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Thursday, May 17, 2012

Internet Marketing - Live Chat for upsales - Mass Mailings

10:14 AM | Posted by Cassie Designs | | | Edit Post

Recently I saw an ad for the United States Post Office pressing the value of Direct Marketing with mass mailing. This concept is something we have talked about for years. So I slithered back into the dark and dusty archive of things I researched years ago and came up with a few things of interest. Note that some of these statistics are "aged", many of them actually represent an optimistic point of view.

What is Direct Marketing?

Advertisements that are directed to a specific target. Whether it be a demographic or Income Type, Home Type, etc. Find a way to target exactly who your prospective clients are.
** For the sake of size – we will limit coverage of mediums.
Defining characteristics of direct marketing are:
  • Precise targeting and market segmentation.
  • Research and testing.
  • Quick consumer response time.
  • ROI.
There are many different types of mediums to choose from.

 
  • Internet: Internet Advertising has changed over many years and how to place your Internet ads is constantly revolving. The most common and successful way is with PPC (Pay Per Click). In my experience, this format can be costly and only works when you are competing highly for SEO(Search Engine Optimization). So before you pay for clicks, make sure your website is Optimized for ALL Search Engines.
  • Yellow Pages: I mention the Yellow Pages only out of respect for a dying breed. With the increase in cell phone usage, less and less phone numbers are actually showing up in phone books unless you place a paid ad. This mean less and less customers are using the phone books (I don't even know where mine is). This form of advertising seems to be most successful for Doctors, Lawyers and Mortuaries(for those dying breeds).
  • Radio: Great option – so how far do you want your advertising to reach? This works only if you have a storefront that needs locals to walk through the front door.
  • Newspaper: Because I started my career as the Internet Director in a local newspaper, this saddens me greatly. But statistically newspapers loose over 10% of their readership every year. With the use of the Internet the GenX and BabyBoomers have all but gone over to some form of online edition. The printed format has such a small circle of readers, usually the elderly who don't have access to the Internet are left. So considering the loss of readers and the packing of so many ads on 1 page, I would ask you what you think your ROI would be. For those of you who still run newspaper ads, please chime in and let me know how you are making this work, I have clients that would love the knowledge.
  • Direct Mail: This form of advertising allows you to target your customer by demographics, income, and interest. You can choose who and where you think you will have the best response. Plus you can document the success of any Direct Marketing Campaign with simple and effective tricks.
So lets ask ourselves a few simple questions about how we get started. Direct Marketing can be made so much more affordable than you think.

How can I make Direct Marketing work for me?

The key to a successful Direct Marketing Campaign is to create your tarket area with “Success” in mind.
  1. Who are your prospective clients
  2. What are their interests (How do we gain their attention).
  3. Do I offer a unique perspective.

 Why is Direct Mail so effective?

Direct mail captures consumers' attention in a way no other media can. Almost everyone checks his or her mailbox daily. By using the correct format in my direct marketing, I increases my chances of success (Post Cards, Brochures, Shared Coupon Packs).
Consider how you handle these situations.
When you receive a colorful post card in the mail, do you take a look at the artwork? If the art includes an intriguing message, do you read the back?
Brochures usually come in a company designed envelope to cause intrigue, and then the brochure inside is full of all the information that may answer any questions you may have about a company.
Shared Coupon Packs offer what seems to be an affordable alternative (I did a comparison once and they actually charged more) to your own direct marketing. They do offer design services, and the mailing list comes from them.
How can I track my ROI?

The most successful Direct Mailing Campaigns is done with a specific tracking devise on your post. Whether you use a coupon, coupon code for your web orders, landing page on your website with analytics (try using “Live Chat” for upsales , read our previous article), or a separate phone line. Tracking the success of your mailing is as simple as doing your mailing.
You can get started today for a low as $81.00.
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