We Want Your Vote!

With Election Day fast approaching, why not take advantage of the voting spirit by creating a few fun polls for your business? Here are some clever ways to gather opinions and reward your loyal customers in the process: Ask customers to vote for their favorite products or services. Send a postcard campaign or statement stuffer with a web link to an online ballot. Distribute campaign flyers. Post information on your Facebook page, website, or other social media channels. And have a ballot box at the main desk of your business, where customers can vote by paper ballot if they prefer. Encourage customers to learn more about your products by creating a game-like quest. Provide clues through various communication channels (email, direct mail, social media), and reward those who complete the quest. Inspire participation by offering a grand prize drawing, as well as a guaranteed coupon or smaller thank-you to all who vote. Create an "Election Day" sale to encourage extra traffic, and consider offering an additional discount to any customers who come from the polls wearing an "I voted" sticker. If you're creating an in-house promotion, remember that food is always a crowd pleaser. Consider offering cookies, cake, donuts, or simply coffee, hot chocolate, or cider. Provide a follow-up marketing campaign to announce the winner, and consider running an exclusive special on that particular product or service following the election. Maximize your promotions by offering combo specials that include your most popular products with lesser-known or newer products. Our creative experts are here anytime you need help spreading the word about an upcoming sale or promotion. Give us a call today!

Printing Is a Responsible Choice

In lieu of a "Think before you print" email tagline, we encourage you to consider adding something like this to your emails:

"It's OK to print responsibly. Not using paper in order to save trees is comparable to not eating salad in order to 'save' vegetables. Managed timberlands are similar to agricultural crops which provide clean air, clean water, and wildlife habitat, as well as millions of jobs nationwide." While there are many misconceptions about the paper and printing industries, we proudly stand behind them both, and we encourage you to check out these resources to learn more about why printing is a responsible choice: www.paperbecause.com -- Domtar's Paper Because campaign highlights the key role paper plays in our lives and the reasons why it's environmentally friendly. www.chooseprint.org -- Choose Print is an educational campaign designed to promote the effectiveness of print as a sustainable choice. www.rediscoverprint.com -- Rediscover Print is committed to searching out credible information, case studies, and statistics on how print makes a positive impact in our daily lives. www.twosides.info -- Two Sides promotes the responsible production and use of print and paper. The site provides information on why print and paper remain a versatile, sustainable communications medium

Is Direct Mail Really Dead?

Is Direct Mail Really Dead?

You may have heard the hype that direct mail has died and gone to junk mail heaven. Don't believe it. That talk comes from people who have never learned how to use direct mail correctly and effectively or who have a vested interest in spreading false and misleading information.

Why use direct mail? Because it works.

• It works in getting clients.
  
• It works to get your foot in the door.
  
• It works for lead generation.
  
• It works for growing traffic at brick-and-mortar (and even online) businesses.
  
• It works at differentiating your company from those who rely strictly on online communication.

Direct mail marketing is extremely reliable and extremely precise. It can be inexpensive and personalized. In fact, direct mail arrives more personally than any other medium and can deliver a message with 100% exposure.

In addition to all of this, direct mail...

• Requires virtually no tech skills
  
• Can be leveraged using shared advertising space
  
• Is what nearly all recipients prefer for unsolicited advertisement
  
• Can bring in business without someone actively searching for it
  
• Can be scaled infinitely
  
• Has worked for over a century without fail
  
• Has always been the king of all advertising
  
• Can take almost any business to any level of success desired
  
• Can be felt and not just seen
  
• Has an infinite shelf life

To be clear, "junk mail" is NOT what we are referring to as effective direct mail. Some companies with large marketing budgets can afford this type of "spray and pray" mailing.

Effective direct mail marketing takes some thought, planning, and strategy. It needs to be memorable, and it needs to stand out. Businesses of all size that are utilizing this powerful tool are still reaping the rewards.

No, direct mail isn't dead. It's alive and kicking. If you haven't tried it in a while, try it again. You won't be disappointed by the results.

Invite Them and They Will Come

Some companies think that a beautiful new website will instantly attract visitors like a moth to a light bulb. However, unless you turn the light on and direct them where to go, your visitors may wander aimlessly into your competitor's backyard. 

Here are a few mixed media marketing tips to draw visitors to your website: 

• Create a "web card" that highlights your site's benefits and entices readers to visit. Mail them as postcards, hand them out at trade shows, distribute them with purchases, and so on.
• Create videos and post them on YouTube. Not only does Google index your content, but viewers can embed your videos on their blogs and share them via social media.
• Offer free original content or blog postings to other publications in your niche market. Be sure to include a link to your website to draw new visitors from these high-traffic sources.
• Distribute news releases to print and web periodicals in your industry. Your website link will remain in news databases for several months and may improve traffic to your site and increase link popularity.
• Create a short but sweet email signature that encourages readers to visit your new website.
• Ask partnering or non-competing businesses to link to your site, and do the same in return.
• Post your website on trade sites and in specialized directories.
• Include your URL on everything you can think of, ranging from business cards, stationery, and marketing materials, to pens, shirts, hats, mugs, and more.
• Promote an exciting contest or giveaway, and direct people to sign up on your website.
• Encourage customer feedback through a survey on your website.
• Increase your SEO by editing existing content, removing barriers to the indexing activities of search engines, and increasing the number of links your website receives from other web sources.
• Create a Facebook or Twitter post announcing your website, and offer prizes for the first XX people who visit your website and sign up for your newsletter.
• Encourage repeat visitors by offering a bookmark button on your website, such as AddThis, a free content-sharing platform that helps you integrate sharing tools into your website, spread your content, and increase social traffic.

Educated Customers Are Your Best Customers

One of the biggest marketing mistakes many businesses make is failing to educate buyers about the unique advantages of their products and services, as well as their industry in general. Educated customers are not only more satisfied with their purchasing choices, but they are also more likely to share their wealth of information and tips with other information-savvy buyers. Here are a few ways to increase sales by educating your audience:

• Educate about pricing. If you're offering a special discounted price because you purchased in volume, let your customers know, so they understand why your prices aren't always so low. The same is true if your prices are higher than the competition -- explain that your products are of a higher quality, that your warranty is longer, or whatever other reasons you might have.

• Offer information on industry trends, developments, and new products via newsletters, blogs, social media posts, and the like. Provide webcasts, seminars, and guest speaking engagements at area events. Recommend helpful industry resources, such as books, magazines, and blogs.

• Use your background or experience to become involved in industry forums, where you can share your enthusiasm and knowledge. Offer valuable contributions, such as useful answers or tips that demonstrate your expertise. Back up your information with trusted sources.

• Provide reasons why you do business with select manufacturers or vendors, such as if they provide unbeatable quality, industry-leading warranties, or have been a dependable partner for several years.

• Offer a comparative analysis of your products versus the competition. Define the differences between your company and the competition with factual, credible information. Back it up with customer testimonials and references.

• Consider using on-hold messaging to educate and inform callers while they wait on the phone. This brief time slot offers a perfect opportunity to tell your audience something they may not know.

• Include educational content on your website, such as a "tips" section, an archive of blogs, e-newsletters, a glossary of industry terms, or other types of industry resources.

The more you can teach someone something they don't already know, the more they will trust you and gravitate toward you as an expert in your field. If you'd like help creating marketing materials that will not only impress but also educate your audience, give us
a call.

Bounce 'Em Back to Your Site

After all your work hard and marketing efforts enticing prospects to visit your website, it can be frustrating to see high bounce rates. Bounce rate is an Internet marketing term that represents the percentage of visitors who enter your website and bounce -- or leave the site -- rather than continuing to view other pages within your site or complete a desired action.

Here are a few common website mistakes that are often responsible for driving away potential customers:

• The basics. An unattractive design, spelling errors, broken links, images that take forever to load, and other annoyances will quickly cause visitors to lose trust and confidence in your business.

• Poor navigation. If visitors can't tell where they are, where to click next, or how to get back to your homepage, they will likely just exit.

• Complicated, lengthy web pages. Instead, provide information that is brief and organized with headlines and sub-headings, bulleted lists, and short paragraphs.

• Too many distractions. Popup ads, flashing information, and similar devices can easily frustrate or lead visitors away from your site.

• Dated content. How will visitors know if anything is the latest and greatest information if you don't take the time to update key areas on your website?

• Music or sound effects. These are not only annoying, but also embarrassing for visitors viewing your site from a public place. Users will likely close out of your site as quickly as possible.

• No contact information. While a "contact us" form is helpful, your website should also include your telephone number and physical address. The more contact information you include, the more visitors will be reassured you are legit.

• Asking too many questions. Requiring too much information from visitors may scare some away. Make it easy for visitors to request additional information by simply asking for their name and basic contact information. Also provide quick turnaround in response to show you respect their time.

Our creative team would love to help you develop outstanding marketing materials to supplement your website. Give us a call today!

Break the Barrier

During the mid 20th century, the one-mile run was a centerpiece event in track and field. In its illustrious history, no one had ever broken the four-minute time barrier. For years, doctors, scientists, and the general public believed that it was physically impossible for humans to run that fast. Then in 1954,Roger Bannister came along and proved all the experts wrong by running the race in less than four minutes.

What's more amazing is that within one year of Bannister's record-breaking race, 16 more runners broke the four-minute mile as well.

How could it be that all of a sudden so many athletes were able to break a seemingly impossible record that had stood for so long? There hadn't been a new technological breakthrough, nor could it be explained in any outward way.

One possible explanation is that none of those athletes truly believed it was possible to run the mile in under four minutes. Roger Bannister not only broke the physical barrier of running a sub-four-minute mile. He also broke a mental barrier that had been holding runners back for years.

We all have these types of mental barriers in our lives. We all have reasons in our minds why something can't be done. Most are self-made inner doubts and excuses.

Isn't it time to break through your four-minute-mile barrier?