Marketing – Page 136

Improving Your Direct Mail Response

I had a book signing on Saturday
and I achieved better than
the industry standard 2%
on my direct mail drop.

How?

It was a local mailing so…
I made a local flyer.
I told recipients
we’d probably already met
while shopping at the local grocery store
(which I named)
or waiting for the local bus
(again named).
I hand wrote a cheery hi! on the fold
(in orange pen).

If you’re going to be a local business,
BE a local business.
Use this advantage.

BTW…
the money management firm
where I held the signing
was envious of my folksy flyer.
They may claim to be a local business
but their franchisor
prohibits adding any local flavor
to their standard marketing.

To Post Or Not To Post

If you’re wondering
whether or not to post that personal rant
on your blog…

Don’t.

It IS as simple as that.
Your gut is usually pretty darn good
at telling you
you’re about to do something stupid.

It is also,
however,
pretty darn good
at telling you
you’re about to do something scary
(like start your own business).

Those are two different feelings
and it’ll benefit you
to know the difference.

The Stay-At-Home Demographic

I walked around the neighborhood
this past week
at 10am on a Monday
and was surprised
at how many stay-at-home people
there were.

I shouldn’t have been.

In October 2008, there were
75 million people
not in the workforce
and not looking for work.
This could be for a number of reasons,
education, retirement, raising a family,
writing a novel.

That’s 25% of the population.
HUGE opportunities.

This demographic provides
unique marketing, sales and product design
possibilities.
Keep them in mind.

Banning Tiffany

Yesterday, I received 132 spam emails
from Tiffany
(all to do with Christmas shopping).
The day before,
I received about the same amount.
They went straight to the spam folder
but as legit emails find their way in there too,
I always have a look through.

So what do you do if YOUR name is Tiffany?

You use this as an excuse
to talk to your contact list
by…
phone or snail mail or in person.
You remind them to add you
to their email contact list.
You make light of it
and
use it as a marketing tool.

The opportunities are endless.

Auto Rejections

When publishing houses or agents
close their doors to submissions,
they often set up auto responses for queries.

A good response is the truth.
‘We are currently closed to submissions.”

A bad response is
“Upon careful consideration,
your work does not meet our needs
at this time.”

Delivered, of course, the instant
the email query is received.

In the internet age,
it becomes more and more difficult to lie.
Don’t bother.

And check your auto response message.

Poppy Power

From November 1st to November 11th,
Canadians wear poppies on their lapels
to commemorate Remembrance Day
(Veterans Day in the U.S.).

This bright red visual prompt
wore by everyone
from school children
to media personalities
to Prime Ministers
is extremely effective.
It tells a story.
It invokes emotion.
It delivers a message.
All without saying a word.

Look at your logo.
Is it as powerful?

Too Many Commercials

I was a big fan of a certain blog.
I’ve linked to it many times.
Now,
I don’t even read it.

Why?

Because every post is now a pitch for something,
often disguised as a new ‘tool.’

Viewers expect commercials.
They know that is the price of content.
But they also expect the content.
Make them wait too long for that
and they’ll change the channel.

Ensure that you balance the two
or even better,
lean towards more content.

In Case You Didn’t Know

I’m all for self promotion.
I think most people don’t do enough of it.

However…

If you win saleswoman of the year
at your local car dealership,
you don’t need to tell the other salespeople
you won.

If you are number one
on your publisher’s best seller’s list,
there is no need to send an email
to the publisher’s loop
letting the other authors know.

They know
and pointing out that they lost
(what they hear when you say you won)
makes you look like an immature jacka$$.

Put your energy into
telling people who DON’T know.

Care In Copy

One of the tricks
great writers use
is to write for a specific person.
This extends to writing copy.

In Michael Masterson’s
Seven Years To Seven Figures,
he explains…

“…think of someone you know and truly care for
– some who could truly benefit from
the product you’re offering
– and let them in on this wonderful knowledge
you have about this product
that can change his or her life.
If you truly care for the person
you’re writing to,
it will come through in your copy.”

Feeling Rich

With the economic troubles dominating the news,
consumers are being told to
pinch pennies
and cut indulgences.

People don’t like to cut their indulgences.
It makes them feel poor.

That disconnect creates an opportunity
for the smart marketer.

How?

Treat your best customers.

This could be as inexpensive
as sending them a piece of rich chocolate
or organizing a wine and cheese information night.

Make them feel rich.