Here is an exerpt from my upcoming book, "Think Big Marketing For Small Business." I sent this to a friend today and thought I should share!
Stay In Front of Clients All Year
What if you could spend $10 per quarter on your very best customers (the 20% that is responsible for 80% of your business) in order to thank them for doing business with you? No problem. What if in addition to that “thank you” perception, that $10 kept you in front of your customers all year long? Seems like a no-brainer when broken down like that, huh? Well, that is exactly what the right promotional product campaign can do for your company!
When I meet with new clients to discuss their promotional needs, I first talk with them about building their “foundation” for their marketing campaigns. This “foundation” consists of items that will stay in front of clients all year long. These items have a very low “cost per impression.”
The cost per impression (CPI) is calculated by dividing the cost of the item by the number of times a customer will actually see your advertising message. For example, if you spent $20 on a promotional watch for your top clients, then the cost per impression would be figured by calculating the number of times that client would look at a watch and see your advertising message. The average person looks at their watch approximately twice per hour and we will be conservative by saying only 10 hours a day. Assuming the watch lasted a year (based on only 300 days) then you are looking at 6000 “impressions.” Wow! Now divide the cost of the watch ($20) by the 6000 times the customer looked at the message and you come up with $.003333. Now that $20 gift becomes a very affordable marketing campaign. Factor in the fact that this message goes ONLY to where you want, and it becomes even more exciting!
So we consider these low CPI items when we build the foundation of their marketing campaign. So what are these magic promotional items that last a long time and keep our marketing message with them? Ironically, these are often the items some clients feel are less exciting. Examples of some great items with a low CPI are mousepads, notecubes, watches, magnets, and of course, calendars. Each industry is different and there are some great items with low CPI for each industry. Just consider where your clients or customers spend their time, and figure out what product can be there all the time!
Calendars…Your Silent Sales Person
At the end of the day, you want your advertising dollars to be as effective as possible…that’s the point of this book. So I would be remiss if I didn’t spend just a moment on calendar advertising.
If you are already on board with calendar advertising, then this might remind you why. But if you are not a believer, just give me a minute on this. Calendars are the ultimate in targeted promotional advertising. Obviously they (by their very nature) spend 24 hours a day, 365 days a week on the wall, on the desk, in the home, even in the pocket of your customer. They are always there…your silent sales person.
Consider this…85% of all people who have a calendar on their wall know exactly who gave it to them. And of those, 95% do business with that person! There are no “gimmies” in advertising, but utilizing calendar advertising as one of your “foundation” items is close. And let’s put it to the CPI test! The average person looks at their calendar 10 times a day, 350 days a year. Go ahead…do the math.
In addition, a nice calendar can either accompany or be your year end gift to your clients. It’s a nice marketing touch to thank them for their business anyway, so why not have something that will remind them of you all year long?
Obviously you need to spend a bit of time considering what kind of calendar to hand out (there are a lot to choose from). You know your clientele, so you need to consider what they would like to receive. In addition, make sure it is a theme you can be comfortable with as representing your company’s brand. And of course…you can always do a completely custom calendar. The price for printing one has come down considerably in the last 10 years.
More info on the book coming soon. Are you staying targeted?
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
A Postive Article
Saw this and wanted to share!
Think and Grow Rich, Especially “Right Now” by Phil Barlow
We’re in the midst of the worst global recession since the 1930s. It’s certainly the most challenging business climate I’ve experienced in my career. It seems like everywhere I go people are talking about “sustainability” or the ability to endure. I guess that’s to be expected, especially considering all the bad news we hear about those who are failing. What a shame! It doesn’t have to be that way. As a matter of fact, it shouldn’t be that way.
Most of what we’re hearing and seeing centers on how bad things are. I don’t dismiss the adversity we all face, however I also believe every adversity carries with it the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit. Since there are so many people caught in the rut of distress, it’s easy to let down our guard and end up in the downward spiral with them. Don’t let that happen! Take charge of your life! Take action and exercise your privilege of choice. To a large degree, we control our destiny by shaping our thoughts. When mixed with a purpose, persistence and a burning desire we can transform our thoughts into reality.Now is the time to focus on possibilities.
Now is the time for action. Now is the time to get back to basics and exhaust all our energies on finding new and better ways to do things. It has been said that we can create anything we can imagine. Rather than dwelling on the negative influence of our environment, wouldn’t it serve us better to exhaust our efforts on new ideas?
Imagine what would happen if you focused your attention on the following question: “What fundamental problem that, if solved, would revolutionize the way things are done?” Wouldn’t that get the creative juices flowing? Better yet, consider how your world would change if you could find an answer to the question.
Never has there been a greater opportunity for someone willing and able to come up with new ideas and new ways of doing things. Just think about how the world has changed in the past few years. New leaders, new inventions, new ways of marketing products, new cures to diseases, new approaches to every aspect of business and personal lives.
Behind this demand for new and better things there is one quality one must possess to win. That is Definiteness of Purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it. To accomplish this requires practical people who can, and will, put their thoughts into action. If the thing you wish to do is right, and you believe in it with a burning desire, don’t let anything stop you from doing it.
Those who succeed in life usually have their “aha” moment at a time when things appear to be the bleakest. It’s safe to say, we don’t have to look very far to see some kind of crisis. Don’t let that stop you from truly considering what is possible and appropriate for your life. Now is the time for new ideas. Now is the time for action. Now is the time to Think and Grow Rich.
Think and Grow Rich, Especially “Right Now” by Phil Barlow
We’re in the midst of the worst global recession since the 1930s. It’s certainly the most challenging business climate I’ve experienced in my career. It seems like everywhere I go people are talking about “sustainability” or the ability to endure. I guess that’s to be expected, especially considering all the bad news we hear about those who are failing. What a shame! It doesn’t have to be that way. As a matter of fact, it shouldn’t be that way.
Most of what we’re hearing and seeing centers on how bad things are. I don’t dismiss the adversity we all face, however I also believe every adversity carries with it the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit. Since there are so many people caught in the rut of distress, it’s easy to let down our guard and end up in the downward spiral with them. Don’t let that happen! Take charge of your life! Take action and exercise your privilege of choice. To a large degree, we control our destiny by shaping our thoughts. When mixed with a purpose, persistence and a burning desire we can transform our thoughts into reality.Now is the time to focus on possibilities.
Now is the time for action. Now is the time to get back to basics and exhaust all our energies on finding new and better ways to do things. It has been said that we can create anything we can imagine. Rather than dwelling on the negative influence of our environment, wouldn’t it serve us better to exhaust our efforts on new ideas?
Imagine what would happen if you focused your attention on the following question: “What fundamental problem that, if solved, would revolutionize the way things are done?” Wouldn’t that get the creative juices flowing? Better yet, consider how your world would change if you could find an answer to the question.
Never has there been a greater opportunity for someone willing and able to come up with new ideas and new ways of doing things. Just think about how the world has changed in the past few years. New leaders, new inventions, new ways of marketing products, new cures to diseases, new approaches to every aspect of business and personal lives.
Behind this demand for new and better things there is one quality one must possess to win. That is Definiteness of Purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it. To accomplish this requires practical people who can, and will, put their thoughts into action. If the thing you wish to do is right, and you believe in it with a burning desire, don’t let anything stop you from doing it.
Those who succeed in life usually have their “aha” moment at a time when things appear to be the bleakest. It’s safe to say, we don’t have to look very far to see some kind of crisis. Don’t let that stop you from truly considering what is possible and appropriate for your life. Now is the time for new ideas. Now is the time for action. Now is the time to Think and Grow Rich.
Friday, June 26, 2009
We Wrote the Chapter on Direct Mail
Here is an excerpt from the new book Think Big Marketing For Small Business. Check it out and look for the book coming out in the next month or so!
Direct mail is an important part of many successful small business marketing plans. But I have also seen so many small businesses waste thousands of dollars by doing it inefficiently…or just plain wrong! And let’s face it, as postage and shipping costs continue to go up and up, screwing up here can cost your business a lot!
Targeting the List
As you can imagine (since we have been harping on targeting your marketing so far) we believe in making sure whatever list you have is a targeted one. Even if you are working from a very large list, do your very best to make sure this is a list with people who might want or need your product or service.
So much advertising and marketing is wasted on those who have no interest whatsoever in the product in front of them. Hence the term “junk mail.” Don’t waste your money to create junk mail! If you work to make sure the group of people is pre-disposed to having a need for your company and its product or service, then your likelihood for some direct mail success increases exponentially!
Make the Letter Count
I must admit, I am not a fan of just sending a letter in an envelope. To me that is WAY too easy to dispose of. But I also understand that cost is often an issue and you will sometimes want to reach a great deal of folks with a small budget. So let’s take a look at a couple of quick thoughts on your basic direct mail letter.
Colored Envelopes Get Attention: I know that white envelope is cheaper. But when you consider the cost of the letter based on the return, the extra couple of cents might be worth it if the percentage return increases. Think of ways to get the recipients attention…and colored envelopes might help!
Handwrite the Name and Address: This might be the oldest trick in the book…but it works. People are much more likely to open a hand addressed envelope. And of course if you can get them to open it, you are way ahead of those neatly printed ones that end up in the circular file. As a side note, if you don’t have time to handwrite thousands of letters (I know I don’t) then there are services out there that will address them for you.
Keep it concise: There are several schools of thought on this, but I am always in favor of the Keep It Simple Stupid (K.I.S.S.) method. If it takes me a long time to wade through a message, it is more likely to be tossed. Catch my attention early and you might get me to stay around!
Use a Postcard: Reconsider whether you need an actual letter to tell the story. Often you can tell your story faster on a postcard and you get attention right away. The potential client is less likely to throw the message away before he/she sees it if she HAS to see it in order to throw it away! Full color has come way down on things like this so you can produce a nice, eye-catching piece for not too much money.
Consider your offer carefully: Most direct mail offers something. At worst, it’s information that perhaps your prospect didn’t have; at best, it’s something none of your prospects can afford to ignore. If your offer is a free car for responding, your response rate will go through the roof, but your cost will be too much. If you offer a packet of salt from a diner…it may not cause anyone to respond. Offer something beyond information to cause your recipient to take action! What that is depends on your audience and your business; it doesn’t have to be much. Which segues nicely to…
Use BuMpY Mail!
If a letter is the only way to communicate your message, or if you want to include several things in the mailing, you will have to use an envelope. What I recommend in these cases is to use what I call BUMPY Mail! Put simply, this is when you get a letter in the mail that has “something” inside of it. It could be a pen, or a keychain, or a damn koala bear for all we know. But there is something in that envelope that makes in bumpy…and we HAVE to know what!
Of course there are going to be additional postage charges for something like this. But as we know, we need to judge the cost on response rate. If you want to get your letters opened…make the envelope bumpy!
Don’t Forget Packaging
So let’s combine the bumpy mail concept with the post card concept (or even the colored envelopes) and take it to the next level. We spend SO much time in business worrying about the grammar, spelling, the message, the font, the logos, and the offers on the inside of the package, that we often forget about the package! So I would encourage you, as a small business owner, to spend just as much time on the outside of the package. Done correctly, this will help get the attention of the recipient and lead them to the “secrets on the inside” of the envelope.
What do I mean? Well of course we have mentioned that you could use colored envelopes. Okay. And don’t forget about making the package bumpy…got it. What else can you do to make it stand out? Can you print “Free OFFER inside” on the envelope to make it more interesting? Yep. What about telling people, “Don’t Open Unless You LOVE Money?” Okay…you’ve got my attention. The fact is, spend more time thinking about what would move your trigger as a consumer on the outside of the package or box!
Find Your Watermelon!
One of my favorite examples of this comes from a trade show I attended years ago. I was at a class and it changed the way I viewed packaging in marketing. The presenter was talking about the importance of utilizing packaging. In doing so, he told us the story of a colleague that HAD to get a message to just 6 people. She could not take the chance of her recipients missing it in the mail or simply thinking it was “junk mail.” What to do?
So the ingenious woman took a Sharpie and wrote the message on 6 watermelons! She played hell with the post office, but after a LOT of conversation, she got them mailed overnight to the 6 destinations. At this point the presenter stopped from pacing to look at the group and said, “So I ask you. You come to work Monday morning and there is a Watermelon sitting on your desk…do you read it?!” The class erupted in laughter and applause!
The moral of the story is: Stand Out if you want to be noticed in direct mail. Do something wild and out of the ordinary if you are looking to land that big fish. One of my favorite mailers that a sales person I know does is a large Rubber Duck. It’s about 12 inches tall…and it’s a real Rubber Ducky! He includes a funny letter and the response rate is phenomenal!
So find your Watermelon…and watch your response rate go through the roof on direct mail!
Follow Up Is Key!
As is the case with all business, follow up is so important. You can have the best direct mail campaign, but if there is no follow up, there will always be a ceiling to your success. If you can better target your market so that you can better follow up on your mailers, then you will find that direct mail can become an enormous part of your Think Big Marketing Success!
Check out the new book for more information like this with great Case Studies to boot!
Direct mail is an important part of many successful small business marketing plans. But I have also seen so many small businesses waste thousands of dollars by doing it inefficiently…or just plain wrong! And let’s face it, as postage and shipping costs continue to go up and up, screwing up here can cost your business a lot!
Targeting the List
As you can imagine (since we have been harping on targeting your marketing so far) we believe in making sure whatever list you have is a targeted one. Even if you are working from a very large list, do your very best to make sure this is a list with people who might want or need your product or service.
So much advertising and marketing is wasted on those who have no interest whatsoever in the product in front of them. Hence the term “junk mail.” Don’t waste your money to create junk mail! If you work to make sure the group of people is pre-disposed to having a need for your company and its product or service, then your likelihood for some direct mail success increases exponentially!
Make the Letter Count
I must admit, I am not a fan of just sending a letter in an envelope. To me that is WAY too easy to dispose of. But I also understand that cost is often an issue and you will sometimes want to reach a great deal of folks with a small budget. So let’s take a look at a couple of quick thoughts on your basic direct mail letter.
Colored Envelopes Get Attention: I know that white envelope is cheaper. But when you consider the cost of the letter based on the return, the extra couple of cents might be worth it if the percentage return increases. Think of ways to get the recipients attention…and colored envelopes might help!
Handwrite the Name and Address: This might be the oldest trick in the book…but it works. People are much more likely to open a hand addressed envelope. And of course if you can get them to open it, you are way ahead of those neatly printed ones that end up in the circular file. As a side note, if you don’t have time to handwrite thousands of letters (I know I don’t) then there are services out there that will address them for you.
Keep it concise: There are several schools of thought on this, but I am always in favor of the Keep It Simple Stupid (K.I.S.S.) method. If it takes me a long time to wade through a message, it is more likely to be tossed. Catch my attention early and you might get me to stay around!
Use a Postcard: Reconsider whether you need an actual letter to tell the story. Often you can tell your story faster on a postcard and you get attention right away. The potential client is less likely to throw the message away before he/she sees it if she HAS to see it in order to throw it away! Full color has come way down on things like this so you can produce a nice, eye-catching piece for not too much money.
Consider your offer carefully: Most direct mail offers something. At worst, it’s information that perhaps your prospect didn’t have; at best, it’s something none of your prospects can afford to ignore. If your offer is a free car for responding, your response rate will go through the roof, but your cost will be too much. If you offer a packet of salt from a diner…it may not cause anyone to respond. Offer something beyond information to cause your recipient to take action! What that is depends on your audience and your business; it doesn’t have to be much. Which segues nicely to…
Use BuMpY Mail!
If a letter is the only way to communicate your message, or if you want to include several things in the mailing, you will have to use an envelope. What I recommend in these cases is to use what I call BUMPY Mail! Put simply, this is when you get a letter in the mail that has “something” inside of it. It could be a pen, or a keychain, or a damn koala bear for all we know. But there is something in that envelope that makes in bumpy…and we HAVE to know what!
Of course there are going to be additional postage charges for something like this. But as we know, we need to judge the cost on response rate. If you want to get your letters opened…make the envelope bumpy!
Don’t Forget Packaging
So let’s combine the bumpy mail concept with the post card concept (or even the colored envelopes) and take it to the next level. We spend SO much time in business worrying about the grammar, spelling, the message, the font, the logos, and the offers on the inside of the package, that we often forget about the package! So I would encourage you, as a small business owner, to spend just as much time on the outside of the package. Done correctly, this will help get the attention of the recipient and lead them to the “secrets on the inside” of the envelope.
What do I mean? Well of course we have mentioned that you could use colored envelopes. Okay. And don’t forget about making the package bumpy…got it. What else can you do to make it stand out? Can you print “Free OFFER inside” on the envelope to make it more interesting? Yep. What about telling people, “Don’t Open Unless You LOVE Money?” Okay…you’ve got my attention. The fact is, spend more time thinking about what would move your trigger as a consumer on the outside of the package or box!
Find Your Watermelon!
One of my favorite examples of this comes from a trade show I attended years ago. I was at a class and it changed the way I viewed packaging in marketing. The presenter was talking about the importance of utilizing packaging. In doing so, he told us the story of a colleague that HAD to get a message to just 6 people. She could not take the chance of her recipients missing it in the mail or simply thinking it was “junk mail.” What to do?
So the ingenious woman took a Sharpie and wrote the message on 6 watermelons! She played hell with the post office, but after a LOT of conversation, she got them mailed overnight to the 6 destinations. At this point the presenter stopped from pacing to look at the group and said, “So I ask you. You come to work Monday morning and there is a Watermelon sitting on your desk…do you read it?!” The class erupted in laughter and applause!
The moral of the story is: Stand Out if you want to be noticed in direct mail. Do something wild and out of the ordinary if you are looking to land that big fish. One of my favorite mailers that a sales person I know does is a large Rubber Duck. It’s about 12 inches tall…and it’s a real Rubber Ducky! He includes a funny letter and the response rate is phenomenal!
So find your Watermelon…and watch your response rate go through the roof on direct mail!
Follow Up Is Key!
As is the case with all business, follow up is so important. You can have the best direct mail campaign, but if there is no follow up, there will always be a ceiling to your success. If you can better target your market so that you can better follow up on your mailers, then you will find that direct mail can become an enormous part of your Think Big Marketing Success!
Check out the new book for more information like this with great Case Studies to boot!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
A New Study on Targeted Marketing
New Study on Advertising MediaA new study by the PPAI conclusively finds that adding promotional products to your advertising mix can substantially increase your advertising effectiveness.
Though we all knew that already...it's nice to see it in the form of new research. In the study, adding a promotional product to the mix increased the favorable attitude toward the ad in all cases (up to 44%). Want to read the entire 55 page document for details? Check out the link!
http://www.ppa.org/NR/rdonlyres/4500D15A-91E0-4482-B9B4-A778758A86D7/0/RS8037PPAI_Report.pdf
Though we all knew that already...it's nice to see it in the form of new research. In the study, adding a promotional product to the mix increased the favorable attitude toward the ad in all cases (up to 44%). Want to read the entire 55 page document for details? Check out the link!
http://www.ppa.org/NR/rdonlyres/4500D15A-91E0-4482-B9B4-A778758A86D7/0/RS8037PPAI_Report.pdf
Customer Appreciation Event Announced!
Soaring For Success Customer Appreciation Event Date Set!
We are excited to announce the date of the annual Hasseman Marketing & Communications Customer Appreciation Event! Please join us on October 1st for food, fun, and great promotional ideas! The event will be held at a new and improved location--The National Guard Readiness Center! It's a bigger venue that will allow for more suppliers, more ideas and more fun. The theme this year is Soaring For Success and we hope that you will join us as we look to help you end the year strong!
So once again, mark your calendar for October 1st from Noon to 6pm for Soaring For Success, the Annual Hasseman Marketing Customer Appreciation Show! Please join us!
We are excited to announce the date of the annual Hasseman Marketing & Communications Customer Appreciation Event! Please join us on October 1st for food, fun, and great promotional ideas! The event will be held at a new and improved location--The National Guard Readiness Center! It's a bigger venue that will allow for more suppliers, more ideas and more fun. The theme this year is Soaring For Success and we hope that you will join us as we look to help you end the year strong!
So once again, mark your calendar for October 1st from Noon to 6pm for Soaring For Success, the Annual Hasseman Marketing Customer Appreciation Show! Please join us!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Think Big Marketing For Small Business
For those of you that have not heard, I am going to have a book published this year! I am very excited about this new venture and can't wait to see the finished product. The focus of the marketing efforts in the book are TARGETED marketing...something I am passionate about.
In addition, I have tried to make the book an easy to read style that will be great for busy small business owners. I will give you more details as it gets closer to publication...but just know that it is on it's way.
And get ready to Think Big!
In addition, I have tried to make the book an easy to read style that will be great for busy small business owners. I will give you more details as it gets closer to publication...but just know that it is on it's way.
And get ready to Think Big!
CoshoctonTV.com
As you may or may not have heard, Hasseman Marketing & Communications has launched a new venture recently called CoshoctonTV.com. We are very excited about this new opportunity to bring local video programming to any in (or interested in) Coshocton County. If you want to check out the site just go to www.coshoctontv.com and watch some of the local video. And of course we will be adding more and more as we go.
We are also looking for advertisers (of course we are!) and if you are interested please contact us. The ads on the right are only $100 per month and we are beginning to see some great traffic to the site.
So check it out and let us know what you think!
We are also looking for advertisers (of course we are!) and if you are interested please contact us. The ads on the right are only $100 per month and we are beginning to see some great traffic to the site.
So check it out and let us know what you think!
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