghackz.com/5-tips-on-getting-attention-from-your-ads/ http://marketinghackz.com/5-tips-on-getting-attention-from-your-ads/#comments Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:12:07 +0000 Ritu http://marketinghackz.com/?p=748

Each day from the time we wake up till the time we “hit the sack” we are exposed to thousands of ads. Most of them we simply ignore cause we are used to them. We get out of bed, grab a cup of coffee and read a newspaper, there it is hundreds of ads throwing their messages at us. We turn on the TV and watch our favorite show and there it is again – commercials that make us get up and do something else. Advertisements in general are hated by the masses. A marketers worst dream is their messages being ignored and this happens quite often.

The thing that makes people ignore your marketing messages and ads are the fact that they don’t have personality. Usually ads are plain and do not really catch potential customers eye or attention. Colors, message and the way an ad is presented has a lot to do when it comes to marketing effectively. When creating an ad don’t think of it as a marketing message but an art. Try to be different, think outside the box. Create a message, an ad that sets yourself apart from your competitors.

Here are 5 tips that might help you get started on marketing effectively and getting the attention that you deserve,

1. Top notch product : Yes, product! Marketing is directly related to your product isn’t it? This is one of the reason why your product or service has to be top notch. Don’t go marketing a product or service that is exactly similar to your competitors. What’s the point? Of course you might be able to garner new clients or customers but your competitor might still lead you as he probably already has a good share of market. Set yourself apart and if you don’t have a killer product forget about it. Marketing might work once but when your product fails to deliver it won’t work again. So create a product that catches the attention and then your marketing message itself becomes effective.
2. Cause controversy : People love to talk – good or bad, gossip is something that flows like a river and spreads like a wildfire. If you want your ads to create some buzz, don’t forget the controversy rule. It is effective, it will capture people’s attention and it usually works. However, controversial ads should be created with utmost care. We want good controversy. Of course with any controversial message there are going to be a few that are not going to be happy and talk negatively but exposure is exposure. As long as your main targeted market talks about it in a positive way, you are good to go.
3. Do not follow the norm : You all have probably heard the saying that if one sheep jumps off the cliff every other sheep just follows the first one. Same thing with marketing. Do not follow every little trend. Try to be different, be an artist not just another marketer. Think outside the box, dare to be different and rock the boat with your marketing skills. You do not have to be a great marketer, you just have to be creative and trust me it doesn’t take that long to come up with an idea that might rock your sales.
4. Secrecy is the key : People love secrets. I have already written an article regarding this but once again I would like to stress that if you want anything to hit the charts, secrecy works. Anything you want to hit big start it with a hint of secrecy. its like a spice that everyone loves to get a taste of. Secrets make people talk and talk some more. Although it might not work each time, if applied properly the “secret” marketing can do some wonders.
5. Double Meaning : Yup, double meaning. This is another way of setting your message apart. Create a message that can be taken in two ways. This makes people think. Of course the meaning has to directly connect with your product as well. And the second meaning, well, it has to be taboo or something that will make people talk. This ties back to the first point – be controversial. When people have two ways to think of something they will do exactly that and spread the message around to see what others think of it. 1,2,3 and the message goes viral.

If you would like to share tips with us please feel free to do so through your comments.

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Before I go ahead I would like to make a confession : I am pretty addicted to Twitter. When I first started using Twitter it was more of a “let’s see what it can do” approach but as I dived more into it, I started seeing the ultimate value that it can provide, both as a marketing and networking platform. I have been using Twitter to network with other like minded people to gain recognition as well as to promote anything I write or contents that I submit to other social media sites. The result has been nothing but phenomenal. Today, I just wanted to share a few instances as how Twitter can benefit as a business marketing tool. I will try and talk of 5 industries that have been using twitter to tap into the social media and promote themselves or their product/services.

1. Job recruitment service : Twitter can be a huge, huge marketing channel for job recruitment services. The fact that you can reach millions of people within a matter of seconds is very appealing and serves the purpose well for a job recruitment service. Imagine you have a web designing company and you are hiring web designers. Twitter would be the ultimate platform for you to announce a job opening given that most twitter users are web savvy and I can guarantee, depending on your own popularity on twitter finding an ideal candidate would be a matter of minutes or a few hours at the most.Example : CareerBuilder
   

   
   Note : CareerBuilder’s profile on Twitter isn’t “Careerbuilder.” Possible reason can be found at the end of this post. However, I was able to come across two profiles created by CareerBuilder which shows they are targeting specific market in specific cities. Example : NewYorkCityTechJobs and ChicagoTechJobs

2. News Channels : As of now twitter is pretty much considered to be faster when it comes to breaking news than the major news sites itself. It is considered to be the central hub for citizen journalists and why wouldn’t it. This platform allows users to share news as it happens. You are walking down the street and you see something and you might be the first one to break it to the public via twitter, even before the news channels can get it. This is one of the reason why major news channels have opted to create their own space and connect with the masses via Twitter.Example : CNN
   
3. Blogs : Although mostly blogs aren’t considered as businesses, some people have been able to use blogs as a form of business either directly or indirectly. Bloggers generate revenue through their sites either directly or indirectly. Most bloggers use Twitter as a marketing tool to promote their latest article as well as to promote their services. All in all, twitter allows individuals to create a brand and helps them gain recognition within the community. Once such blogger happens to be a very good friend of mine, Michael Martine. He uses twitter to interact with other community members and also to help promote his brand and blog. A win win situation for everyone as Michael’s content and consultation is a valuable gift to other twitter users and in turn Michael is able to use this both to network and create a brand.Example : Remarkablogger
4. Hospitals : Yes, hospitals. Although I might be quite wrong to use hospitals as a “business form” here we all know that they operate with profit in mind. Hospitals and health care service providers have been using Twitter as well to make announcement and reach a larger crowd. If a social media service is being used by hospitals to promote and announce anything that might be of interest to the public, it has to be a great marketing channel, right? I will answer it myself…YES!Example : Mayo Health Clinic
   
5. Web Services : Web services just as any other online or offline businesses can tap into a larger market with the help of Twitter. Whether its to announce something new or to promote a product or service, being on twitter helps you get noticed by some who might otherwise wouldn’t have a clue that your service exists. Twitter is one of the best social media platform out there and it happens to compliment other social media/web services as well.Example : Reddit

There it is, 5 forms of businesses that have been maximizing Twitter’s potential to hit their targeted market on the web. However, do realize that just like the domain snatching game, there might be false profile created by some users on Twitter as well. Before you follow any business make sure to find out a little more so as to confirm that they are legit and not false impression of some businesses. I found some while I was trying to create this post.

At the very beginning of this article I had written that CareerBuilder doesn’t have a profile with its own name. There is a profile but I am not sure if its CareerBuilder’s. I think a company that has Twitter profiles based on cities probably wouldn’t let it go this unnoticed within twitter community, but again that is my personal opinion.

Although the profile name says “radioshack,” this can’t be a radioshack’s profile which can be clearly seen from the highlighted text.

A few more to look at,

The images above show the profile names representing the two big retailers : WalMart and BestBuy. I would think that if these really were the company profile they would try and maximize this form of marketing….but again you never know but it sure as heck seems fishy.

This is one of the reason I urge you to start a twitter profile based on your business/blog/site and or name just to make sure noone else grabs it. Its a great way to market yourself and promote your services and products to a specific target market.

If you would like to follow me on Twitter please follow this link. Your turn to talk.

note :  CareerBuilder, RadioShack, WalMart and BestBuy profiles featured here are based on my understanding and may not be true.

Viral marketing in the simplest words means the marketing strategy which encourages e-mail recipients to pass along messages to others in order to generate added exposure. This can be a great way to attract traffic to your website and expand business dimensions. This form of marketing has existed in the society for a very long time and still holds a strong position. Anything from telling a friend about a new product that you liked to e-mailing a couple of colleagues regarding a free e-book or service could be called viral marketing. But for the users of today’s generation need to be sold things in a different way and must be tackled in a unique manner. Here’s a few tips and tricks for marketing virally which are sure to get you silver if not golden results:-

1. Give out a FREE service or product: People remember when they hear or see anything available for free. This is especially true in the case of websites. If you have a website, offer your customers a free gift like an e-book. It doesn’t take long for people to pass on a word regarding the same then. This can be an excellent way to do viral marketing.
2. Scalability and How-to Spread the Word: In the not so virtual (real) life, it is impossible to get people to do something. This mammoth of a task is actually easier in the virtual life as you just need to request your customers to send a chain e-mail or leave a signature on your website. Your daily downloads can hit amazing numbers which you probably wouldn’t have ever thought of.
3. The “Cool” Rules: Everyone who is well connected with people is aware of the “cool” or the “in” factor. Tight jeans might be “in”, so the chances and the opportunity for you to exploit as a businessman increase as well. You can with the help of sites like digg, reddit, Slashdot, etc., promote your website and products. Get hold of people who like the stuff you do and just ask them to “digg” your story or simply pass on a word to others. Use keywords which can drive traffic. Be patient as things like these require time and become successful after a lot of efforts. How will you get the chicken, if you don’t wait for the egg to get warm.
4. Make use of Web 2.0 tools: Websites like Twitter can be of great help in unimaginable ways. All you need to do it just post what you’re doing currently. If you have a strong following on Twitter, you can get great traffic and more in just one day. This is viral marketing at its best.
5. Bookmarks and link-backs: Use link backs on websites which have already been established and get good traffic. Apart from this make sure you use social bookmarking websites like del.icio.us. Save bookmarks to your website and blogs using keywords which help in Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

Its your turn to share some tips with us.

Couple weeks ago we published an article that showed some of the best creative ads out there. After going through all the emails and suggestions we received we knew we had to do it again. Today we bring you 20 creative advertisements that are simply amazing. They convey the message in best possible way without overdoing it. These are some of the most simple, creative and effective ads that will for sure grab your attention if you happen to see them somewhere. One more thing before we get started, don’t forget to let us know which one is your favorite through your comments.

Electrical and Plumbing Service

Save Water

Redcross

Mouse Pad from an Ironing Service

Mr. Clean

Hot Wheels

Toothpaste

Sharpie

Schneider Beer

Ford Mustang

Fiat ( Stickers on a Plane Window )

Adidas Billboard

Quit Smoking

Smirnoff

Jobs In Town

Casino Ad

WWF

Adidas

Folgers Coffee

Firefox

Your turn to share.

A while ago we had compiled a post that contained 7 Sites Every Marketer Should Keep An Eye On. Once again, as promised we have compiled a list of another 7 sites that will help you make better marketing decisions. This time around we didn’t include our own blog since we know you have already subscribed to this one. Although there are only 7 sites listed we believe each site is extremely valuable when it comes to providing sales and marketing information and tips. If you have any that you would like to share with us please use the comment section to share links with us.

1. Chief Marketer : A rich Web site that provides executives with insights into key marketing issues, innovations, and practical solutions. It provides the best and the brightest stories and commentary as well as original content. Visitors can search by marketing disciplines and the industries to which they market.|
   
2. Word Of Mouth Marketing Association : WOMMA is the official trade association for the word of mouth marketing industry. WOMMA’s mission is to promote and improve word of mouth marketing by:Promoting “best practices” to ensure more effective marketing, Protecting consumers and the industry with strong ethical guidelines, Evangelizing word of mouth as an effective marketing tool, Setting standards to encourage its use.
   
3. Sales 2.0 : Companies that work with Sales 2.0 improve their revenue and market value by bringing a science to the way they sell. They use our outsourced sales and consulting services to make their sales forces more effective and become forerunners in applying Web 2.0 technologies to sales.
   
4. Heavy Hitter Sales Blog : A blog where author and blogger Steve Martin shares his knowledge and advice about sales and marketing. He has 20 years selling complex enterprise solutions in Silicon Valley in positions from salesperson to vice president, at companies ranging in size from start-ups to billions of dollars.
   
5. Culture Scout Blog : Marketing author, speaker and consultant Patricia Martin shares her experience on consumer behavior and culture – two of the most critical important in marketing. A keynote speaker in demand, Martin brings C-level executives to their feet when she casts the American consumer in a new light and sets the stage for marketing in the 21st Century.
   
6. Quick and Dirty Tips For Getting The Deal Done (Podcast) : The Sales Guy’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Getting the Deal Done delivers actionable tips designed to help you close more business, advance your sales career, and put more money in your wallet. The host Jeb Blount is considered one of the world’s leading experts in sales and sales leadership. He is the author of PowerPrinciples, founder of the popular sales community, SalesGravy.com and has more than 20 years experience in Fortune 500 sales and marketing.
   
7. Duct Tape Marketing : A blog full of information to help with small business marketing, this blog has categories covering many useful topics including marketing materials, marketing plans, strategy, and web marketing.
   

We did our part, now its your turn to share.