Synergy Says: It's the Season of Greetings! So Be Personal!
One of the best ways to say “Thank You” this holiday season is with a custom greeting card. With a 99% open rate, greeting cards are guaranteed to increase the ROI on your next marketing campaign.
This holiday season, thank long-time customers for their continued business to maintain retention. Use a greeting card as a unique way to make yourself memorable to potential clients.
Holidays, birthdays, and meeting follow-ups are easily recognized through a seasonal greeting card. During the time of year where we are encouraged to give thanks, remind your customers that you are thankful for their business.”
Custom greetings cards do wonders with: -A 99% open rate -Guaranteed to increase the ROI -Show your customers you care
Maintain your long-time customers and help welcome new ones with these personalized cards and you’ll make yourself memorable to your client base. The Holiday’s are the season of giving and thanks so remind your customers you are thankful for their business. Did You Know? Consumers who have used a social networking site in the past 12 months are 29% more likely to be heavy responders to direct mail over any other media channel.
Die-Cutting is a great way to be festive this holiday season and stand out amongst the competition. We can make your mailer shaped like anything from you logo to a product to the front of your building!At Synergy, our goal is to create a dynamic direct marketing campaign that is sure to generate leads for your business.
As the days begin to get shorter again and with the school year right around the corner, it's time to get back to the regular flow of business. As people return from the various summer activities re-energized, what are you doing to capture that energy to help your business grow?
Here are a few tips from Synergy to help your business blossom as we head into the autumn months . . .
1. Focus on 1 Product, Offer, or Service - Whatever your marketing and whatever your strategy, don't confuse your customers and prospects by sending them multiple promotional opportunities.
Focus your campaign on one product or service
to avoid creating a nebulous haze for your prospects.
Your advertising is merely getting the conversation going, then when they contact your business, either online, via phone, or in-person, they will be exposed to your wide range of products. But keep it simple in your advertising otherwise you will lose their attention and lose a customer.
2. Track Your Campaign - With programs like Vx from Synergy, and countless other tools available, its easy to track your marketing campaign and gather information about your prospects, so make sure you do it. The more you know about your marketing the more successful you'll be, so don't be lazy about it, it'll pay off for you in the end!
You'll save money by only sending your advertising to people its relevant to and you'll get a high response rate because you can make a more specific appeal.
3. Target Your Campaign - The old saying goes, "when your marketing to everyone, you market to no one." No campaign can appeal to every person, so find the niche that is best for your company and design your marketing around their needs.
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!
Interested in Reading More from Synergy? Sign Up For Our Newsletter ByClicking Here
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?
The right data list makes all the difference in prospect
marketing. In order to build your client base you need to figure out which
clients are the best prospects for your business. So here are a few tips to make
sure when you buy consumer data you get the most bang for your
buck!
First, Know Your
Prospect
Before purchasing any
list, make sure you know what you want and why you want it. At Synergy, we can
help you determine which potential clients are ideal for your business and
budget. Nowadays, data lists can be sorted by countless qualifiers, so
understanding to whom you are marketing is critical
before you start contacting data companies. You have to
know what your looking for since some companies specialize their services for
specific industries.
Before you start
looking, you need to know who you are looking for!
Consider your
potential client's perspective, I.E. What makes your business a perfect fit for
their needs - from the prospect's perspective? According to the Aberdeen study
on the science of sales intelligence, 42% of companies have insufficient
knowledge of the business needs of their prospects. So do the preparatory work
before you start looking at data, it'll save you time and money in the long
run.
Not
All Data Lists Are Equal
Make
sure you check out different companies and ask about different options. Find out
how the data company generates their list so that you know its the right
prospects for your business. Take advantage of the services data companies offer
such as sorting and cleaning.
Remember, your not buying a list for
one-time use, it's an investment in your company!
Use
Multiple Sources
When buying a
prospecting list, it should come from multiple data sources. Check with the data
company to see where they get their information. Data lists complied from
multiple sources tend to be:
More accurate
More detailed
Unique (So your competition can't mail to the
same list!)
Keep It Clean
Data
lists are like gardens, if you don't tend to them, they will die. Buy a prospect
list from a company that automatically updates the list for you on a regular
basis. If that is not an option, we can manage your list for
you!
According to the United States Postal Service, the quality of a data
lists deteriorates by approximately 2% a month, so make regularly updating your
list a habit so that you won't waste time and money advertising to a dead
end.
Interested in Reading More from Synergy? Sign Up For Our Newsletter ByClicking Here
SYNERGY SAYS: Lumpy Mailing for the Every Marketer
APRIL 2012
One of the biggest problems facing direct mail marketers today is the sheer volume of marketing materials being presented to buyers via direct mail every day. Everyday people open their mailbox to find stacks of postcards, envelopes, and catalog and are faced with the task of sorting the mail. Direct mail marketers spend hours obsessing over this daily practice, trying to figure out how to keep mailers out of the trash pile or the maybe pile and into the “I need to take care of this now” pile. And we have seen some creative tactics over the years. But recently “guerrilla” mail marketers are changing the shape of their direct mail campaigns- literally.
What
is Lumpy Mail?
Sending unsolicited packages or envelopes stuffed with freebies and trinkets to make it look like there is something more valuable in an envelope than a sales letter. Lumpy mailers are known for generating double digit response rates- consistently. They maximize on customer curiosity- not knowing the contents or sender of a strange package is enough to drive potential buyers crazy, or at least drive them to open the package.
Open rates. Prospects and
potentials can’t seem to rip into full envelopes fast enough, and even when
sent to a poorly selected list of prospects lumpy mail is SURE to get opened.
Response rates are also much higher than on average direct mail campaigns (which
typically illicit a 1-3% response) some companies are boasting a 50%
response on Lumpy campaigns, making the additional investment of lumpy mailers
more than worth the expense.
The major problem is redemption.
Even with great design, and an envelope full of lumps and trinkets enticing
potential buyers to OPEN the envelope getting them to redeem the offer you’re
presenting is another step all together.
With its extra packaging, inserts,
and cheap trinkets, lumpy mail is clearly wasteful.
Environmentally conscious prospects really dislike receiving a
package full of plastics and papers that is going to end up in the trashcan,
and this distaste can carry over and effect brand image over time. Not to mention the additional
expense of producing the materials, print, and perhaps the biggest expenditure-
postage, are enough to over extend any marketing budget.
PSSST...
Sign Up Now for $100 off of your next direct mail order
from Synergy.
Tactics that make expensive lumpy
mailers effective can easily be scaled down to fit into direct mail campaign. Great
design, clever tag lines, unique packaging and just plain creativity are enough
to tempt most consumers sense of curiosity into opening an envelope, but to
really initiate a worthwhile return on investment mailers need to focus not
on open rates, but redemption rates.
Postcards
The thrifty alternative to lumps
A postcard can be dressed up
into a killer campaign when "lumpy tactics" are applied- and for a
fraction of the cost. Here are five simple tricks to take your postcards to the
next level:
1.
Personalize:Digital variable printing makes it possible to include each
recipients name on the cover of the postcard they receive
2.
Di-Cutting:Sick of the standard Square Postcard? We can di-cut your mail
piece into the shape of your product, or any other shape you desire!
3.
Go BIG!8.5"X 11 postcards are sure to
make your statement, and stand out in a mailbox!
4.
Think mysterious:Send out a postcard with simply a Personalized URL on the front.
Recipients will have to know what offer you have waiting especially for them on
their own Landing Page!
5.
Shock it up...Us an unlikely image on the front of your postcard, such
as extremely close up shot, or surreal looking photo to catch recipients off
guard.
Post cards are great, but sometimes (particularly in business to business mailings) post cards cannot deliver even close to the response of a postcard. Why? A letter presented in an envelope is more likely to be delivered to the addressee, the purchaser, rather than get tossed out by the person who filters the mail. Often, a letter in an envelope is a more formal way to reach out to prospects and customers, but the distinct disadvantage is that in order to present your offer, you have to convince your prospect to first open the envelope. Thankfully, we have some experience here and we are willing to share what we have figured out from many mailings past.
Should YOU test your mailer in an envelope?
Sneak past the gate keeper
Some companies’ products and services are better suited to mailers sent in envelopes than others. Generally speaking, any business to business mailer will have a higher response if mailed in an envelope- even if it is as simple as sticking a postcard into an envelope. A plain envelope is the most likely to get past the administrative assistant sorting mail and into the hands of decision makers The goal is to get the offer past the assistant sorting mail and into the hands of decision makers. Finance companies, insurance companies, and credit offers are always better served in an envelope. But it doesn’t stop there, our envelope mailings have worked for many professionals including; doctors, dentists, realtors, home improvement companies, travel agencies, and many others!
Advertisements for anything generally perceived as an impulse buy is better left out of an envelope so offers can be used to grab the attention of the reader as they sort through the “junk” mail.
Target with Precision
We might sound like a broken record here, but data selection is the most important part of any mail campaign. Regardless of design, offer, personalization or any other features you equip your mailer with, you will not evoke a response unless you are soliciting the appropriate audience. Take extra care when ordering or selecting the list of those you wish to mail to, and consider working with your local data vendor to create a “customer model” of your ideal prospective buyer.
Once you have selected the ideal mailing list you need to optimize the layout and design of your piece to best entice those who will be receiving your mailer. One of the best ways to grab the eye of any potential customer is to call them out by name. Instead of addressing the envelope to RESIDENT, CEO, or valued customer, address the envelope with the name of the person you wish to reach. If you do not have this information in your own data, there are plenty of data companies that can provide you with a list of names, addresses, job titles, and even phone numbers if you wish.The more your mailer appears like a personal correspondence, the more likely your potential client will open and read it, so even consider putting a little note on the front of the envelope with the prospects first name inviting them to look inside. Keep in mind that 69% of people will open an envelope just because there name is on it.
Be Consistent.
A recent study conducted at Cornell University by Dr. Alice Isen concluded that, regardless of the product, if people are familiar with the brand, they will rate a product more favorably if they like it and less harshly if they do not. Therefore, the more familiar a prospect is with your brand, logo, and offer, the more favorably they will feel towards it. Response and redemption rates prove this theory; the best response rates occur the second or third time a piece is mailed to the same list. If you’re worried about getting boring, rotate the outer envelope to keep your prospects guessing. People are forgetful, so sending the same mailer multiple times can serve as a gentle reminder about your offer. Just be careful not to drive people crazy (Read More).
Putting together a successful direct mail campaign is no easy task; and there are so many factors that play into the success of a mail campaign it is easy to sweat the small stuff while major mail faux pas slip through the cracks. In an effort to save everyone the headache associated with mismanaged mailers, we have put our heads together and utilized our collaborative direct mailing experience to concoct this ultimate reference for direct mail planning.
What Factors Affect Response Rates?
Three Keys to Success
The average consumer spends less than a minute examining a direct mail piece. With that in mind, there are very few factors that actually have an impact on response in that amount of time. So when planning remember that in the 60 seconds a potential customer spends looking over a mail piece, there are really only three things that are going to make a significant difference in response:
The list (who are you mailing to? are they interested in what you have to offer?) determines up to 60% of the success of the campaign
The Offer (10% off, free sandwich, etc. What are you presenting to customers that calls them to act) determines 25% of the success
The design (postcard, letter in envelope- what does your mailer look like, how is it branded etc.) accounts for up to 15% of the success of a campaign.
Customer Attrition is not a new problem. However, the dawn of social media has sparked what is being called the “communication revolution,” and it is easier than ever for customers to seek out new companies to do business with and voice their opinion when they’re unhappy. Marketers are more aggressive than ever before and with targeted marketing campaigns dropping into prospects’ inboxes, newsfeeds, mail boxes and even cell phones, people are being flooded with offers from companies begging for their business.
All of the competition for business has proven customer loyalty to be difficult, but not impossible to achieve. Providing quality products and services at reasonable prices is a great start, but customers today are so berated with offers from the competition, great prices and service are not always enough. Customer service no longer just pertains to face to face or in store encounters, customer service encompasses all aspects of a customer’s experience with a company, from the initial touch, through the sale, product performance, ongoing support and replacement. Instating a regular customer retention program goes the extra mile and shows customers their business is valued, while reducing marketing costs, increasing purchase frequency, and improving brand image. Customers are looking to buy from companies that appreciate their business, and go the extra mile to show them that.
Why Are Visitors Leaving?
The little known reason customers defect.
While price is a contributing factor, particularly in our current environment where most customers – consumers or businesses – perceive the majority of products and services to be commoditized, service is the primary factor. Low price isn't nearly as compelling to a customer because consumers and businesses are being flooded with offers promising to produce twice the service at half the cost, but a company providing great service and a genuine interest in the needs of customers is the rarity. A study by RightNow Technologies shows that 73% of customers leave because of poor customer service, while the Rockefeller Corporation shows that 68% of customers leave because they think that corporations do not care about their business (source: “#1 Reason Customers Leave” Ann Barr, Ann Barr Blog). People are creatures of habit- what customers really want is a company they can trust and build a relationship with over years, not just a one-time shop- but they are not willing to give their business away to a company that does not appreciate their time or dollars.
Your customers are your competitors’ prospects.
Today’s customer is more vocal than ever before, and social media provides them with a platform to share every aspect, good and bad, of their shopping and buying experience. So if a customer is unhappy, it is easier than ever for competing businesses to capitalize on the experience and target them with special offers to gain their business. Marketers have planted their most enticing offers in front of their ideal prospects- customers buying the same products from elsewhere but have reason to be dissatisfied. Most customers leave a brand they are currently loyal to because they believe another company is more deserving of their business.
Not all Customers are the Same
Retention Marketing Vs. Prospect Marketing
Most marketing plans are so focused on acquisition that they miss opportunities housed within their own internal customer base. Acquisition marketing tactics tend to be more expensive and less effective than simply refocusing marketing efforts towards customer retention. The probability of selling to an existing customer is 60-70% versus the probability of selling to a new prospect which is 5-20% (Source: Top 5 Customer Retention Marketing Tactics” April Dunford, Rocket Watcher Product Marketing for Start ups).
As a direct marketer, I love direct mail. It is cost effective, targeted, and reaches your customers in a place where they will actually have time to sit down and read what you have to say. But with social media and internet marketing increasing in popularity everyday, more and more brands are turning their backs on their tried and true direct mail campaigns in favor of flashy new online tactics- throwing dollars and time into YouTube videos, SEO, mass emails, and pay per click ads. Of course there is no denying that social media networking and marketing have revolutionized the way that people buy, and the way that consumers interact with brands, but this is not reason enough to abandon the more traditional marketing strategies we know and trust in favor of new, largely unknown marketing territory.
So, what is the trick to balancing the trendy, and instantaneously gratifying social media market with proven, conventional means of direct marketing? INTEGRATE! Instead of treating traditional and online marketing like separate entities, treat them as one cohesive campaign, with the same goals, hitting the same prospect through multiple avenues, ultimately, increasing response across all marketing channels.
