Consumer preferences for mail, email and online advertising vary according to the type of message being sent. (more…)
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Catalogues are a welcome addition to Australian Letterboxes
According to a 2010 national study by Sweeney Research based on 600 interviews, 89 percent of households are more than happy to receive a catalogue delivered to their letterbox, while 85 percent of Australians will read them. (more…)
Looking after your greatest marketing asset – Your Database
Duplicate records. Every company’s database has them and every database marketer hates them. Duplicate records cost time and money, and no-matter how consistent you attempt to be with your data entry rules, duplicated records will inevitably creep into your database. (more…)
Who is buying what you have to sell?
It can be hard to determine where your future revenue will come from. You know there’s a market out there, you just need to find it. (more…)
Why use a thank you card?
It’s personal
Its personal especially if its hand written. Very few people make a habit of thanking the people they interact with on a business level. If its carried out, its by the oh so convenient email which has less and less impact. Taking time to provide a short personal message tells your audience you care. If you don’t believe me then wait till you receive one.
Helps you stand out
There’s very little that’s unique in this world these days so we need to be creative to stand out or just do some of the basics really well. You will get regular customers just by doing the simple things consistently well. These customers regard you highly and delight in telling others about the unusual. Sending them a personal handwritten note says so much more about you.
It’s appreciated
If you have ever received a personal note sent through the mail you will understand why it has such an impact over a personal note sent electronically (or nothing at all). People appreciate the time and the thought and it reflects how they interact with you.
It makes good business sense.
Using just the normal courtesies of life, a little of your time and you can establish a point of difference with the recipient. It makes even more sense when the card has a multitude of messages you can send. Yes you can thank someone but you can invite them, you can recommend them, you can make a suggestion that might not have the same impact any other way. Heaven forbid you could even send it to your staff!
How well do you really know your customer?
It is often said that there’s no better way of marketing than one to one. Utilise this method well enough and you’ll get to know who your customers really are.
Take the time to ask your customers various questions and assess the responses in real time. Take in what is said, the way it is expressed and the accompanying body language. This will immediately give you the opportunity to tailor what you have to fit your customer. “All well and good” you say, but how do you replicate that for a hundred or even a thousand customers?
What you fill find after a few of these ‘one on one’ meetings is that your customers are falling into groups or segments. They may operate in different markets or industries but clearly show similar traits that mean something to you and the way your company operates.
Knowing what group your customer falls into allows you to build segment profiles that incorporate customers who have similar needs for your product or service. Once you have a profile of these segments it will become easier to determine how you will market to these customers. If you have asked the right questions then your market will often tell you how receptive they are to different forms of marketing, allowing you as the marketer to adhere to communication preference.
Segment profiling will identify the customers needs, how they use your product or service and how they value your offering. You will also find out competitive information. Once identified, you can address your segments individually. Fear not, you will have only a handful of these but the next step is to determine a method of communication!
Marketing Perception or Reality… Does it matter?
Do we leave our market to make up their own assessment of how we communicate with them, or do we manage the process so that perception and reality become the same?
Get Innovative: Get Direct
Direct Mail Marketing For You
Marketing is about helping people get what they want from you. Direct Mail Marketing is a big business because it works! More money each year is spent on direct mail than any other media and advances in technology mean that mail for the modern world isn’t just a letter in an envelope anymore!
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Annual Reports: Talking to your People
Understand the elements of a good Annual Report and you will communicate the successes of your organisation, help investors to understand your future direction and utilise the opportunity to ‘polish’ your firm’s image.
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