Posts

Are Direct Mail Postcards a Legitimate Marketing Strategy in 2021?

/in /by

StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Direct Mail Postcards|Are Direct Mail Postcards a Legitimate Marketing Strategy in 2021?Just because there are newer methods of marketing does not mean the old tried-and-true methods no longer work. The trick is to do it right. Direct mail postcards can still be a great marketing tool if they are done correctly. This means using the best message, the most eye-catching design, and mailing them to the right demographic. So, if a business owner wants to use direct mail postcards, they should identify their target audience, decide on the most productive message, have them designed and printed by the best printer, and choose the best time to mail them.

Do Some Research First

Don’t go off half-cocked on a mailing campaign. Take the time to learn about direct mail marketing to use it to the best advantage. Yes, direct mail postcards are still a valuable marketing tool if used correctly.

Some tips for postcard mailing marketing include the following.

  • Postcards might be one of only a few pieces of mail in the potential customer’s mailbox. Online and email marketing might involve dozens of marketing messages a day. Computer users can have ads directed to spam folders where they are never looked at.
  • If a person uses a direct mailing company or a list broker, the address list can be tailored to the people and businesses who fit the company’s target audience or potential customers, saving postage and printing costs.
  • Choose a good printing company that will help you design attractive, effective postcards or mailers. You want your promotional material to be eye-catching with an attention-getting message.
  • Before going to the printing company, think about the most effective message to send. It should be short but contain important information about the company, its product or service, and special pricing.
  • Do the research to find the demographic or group of potential customers you are trying to reach. How do you get addresses for potential customers? Using a direct mailing service familiar with your area can be useful.

What Does This Mailing Need to Accomplish?

Every postcard mailing should be well-timed and have a purpose. Is your business new and wanting to introduce itself to the neighborhood? Is a special occasion coming up? Is it time for a big clearance sale? Is your product seasonal? Timing is everything. You want the people getting the direct mail postcard to keep it and use it. A well-designed postcard is sized to carry with you when shopping or to keep handy. If that postcard contains the offer of a discount or other special pricing, it is more likely to be saved and used.

If you have a clearance sale once or twice a year, send out postcards a few weeks in advance to give people notice and get them interested in your sale. Make the postcard design stand out, and make the best deals easy to see. Maybe you remodeled your space or got in a new line of merchandise. This is a good time to send out mailers to let people know what you are now offering. Always have something on the card that encourages people to save it and bring it with them. Special discounts or a prize drawing are always good.

Find out what the customers want and like. Then look at the postcard design and ask:

  • Does it do a good job representing the brand?
  • Does it offer the customer a solution to a problem or need they may have?
  • Do the design and message offer a good call to action? Does it have a compelling reason for the recipient to visit the business?


Deciding who Gets The Mailers

Businesses should not just send thousands of mailers to a whole area. Why waste the printing costs and postage on people who will not be interested in the company product? When a company uses a direct mailing service, they can target the best people for the advertising mailers.

They can sort by age, gender, zip code, income level, neighborhood, and more. In addition, the business should have its own customer list to add to the mailing list. In addition, they may gather information on people’s occupation, whether they rent or own their home, if they are new homeowners, their occupation, and more. One thing online shopping accomplishes for vendors is that, when people shop online, their interests are added to databases for future marketing.

It is like when a person shops for shoes online and then, for a few weeks, they get online ads from shoe companies. Direct mailing services can also use these customer interest lists for their customers. There may be direct mail database lists available for each type of business or service. The main point here is to send direct mail postcards to people most likely to appreciate and use them.

Plan What To Do When People Use the Postcards

When a mailing goes out, have a plan of action for those postcards when they come back to the business. Each postcard should have a call to action like a special offer for a limited time, a discount when the postcard is presented, or a contest that the postcard is the entry to. When people come in carrying their postcards all the company employees should know what to do.

There is nothing more frustrating for a customer than to bring in an offer and have the person behind the counter not know anything about the offer. The time it takes to find a manager and ask what to do is time enough for the potential customer to turn around and leave. Have an employee meeting when the postcards go out, explaining what to do with them as people bring them in. Have an instruction sheet at every check-out counter. If it is a contest, have a box handy for entries to be slipped into.

When people get well-designed postcards that offer them discounts or special deals, they are more likely to keep them. When the postcards are sent to people who can use the company product or service, they will be more effective. A little advance planning always pays off in a marketing campaign.

Combine Marketing Strategies

Combine all the marketing strategies the company uses in a well-organized sales and marketing campaign. Use the same message and the same colors. Bounce one marketing tool off another to multiply the effect. Use online ads to tell people to look for special postcards in the mail. A well-planned ad campaign can increase business and make advertising pay off better.

How to Reach Your Target Customers More Effectively

/in /by

StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Reach Your Target Customers|How to Reach Your Target Customers More EffectivelyWhen your business is looking to get off the ground and start making sales, it’s essential to think about your target customers and how you’re going to reach them. It’s certainly one of the most difficult tasks you’ll face and there’s no easy way to do it. But there is a wide range of techniques you can make use of and take advantage of when you want to reach the right people. Learn more about that below.

Start with the Process of Defining Your Target Audience

First of all, you’re going to need to define your target audience. It’s impossible to appeal to the right people when you don’t even really know who the right people are. You should try to make sure that you choose an audience that you know is going to be interested in what you’re offering, and you can carry out market research and use focus groups to get a better idea of this.

Consider Direct Mail and Email

A really traditional yet still effective way of marketing to people is to hit them directly with direct mail. This works because it puts something directly and physically in front of your target customers, and it means they can’t really ignore what you’re presenting to them. Email marketing is also something that’s really effective and should be considered.

Use Referral Marketing Techniques

Referral marketing is one of the best techniques to make use of when you’re looking to target specific groups of customers more effectively. Referrals work well because they’re provided by people already in your target market. For example, if you’re looking to target women aged between 35 and 45, the chances are that a customer fitting that profile will refer someone they know that’s also in that same demographic.

Work with Relevant Influencers

If there are particular influencers that you know have an impact on your target audience and that they have a great respect and fondness for, you should reach out to them. See if they might be interested in working with you to promote your product. This kind of paid promotion is much more authentic and direct than simply putting an advert in front of people, so give it a try.

Make Use of Targeted Ads

It might also be a good idea to use targeted adverts to promote your business and the products or services it’s trying to sell. These are more effective than other kinds of ads because they target specific people in particular demographics, and that’s what you want to when you’re trying to connect with a clearly defined target audience. Facebook ads are particular good for their targeting capabilities.

If you’ve struggled to reach the right people so far or you simply want to get off to the right start with a new business, these tips and ideas should help you to reach people effectively and appeal to them directly, so be sure to make the most of them going forward from here.

5 Ways Building a Mobile App Can Boost Your Business Success

/in /by

StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Mobile App|5 Ways Building a Mobile App Can Boost Your Business SuccessIn today’s fast-paced, digital world, over half of all web browsing is done via mobile devices. When you build your business website, it’s almost more important that it’s mobile compatible than desktop compatible. That said, even if your website is compatible with mobile, users may still struggle to navigate it with total ease. Buttons are hard to click. Forms are hard to fill out, and finding the information your customers need can be difficult.

As a business, you must have a mobile strategy that goes beyond just your website. 90% of mobile users would rather use mobile apps than visit a business on a mobile browser. The ease of using an app far surpasses that of a mobile browser, and therefore they are an attractive option for businesses. For any business that sells products or services online, a mobile app will dramatically boost your success, and here’s why.

1.Direct marketing channel

Having a mobile app is a fantastic way to generate leads. When a visitor comes to your website, they may receive a prompt to sign-up to your newsletter, but many will choose to opt-out. Alternatively, when a potential customer downloads your mobile app, you will instantly capture them as a lead. You can use the app to send out promotions and sales to customers with push notifications to alert them whenever there’s a special offer. These notifications keep you in the front of their mind and also increases the likelihood of a purchase.

You can personalize marketing messages and send customized reminders to customers who haven’t shopped with you or used your service in a while. The options are endless, and you can tailor these messages based on your business goals.

You can also integrate your mobile app with your social media accounts, allowing users to share the app with their personal network and extend your reach even farther.

2. Build your brand and reputation

If a company or business has a mobile app, you know they are legit and trustworthy. Having an app establishes you as a reliable business, who is also an authority in the industry. When you’re building your brand, you want to reach consumers in as many ways as possible. With the volume of people downloading apps, there is a good chance they will see your business and remember your brand.

You want to create a mobile app that exudes your business values and is attractive and functional for your target audience. You don’t need to be a tech or design expert to create a well-branded mobile app. Enlist the help of a digital product agency like Creitive that can help bring your app vision to life, from the branding to the actual app development. Branding will look different for every business, but it’s crucial you create a design that will make an impact and help you stand out. A mobile app will get your logo in front of a lot of faces, so make sure you’re happy with it. Anyone who downloads your app will see your logo every time they look at their phone screen, whether they open your app or not. Have that icon there will imprint your brand on their brain and make them remember you when they require your product or service.

3. Provide value to your customers

Having a mobile app allows your customers to have 24/7 access to your products or services with the click of a button. They won’t need to visit a store in-person or spend time navigating your mobile site. Customers want instant gratification, and a mobile app will give them that, boosting customer satisfaction. If you have a chatbot or live customer service chat, you can incorporate that into your app as well so customers can instantly get answers to any questions they may have.

You can also provide value to customers through the app by allowing customers to collect and redeem points or rewards. The more features and options you offer on your app, the more customers will find value in using it. When customers find something valuable, they will keep returning to it.

4. Improve engagement

Mobile apps make it extremely simple to engage with your customer. Customers enjoy the ease of an app and the improved user experience, so they will always choose an app over mobile browsing. By building an interactive app with fun and accessible features, your customers will continue to use it. Features like the chatbot allow customers to engage with your business without needing a massive roster of customer service agents to answer questions.

Consider adding features to your app, such as a digital discount wheel that customers can spin to get a discount on their next purchase. Interactive features like that allow your customer to engage within the app and feel more connected to your business. Another way to improve engagement through your app is by asking customers for feedback, both on their experience with the app and your product/service. Asking for engagement this way will make your customers feel appreciated, valued, and build loyalty. Customer loyalty is the key to success in any business.

5. Stand out from competitors

Having a mobile app establishes you as an authority in your industry. Say, for example, you were looking to purchase a new backpack. There are two companies you’re looking at; one has an app, and one doesn’t. Which one would you choose? Having an app makes you more reliable, trustworthy, and more customer-friendly. Once your customer downloads your app, they will come to you anytime they need your product or service, not your competitors, because it’s more convenient. Mobiles apps are going to become a standard component of all businesses as we move forward. Jumping on the bandwagon now will put your business ahead of the curve and show that you’re committed to success.

Building a mobile app can contribute significantly to the success of your business. You’ll make it easier for customers to engage with you, increase customer loyalty and, ultimately, boost your reach and sales.