5 Direct Mail Marketing Tips You Need to Know

Believe it or not, there are people out there that may be interested in your product or service.  Are you targeting the right prospects?  To improve your response rates, you must target an audience.  This also aids in keeping your expenses down for a direct mail marketing campaign.

Does your piece stand out?  People live cluttered lives thanks to numerous media outlets.  Don't take a chance of your mail piece getting lost in a pile of junk mail.  Your piece should stand out, grab the prospects attention, and use some sort of hook to draw people in.

Does your target audience care about your company or do they care about what you can do for them?  Your prospects care about what you can do for them.  In your direct mail marketing campaign, tell people how the features of your product will benefit them.  A direct mail campaign is about your consumer and their needs.  

Many companies alienate their prospects by using industry-specific jargon.  In your direct mail campaign, it's crucial that you research what language the average consumer is using to describe your product, industry, or service.  Then you can join the conversation on their terms and increase your chance of them hearing your message.  

As stated earlier, we live in a cluttered world.  Prospects will need to view a message multiple times before they're likely to do business with a company.  If you forget about your prospect, they will forget about you!  Make yourself consistent by keeping your company name in the forefront of their mind.  The next time that they see your mail, they're more likely to engage with it.  Another key factor in your marketing is to use multiple strategies.  Not everyone responds to specific marketing strategies.  Some people are very receptive to direct mail while others prefer email marketing or social media.  Use direct mail marketing in combination with other marketing techniques to ensure that prospects engage with your company however they feel the most comfortable.  

One of the easiest ways to encourage consumers to engage with your direct mail is by including a Personalized URL (PURL) on mail pieces.  A PURL is a "custom micro website created specifically for the recipient of a particular direct mail piece.  Not only does each recipient have a unique URL, but the landing page will greet that recipient by name!" 

Think about what you want to do differently in your next marketing campaign.  Visualize what you want to accomplish from your campaign.  There are numerous high quality products and businesses that fail due to poor marketing.  Don't let your business or product be one of them!  Think of some of the low quality products that succeed because of their marketing.  McDonald's is not known for their gourmet burgers and steak fries.  They're known for their offers, catchy promotions, and low prices.  And they've got $24 billion in revenue to prove it.  Anyone knows that Pizza Hut is not the best, gourmet pizza in your town.  There's always that one hole-in-the-wall, mom-and-pop pizza shop that knows your order before you even walk in.  Pizza Hut is successful because they focus on their marketing and view themselves as a marketing business - NOT a pizza business.  

We want to know: Pizza Hut and McDonalds are just two example of businesses that have succeeded because of their marketing, not necessarily their products.  Can you name any others? 

Use a Scientific Approach in Your Marketing

While there is no magic formula to advertising your business, if you want to be successful you must at least follow the science behind it. Consumer behavior is based on 4 components; communication (what you say and how you say it), identity (who the consumer is - you are what you buy), social status (among peers and potential mates), and overall well-being (why will this product make my life better). 

 

The effectiveness of most marketing campaigns roughly breaks down as follows. It's 20% about what your offering, 20% about how you say it, and 60% about who your saying it to. Of course you want an enticing offer, but not everyone thinks the same things are enticing, so before you design a promotion figure out who your trying to design it for. 

Make sure your data is accurate and up to date, take the time to clean your lists and confirm its quality. Finally, Make sure what your saying is well written for whoever your marketing too. An advertisement targeted at college kids should sound very different than one targeted at AARP members.

When you take a scientific approach to your advertising, you will undoubtedly see the results.


By: Will Pearlman

Are You Following the Rule of Thirds?

Whether you are designing a web page, setting up a photograph, or just looking out the window, the human eye operates the same. So to get the most out of your visual marketing strategy, it is best to apply what photographers call, "The Rule of Thirds."

The Rule of Thirds consists of dividing an image into 9 sections using two horizontal and two vertical lines. Then, essentially filling each of the 3 regions created with a different point of interest. Following this layout, you create a more visually stimulating image.

Everyone's eye takes in light the same way (unless you happen to be an owl). While we are viewing something we are drawn to a focal point between our peripheral vision. While it is not always noticeable, when images are designed without applying the rule of thirds, it can leave the viewer with a natural aversion to the graphic.

When designing your graphics for an advertisement make sure to apply the rule of thirds. The extra time spent in creatively laying out your marketing materials will pay off on the back end. When an image catches someone's eye it leaves a much longer impression. Furthermore, they are more likely to actually read your offer and positively associate with it. 

Interested in more information on Synergy and how we can help your business? Give us a call today at 714-824-3780 and speak with one of our friendly, knowledgable Sales Representatives who can answer all your questions.

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By: Will Pearlman

Modern Online Marketing On a Minimal Budget

A solid understanding of how often and how much your customers buy is important to the modern marketer. But the modern marketer must also look into why people make the purchases the way they do. Prospect marketing on the internet can be tricky, you want to target the right demographic without spending endless dollars flooding the web with ads - ads likely to get lost among the endless masses.

In 1970, it was estimated that the average American saw between 300 and 500 ads in a day. Today that number has increased 10 fold to 3,000 to 5,000 advertisements a day. I would even argue that 5,000 advertisements a day is a conservative estimate with smart phones and those video monitors that seem to be popping up everywhere. So finding a way for you to reach your customers and more importantly for them to easily find you on a tight budget can be tricky. Social media and pay-per-click advertising are great ways to make your presence known to potential clients, but the most effective internet promotions engage people away from their computers in addition to on them.

Why People Buy Things

Okay, so there isn't a clear cut answer for every decision people make (what with free will and all), but generally people are satisfying a want or desire when making a purchase. We do not shop based on our needs because, at least in America, most basic needs are met. Instead we make our purchases, even of essential items, based on our wants and aspirations. 

Modern Americans need laundry detergent (at least I like to think we all use it regularly), but some people will only buy Tide, or some other name brand. We all know those people that will never buy a store brand product. Why is that? Their desire to feel wealthy or the belief that because it costs more it must be better and I want the best, not the most functional. A placebo effect gives many of these people a greater satisfaction of their purchase. Even though the product is the same: Soap. For more about selling to needs check out: Marketing to Modern Americans: Selling Desire over Necessity

Social Media

Social media is a low-cost effective way to communicate with your current and potential clients, but you must stay active and persistent with it. Make sure you are active on a daily basis and are posting new content at least once a week. Also, diversify your content. Try to include some graphics, some articles, and videos if they are relevant or better yet; you can produce them. In addition, everyone has a twitter page and a blog, so make sure to link all your sites together, and re-post relevant articles from outside sources. The more you cross promote the quicker your following will grow.

Pay-per-click

A great way for small companies, companies with tight advertising budgets, or highly specialized industries to advertise is through pay-per-click ads. Many websites have great offers for this and Facebook is a prime example. You can select how much your willing to spend and only pay when someone actually clicks on your ad. 

You can spend as little as $15 a month or spend thousands. Even better, with Facebook and other social media sites, people volunteer information about themselves, so you can select specific demographics you want to show your ad to. Giving you the right exposure in the right places at the right price! Just remember, you pay for them to click on the ad, but you need to keep them on your site, so investing in the presentation quality and content on your site matters in addition to the advertising for it. 

Don't Only Use Internet Marketing Online

Coordinate a campaign that includes other mediums. Sending a direct mail piece that encourages someone to check out an offer online might not always get them to go to the site. But having seen your offer in their mailbox, they are much more likely to click on your Facebook ad or read your blog later. If you only plan on advertising online then make sure you have a wide variety of content that has some coordinated message. Giving your prospective customers a clear understand of how your business fulfills their wants by stimulating different emotions or senses through videos, images, music, and text. The more tangible your business becomes in their lives, the more satisfying your business will become!

Interested in More Information on Synergy Vx and how we can help your business? Give us a call today at 714-824-3780 and speak with one of our friendly, knowledgable Sales Representatives who can answer all your questions.

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By: Will Pearlman

The Marketing Superhero Says:

Keep it simple when sending a mailer! The last thing people like is cluttered text, bright and confusing colors, and unrelated imagery. With a mail piece you are just trying to get their attention and entice them to act on something, so get to the point, make it catchy and clear and you'll see a much better response rate!

Interested in More Information on Synergy Vx and how we can help your business? Give us a call today at 714-824-3780 and speak with one of our friendly, knowledgable Sales Representatives who can answer all your questions.

Interested in Reading More from Synergy? Sign Up For Our Newsletter By Clicking Here

By: Will Pearlman

Building Customer Loyalty, The Easy Way!

Your customers and their needs
should always be at the center of
everything you do

What's better than earning someone's business? Why earning someone's loyalty of course! The ultimate sign that your business or product is successful is having lots of repeat business and word of mouth advertising from your customers. So how do you go from wanting it to having it?

Be the Best

Don't just say your the best, actually do it!

The first step is an easy one. Make your product or service the best it can be. Regardless  of price, if people don't like what your selling, it'll be hard to convince them to buy it again. Obviously do this within a workable model, (don't make toothpaste that costs $100 a tube, Duh!) but, whatever you can do to make your product the best do it. Don't cut corners!

Focus on the Customer & Hire Personality

Make it your number one priority to be the leader in customer service and not just when problems arise. Make your mark from the moment a potential customer contacts your business; whether online, over the phone, or in person, ensure they feel valued and express a willingness to met all their requests while creating a positive environment. 

The Old Saying, "Happy Employees, Make Happy Customers"
 or something like that

Be caring and willing to go the extra mile. It might sound  cliche, but we all know MOST businesses do NOT do this anymore. We all experience it everyday. So make your business stands out by setting the standard. With that said, hire your employees carefully. According to Jane Judd, Senior Manager of Customer Loyalty at Zappos.com, "You can train someone to answer calls, but you can’t train someone to be positive and happy. Hire the right people and the rest should fall into place."

Say Thanks

Everyone likes to feel appreciated!

Sending thank you cards is an important part of keeping your customers loyal. Depending on the type of business, a simple thanks for your order email might suffice. For some business, you might want to send a gift bag and a handwritten note. Figure out what is right for your business and also what is financially feasible. 

Create a Customer Loyalty Program

No matter what industry your in, loyalty programs work.
If for no other reason than it makes your customers FEEL valued

People like to feel like a part of something. So make a loyal customer rewards program, these work in many more settings than just your local sandwich shop. Offer your customers 10% off their next order just for being a loyal customer. If your a lawyer, maybe for new cases from old clients, you waive certain fees. Get creative if your in a service industry. In the long run, these little discounts shouldn't hurt your bottom line and they make your customers feel appreciated and part of the "in" crowd. People really do appreciate a simple gesture of gratitude. So give them one, it's easy!

Remember Important Dates

Ok, so your clients won't be as mad
as your wife for forgetting, but it is important
to extend a professional relationship
beyond business meetings

Ok, so its not realistic for most businesses to send every customer or client a birthday card. But the clients who have been with you the longest, or the largest accounts, do just a little more for you. So, make them feel special because, well, they are! The large accounts help you keep your doors open and clients who have been with you for a long time are usually your best recruiters! They obviously like you and your service so they are likely to send their friends your way! Send a holiday car
.d out to as many clients as you can, but remember personal events (birthdays, anniversaries, birth of children, etc . . .) help you stand alone at the top. 

Don't Hide Your Customer Service

Don't hide from customer interaction,
Embrace it in all its forms!

Nowadays, the business world has a generally poor reputation for customer service. On most websites the customer support line is hidden in the corner of a 'contact us' page that you can only get to via small print at the bottom of the site. Sure the sales number is in bold letters, but nothing about help and service. Don't hide your service! Make it a proud selling point. People like to know there is someone they can talk to about their problems who is knowledgable, but with that said, make sure your customer service staff is trained and selected to deliver!

Regardless of your product, service, industry, or business size, creating a loyal customer base is the foundation for the growth of your business, so take these steps to make your customers keep coming back to you!

Interested in more information on Synergy and how we can help your business? Give us a call today at 714-824-3780 and speak with one of our friendly, knowledgable Sales Representatives who can answer all your questions.

Interested in Reading More from Synergy? Sign Up For Our Newsletter By Clicking Here

By: Will Pearlman

Thank Your Customers, and They'll Thank You With Their Business!

Synergy Says: 
July 2012
________________________________________________________

Thank Your Customers, and They'll Thank You With Their Business!

Nowadays, people underestimate the value of a good thank you. Many of us might even be thrown off guard when someone does say thanks. However, no where is expressing appreciation more important than in business.

Saying Thanks is Important,
No Matter How Big or Small!

When someone elects to use your business, it is their way of saying thanks for being exactly what I am looking for. So don't shy away from thanking them in return.

If you accept the general principal that roughly 80% of yours business comes from 20% of your customers, then you know who you should be thanking. The large accounts help you keep your doors open and clients who have been with you for a long time are usually your best recruiters! They obviously like you and your service so they are likely to send their friends your way!

People Remember that You Remembered,
So Try to Remember!

Send a holiday card out to as many clients as you can, but remember that personal events (birthdays, anniversaries, birth of children, etc . . .) help you stand alone at the top. Of course every customer is valuable and deserves to be shown gratitude, but financially, it doesn't make sense to send personalized gifts to everyone. A simple thank you card will suffice for most clients. But, for bigger clients, try to get something they would enjoy; tickets to a sporting event, a gift bag, anything. If your unsure, don't worry, people always like free stuff.  

By expressing your appreciation to your customers, you will remain on their minds and they will continue to expand their business with you and share your company with their friends. Thanking your customers helps increase your word of mouth advertising, and even in todays digital age, word of mouth advertising still cannot be beat. 

Synergy can help you thank your clients with personalized thank you cards and interactive solutions for all your marketing needs! Get a FREE Quote or Call Us Today at 714-824-3780!

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By: Will Pearlman

Combining Print and Social Media Marketing: Augmented Reality and Digital Watermarks

Modern Marketing has shifted to weighing heavily on social media and the internet. In part, because it is cheap and it can be effective, sometimes. As the marketplace dynamically changes on a weekly basis with the latest app, finding the latest ways to integrate your online and traditional marketing are the key to business success. Here are some of the latest ways using Augmented Reality and Digital Watermarks!

Aurasma

One of the coolest current technologies out there is an app called Aurasma. This app uses whats called, Augmented Reality Actions or Auras to display videos on a piece of mail through the app on your phone. Which video plays can even be coded by several criteria.

Aurasma Demo:

The Pros:
This type of technology is very cool and highly engaging. Aurasma is an app they would have to download for this to work so including this in an ad where you say something like, "watch this postcard come to life using Aurasma from the App store" could intrigue someone into checking your ad out, just out of curiousity, even if the offer doesn't catch their eye.


The Cons:
The one MAJOR con is that this technology is not widespread yet. Most people won't even pick up on the idea that the postcard can turn into a video through their smart phone. You definitely would have to explain how to use the feature on your advertisement. I listed this as a pro as well, but that depends on your demographic. If you are marketing to a tech-savy group, then this would be a great way to engage them. However, for the average person, this might be a little too advanced at least at the moment. Moreover, effective video content is not always the cheapest or easiest thing to produce, especially for small and local businesses.

Layar

Another great technology, especially for those who offer a variety of products, is called Layar. Layar allows you to add digital links and information on your phone when holding it over the mail piece. It operates in a similar manner to Aurasma using augmented reality.

Layar Demo:

The Pros: This is extremely valuable to anyone who would use a catalog. This would allow your customers to flip through a catalog and when they like a product, they can simply hold their phone over the catalog and place an order or find out more information. Allowing your customers to have the tangible catalog with the ease of digital media will make their experience interactive and more enjoyable. Layar also works well with regular mail pieces as well, allowing you to add digital content to any mailer.


The Cons: Similar to Aurasma, Layar is still new technology that most people are unfamiliar with. However, this app is much simpler to use and I would expect it to catch on much quicker than Aurasma.

Digimarc

The last app I'll talk about for now is Digimarc. Digimarc is similar to Layar in that it is a way to place digital media on a printed mailer. However Digimarc goes a little further by creating a watermark. Unlike layar, where the content is place above the mailer, Digimarc places it in the mailer. The app acts almost like a secret decorder ring from those sugary cereals we ate as kids.

Digimarc Demo:

The Pros: Digimarc is a good tool to catch people's attention on an ad: "Use the Digimarc app to decode a secret offer in this mailer!" It is also relatively easy to use and actually integrated into Pinterest. Digital watermarks are the future, because they do not require any visible mark, that means no QR code!


The Cons: Digimarc is a little more complicated to use and everything must be printed on the image. However, with digital watermarks, be careful if you make a "secret offer" you are not isolating those customers without smart phones or those who just don't use the app. Also, digital watermarks aren't quite as impressive or advanced as augmented reality, but it is currently more widely used.

Interested in more information on Synergy and how we can help your business grow? Give us a call today at 714-824-3780 and speak with one of our friendly and knowledgable Sales Representatives who can answer all your questions.

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By: Will Pearlman

Niche Branding: Becoming a 'Household Brand' Regardless of Your Industry or Size

You Want to Stand Out Among the Competition!

The strength of your branding will determine the success of your company. Regardless of your industry or market, becoming a household staple should be the goal of your company, even if you are small. Don't think you need to be Tide or Coca-Cola to be a household brand. Just be the brand in everyone's house for your niche! Whether you are a local pizza place or a regional law firm, branding your business will highlight what distinguishes your company above your competitors. In order to brand yourself, you must engage your target demographic across multiple platforms, and become integrated in their daily lives.

What Exactly is "Branding"?

Branding is taking your business from just a general company to having a well-founded reputation -most reputations are created before they are earned in modern business times. For some businesses, this involves creating uniform company logos and fancy product titles, for others it is about a new message. Branding is essentially: becoming an icon in your industry. Now, most people think of "name" brands because they have such a heavy impact on our daily lives. However, there are local and region businesses that have the same impact, as Kleenex and Colgate do on the national level, in their communities. And that is what every small business should strive to be, the 'name' brand for their niche/community!

Habituation: Getting Used to It

People Have a Tough Time Making Decisions,
so When We Find Something  We Are Comfortable With,
 We Stick With It!

As people get used to something (it could be an idea, a product, a climate, etc), they develop a level of comfort via their learned management of expectations for that something. This is called habituation in psychological circles. In advertising circles, some would call this brand loyalty. Once people are comfortable with a product; purchasing it, operating it, and the results it produces, they tend to continue to use it, out of comfort. People are hesitant to stray from a product they are comfortable with for something else, unless the risk is deemed worth it. 

Now obviously people are more willing to take a risk on a new restaurant than they are a new lawyer, but merely establishing a presence as a brand instead of just another business will generate additional comfort and habituate new customers to your business. So now, how do you go from just another business to a brand?

Build a Focused Campaign Across all Channels

Send a Message That Represents Your Business
and How It Meets the Concerns of Your  Potential Customers

Spot your key demographic. (For More Info: Check Out Targeting Your Best Customers to Find Your Best Prospects) Then, design a message for your brand. Find the primary aspect of your company you want to push. This is where advertising becomes difficult for most business owners because they cannot be objective. When you put your life into building a business, you want it to be perceived through your eyes, however that might not be what is best for the business. Think about the best demographic for your business and what is most important TO THEM, then build your campaign around that message. Whatever angle you decide to push, make sure your message is catchy, clear, and concise.

Once you have your niche demographic and what you want to say to them, you need to determine how to spread your message. There is no single miracle in advertising; some things work well, some don't, some work well once and not again, others don't work at first and then work incredibly well. For this reason, in addition to creating a presence and habituating your demographic to your brand (as discussed previously), you must have a multichannel presence. 

A Uniform Message

The various mediums through which you advertise need to send the same brand message. Many businesses make the mistake of trying to say too much about themselves. So they send a mailer about one thing and have a billboard about another. A scattered approach can work mildly to generate some interest in a business. But your looking to be more than a business, your looking to be a brand - an established and widely utilized resource in your market's community. 

Build Your Brand!

Send one strong message about your company and make it interactive and use multiple channels. Use mailers with personalized websites where people can redeem offers, make interactive websites, do anything to familiarize people with your message in various settings and stimulating various senses. Let your message become an indelible trademark of your brand. Once people have built this association, they will habituate to your role in their lives and you will have become integrated in their household, i.e. a household brand. 

Interested in More Information on Synergy Vx and how we can help your business? Give us a call today at 714-824-3780 and speak with one of our friendly, knowledgable Sales Representatives who can answer all your questions.

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By: Will Pearlman

Focus Your Marketing Campaign to Increase Your ROI!

Synergy Says: Focus Your Marketing Campaign

and Increase Your ROI!

Nowadays, everyone from your dentist to your favorite pizza place has a facebook page and markets through some combination of advertising platforms. But, if everyone is talking at you from a different angle, sometimes its hard to sort through the clutter. That is why one cogent advertising campaign executed across multiple channels is the best way to engage your customers!

Almost all businesses advertise across multiple channels. Modern small businesses, who can't afford a tv commercial or high profile campaign, still have a website, send a mailer, place a weekly ad in the paper and have a radio spot. Many people think by diversifying their marketing strategy they are expanding their customer base, but most of the time, they are just shrinking it. Imagine fishing with 10 lines and no bait, you won't catch much, but if you fish with 5 lines and bait the hooks well, you'll fill your boat quickly. Many marketing strategies are like fishing without bait. They are inefficient because they are SAYING the wrong things, even if they are in the right places.  There are many places to advertise, so make sure your saying the right things! Remember, engaging your customers across multiple platforms infuses your product into your potential customer's life on a regular basis. And, regularity leads to familiarity and therefore, comfort with a company, product, or idea. A comprehensive strategy with a clear purpose will do just that. Moreover, by using the same branding message across multiple channels, you can create a more interactive experience for the consumer. At Synergy, we can create a mail campaign for you that includes an interactive website, among other multichannel options, to engage your potential customers! Funnel everything you want to say about your company into one message directed at an appropriate demographic for your business Depending on your style of campaign, you might not have the diversity in customers you were going for originally with a campaign spread across multiple advertising mediums, but your ROI will be greater, and your business will grow more efficiently into additional markets. And after all, isn't growing your business what it is all about? Interested in More Marketing News and Advice? Check Out All the Latest from Synergy at our blog and don't forget to find us on Twitter @SynergyVx!

Let Us Help Your Business Grow,  Give Synergy a Call at 714-824-3780 Follow Us Online! Interested in Reading More from Synergy? Sign Up For Our Newsletter By Clicking Here