Direct Marketing

Webinar: Common Local Search Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)

On 03.05.10, In direct marketing, local search, relationship marketing, By jennifer

Started off yesterday morning with a local search webinar with Gregg Stewart of 15miles. First off, I really like how they came up with their name – which happens to be a great tidbit about local search.

More Useful Factoids

The name “15 miles” refers to the fact that roughly 80% of consumer purchases to happen within 15 miles of their home.

Local search grew 46% this last year while general searches grew at 31%

After searching, consumer activity breaks down to look like this: 46% contacted business via phone, 37% visited the location, 11% used online contact

What Kind of Local Strategy?
Another strong point that Gregg brought up that was many businesses don’t have a comprehensive view of their online marketing strategy. As he put it, it’s not an either/or but an and strategy. This includes efforts in paid search, organic search, internet yellow pages, social media and mobile content. Just because you’re doing well in one segment doesn’t mean that you should scale back or ignore the other ones. The most successful businesses will realize the benefit of having a wide-ranging plan of attack to stand out against their competitors.

Resources for Local Search

If you haven’t already, there are many resources that you can take advantage of in starting your local search campaign. Gregg recommends: internet yellow pages, major search engines, Angie’s list, local search sites (Citysearch/Yelp), industry related blogs (including your local chamber of commerce) and more. Here’s a handy list of tools from Duct Tape Marketing.

Tagged with: google • local search • marketing objectives • relationship marketing

Free is the Future

On 02.03.10, In advertisements, direct marketing, relationship marketing, By jennifer

Attended a webinar with Chris Anderson of Wired Magazine this morning. The topic for today was “Is “FREE” the future of business?”

Chris went over some history about how some of the biggest companies started and flourished by promoting free stuff. Did you know that Gillette promoted free products to create a need for their disposable razors? And Jell-O began by giving out free recipe books with their main product as the key ingredient? Even in early 1900’s, marketers were looking for ways to appeal to consumer wants of “free” stuff. Nowadays, this idea can still be applied to digital goods and services.

This led to another topic that I found interesting – freemium. This refers to web services that are free for the general public, while the upgraded services come at a cost. Great idea, isn’t it? Take a look at Flickr and the New York Times. These sites are free to use but if you really want the good stuff, it will cost you. Free is not just a marketing gimmick, but a viable source that some companies thrive off of.

When it comes to your business or small businesses in general, how do you foresee the use of “free”?

Tagged with: free • freemium • webinar • wired magazine

Reaching Out to Different Twitter Users

On 01.25.10, In direct marketing, online viral marketing, relationship marketing, By jennifer

Applying Marketing Goals with Twitter
From raising brand awareness to simply gaining sales, there are many different direct marketing goals. You can even use Twitter as an extension of your customer service. As you think about the goals you want to set for your business, you should also think about using Twitter to reach your audience. There are some different consumers to consider before you start and today, we’re going to discuss the Twitter voyeur.

Taking a Look at the Voyeur
Let’s face it, there are lots of them. They go by many names: the voyeur, the lurker, the shy guy, or even the n00b. Not everyone on Twitter is actively contributing, but their presence can’t be ignored. For example, you may be a boutique owner. Although it’s great to network by following others in your industry, they’re not going to buy what you have to sell. It’s the customers you want to reach out to. Offer rewards and give your followers the inside scoop. Inactive users may stay quiet, but they make take advantages of good deals you offer. Not everyone wants to build and maintain an online relationship with their so-called “friends”. It takes thought and effort, so others may just not have the time.

Monitor with Twitter
Even for those who don’t post to Twitter, it doesn’t mean that they’re not watching. Twitter is a useful, social, and entertaining resource. Some may just browse Twitter’s trending topics to see what others have to say. Twitter is a great tool for small business or individuals to use to gain insight. Bigger companies definitely use it to monitor their brand.

Use Common Sense
Although Twitter is an informal channel, don’t fly blind by forgetting to set a goal. In direct marketing, you have the influencer, decision maker, buyer etc. You can appeal to these same types of consumers when it comes to Twitter. The best thing you can do is to be consistent with your marketing message. Keep some Twitter don’ts in the back of your mind while you do so, and have fun!

Tagged with: consumers • direct marketing • online marketing • twitter

What Matters in Business

On 12.28.09, In advertisements, direct marketing, By jennifer

What’s the big deal about studying business? As famed father of management, Peter Drucker was noted for saying, “Business has only two basic functions – marketing and innovation.”

The Ever-Innovative Apple

Of course, these aren’t the only two things that make business possible, but they are arguably the most important functions. Apple is an excellent example of an innovative company. From the iPod to the pending iSlate, Apple has definitely set a higher standard when it comes to setting technology trends. Since its groundbreaking introduction in 1984, Apple has revolutionized the way that we work and play. Sure, other companies sell similar products, but Apple has an advantage when it comes to market share. Innovation? Yes, but their marketing tactics are also responsible for their success.

Comparing Marketing: Target vs. Wal-Mart

Marketing serves an essential business function. The general marketing mix focuses on the four P’s of: product, price, promotion and place, but it does much more than that. I mean, who cares if you have a fantastic product if no one knows about it? Let’s take two retailers for example: Target and Wal-Mart. Although these two giants are not identical, they offer similar items. From toilet paper to fresh produce, both convenient retailers offer household items and more. Target’s marketing and fun advertisements has made cheap – chic, while Wal-Mart’s cheap approach… just seems cheap.

In short, business consists of many elements that would not work without each other. If you want to succeed in business, you can’t just do one thing and do it well. It requires you to wear different hats – whether it is marketing, finance, self-management or something more. Most importantly, you have to be prepared to keep up with the changing times.

Tagged with: advertisements • marketing

What Does 2010 Have in Store for Direct Marketing?

On 12.21.09, In direct marketing, By jennifer

Putting Promotion in Motion

Where do direct marketing efforts stand during a recession? Surprisingly, the increase of marketing efforts can clearly be seen, even though marketers have been struggling. In light of the rough economic times, some companies may be putting their direct marketing efforts on the backburner. While pushing this segment aside is a questionable approach, it’s still best for most companies to incorporate multiple methods in their marketing mix. Like any other investment, you should accurately monitor its performance for the most effective use.

Why Direct Marketing?

Experts predict that with every $1 spent on a direct marketing, companies can expect a return of about $11. Be doing your research and targeting the right consumers, companies may see excellent business from their investment. When you first hear about direct marketing, telemarketing may be the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, other effective forms of direct marketing includes: direct mail, coupons, emails, infomercials, and a combination of all of the above. With a wide variety of advertising channels, marketers have the choice of utilizing a method that best suits their needs.

Change Your Approach

If you continue your marketing efforts as scheduled, it may pay off to change your approach. During Christmastime, my email inbox gets loaded with offers. Most of the time, these pesky email blasts go straight in the trash. As one spectator pointed out, it helps to help consumers. Why not differentiate by informing them about something they’re interested in or helping them out with a problem? In a way, your smaller budget is a positive asset as it forces you to be more creative with your marketing plan. As the holidays come and the year draws to a close, it’s the best time to think of your strategy for 2010.

Tagged with: direct marketing • marketing objectives

Helpful Marketing Tools

On 07.09.09, In Search Engine Optimization (SEO), direct marketing, By jennifer

Whether you are self-employed or working a 9-5, it’s important to be on the lookout for new and useful marketing tools. With the tumultuous economy, free marketing tools can especially be helpful. So, which ones are really work? Well, it’s up to you to find what works for you but it definitely does not hurt to browse. You’ll be surprised at the resources available. For example, Marketing Experiments Blog has many useful tools, including a compilation of fourteen free spreadsheets for optimization. Here are a few other websites that I find helpful:

CurdBee: A free online billing utility via PayPal or Google Checkout – especially useful for freelancers and small businesses.
DirectMail: Provides a variety of consumer and business lists. You’ll be able to directly target consumers by age, estimated income, business type, and more.
WuFoo: An application that allows anybody to create online forms such as: surveys, event calendars, online orders and home finances.
Copyscape: Allows you to find unauthorized copies of your content online.
iWebTool: Has resources such as page rank checker, search engine position, and broken link checker.

Have any other useful tools that you’d like to share?

Tagged with: direct marketing • mail order • online marketing • search engine optimization

What is Direct Marketing?

On 04.21.09, In direct marketing, By jennifer

Direct marketing is simply the business of selling products or services directly to the public by mail order, telephone, fax, e-mails, or web selling, rather than through retailers.

This type of marketing can have two objectives:

The thirst to obtain new clients. The identification of new potential clients is very crucial when it comes to recruit new prospects and transformed them into your clients.
The perpetual loyalty of clients. A loyal consumer cost less than recruiting a new one.

This is the reason why direct marketing exist which is to maintain the relation between the company and his cli

Tagged with: direct marketing • emails • fax • mail order • marketing • marketing objectives • web selling

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