While everyone in attendance agreed that social media is here to stay, most shared that they are struggling to justify the time and money needed to their managers and CEOs. Social media is more difficult to measure, so it’s hard at times to produce the traditional ROI that CEOs are looking for.

In addition, they sometimes don’t know what to post on social media. So we brainstormed some ideas for postings:

• Community involvement and volunteer activities
• Board appointments
• New products or services
• New client announcement
• Training sessions
• Helpful tips in areas of your expertise
• Your unique selling proposition
• Client success stories (with permission)

B2B companies also seem to feel that social media is more relevant for B2C organizations. While the strategy and outcome may be more clear for B2C companies, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a purpose for your B2B organization. Just a few reasons that a B2B company uses social media are:

• Thought leader – share white papers
• New touchpoints for client/prospect interaction
• Awareness of your organization
• Lead generation
• Customer service enhancement

And, now for the fun stuff. I know you’ve heard me say it before, but here goes again – INTEGRATE! Integrate multiple marketing channels to gain the highest response and most benefit from your marketing efforts. We’ve become used to using direct mail, email and the internet together in an integrated campaign. We then have explored mobile marketing and the QR Code. Some have integrated this channel quickly, while others seem to still be trying to find the value proposition for their organization.

Now along comes social media. It’s not just about having a LinkedIn page, Facebook page, Twitter account or YouTube channel. Yes, it’s important to have those, but how are you incorporating them into your overall marketing strategy. Social media is not a stand-alone channel.

What would incorporating social media into your strategy look like? Let’s consider a PURL campaign. It already consists of direct mail, internet and email – so let’s tack on social media. On the final page of the PURL micro-site, place your social media icons. Make it easy for your prospects and clients to connect with you on your social media.

Take it a step further and allow your targets to share your PURL campaign “offer” with their social media network. It costs you nothing, yet will generate response from those you haven’t targeted. It helps to build your database with clients and prospects who are interested in what you have to offer. Now, you can begin to market directly to those new contacts you likely would never learn about.

Using multiple marketing channels in executing your campaigns means that you will drive a higher response. A high response rate should result in a higher conversion rate and increased revenue. So, I believe that multi-channel = more!

Check out our upcoming Ideas in Motion Seminars on our website – www.multi-craft.com.

So often we get confused between marketing and advertising. I like to think of marketing as a large pie. Some of the pieces in that marketing pie are advertising, public relations, research, pricing, distribution, customer support, sales strategy and so on. All of those activities make up your marketing and should be defined in your marketing strategy.

It used to be just about the 4 P’s:

• Product – what you sell.
• Price – how you price it (low-cost, value or luxury pricing).
• Place – where you sell it.
• Promotion – how you sell it (advertising, public relations, promotional programs, promotional budget).

Today, we have added 3 additional P’s:

• People – the staffing required to turn a prospect into a customer and to keep the customer coming back for more.
• Process – the entire experience a prospect/customer has when interacting with your organization.
• Physical evidence - the proof you are what you say you are. Example: If you claim to be a fine dining establishment, the physical evidence could consist of white tablecloths, suited servers, fine china and a gourmet menu.

All of these P’s need to be taken into consideration when developing your marketing plan. Of course, there are other components of a marketing plan. Such as a SWOT Analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats); a Competitor Analysis and how you rank; your primary and secondary customers’ profiles; customer buying patterns and your unique selling proposition (what makes you different).

For a small business, you can develop your own strategic marketing plan, by following the process. Many of you are probably thinking, “I don’t have the time for this” or “I’m too busy to plan”. Let me assure you that the time you spend developing your marketing plan will be time well spent.

No longer do companies, large or small, have the money to throw against the wall and hope that something will stick. We need to be focused and strategic when spending our marketing dollars. Most importantly, we need to be measuring the spending of those dollars to make sure we are getting a return on the marketing investment.

When developing your marketing strategy, try to integrate as many channels as possible. Some examples of marketing channels are:

• Direct mail
• Email
• Website
• Social media
• Mobile marketing
• Television
• Radio
• Billboards
• Texting
• RSS Feeds
• Podcasting
• Video
• Newspaper/magazine ads or inserts

I’m sure you can think of other channels to add. What I can tell you is that your marketing will be more successful when you use more than one channel. Research has shown that customers who interact with you over multiple marketing channels will buy more, buy more often and be more profitable. Let’s face it, not everyone will open your email, read your direct mail or listen to your commercial. But, if you are using multiple channels, you are more likely to connect with them over the channel they prefer.

The same logic holds true for response channels. Allow your prospects and clients to respond to you in their channel of preference – phone, email, mail or website. You want to make it easy for them to do business with you! Visit our Resource Center at www.multi-craft.com for other tips to help you in your marketing efforts.

According to a Xerox study, when people were asked how they would like to be contacted for BUSINESS communications:

• 69% stated they most prefer direct mail, as compared to
• 28% by email
• 3% by telephone

In addition, studies show that direct mail, working side-by-side with digital media, can have a substantial impact on the traffic that you drive to your website! Another reason to consider using integrated, multi-channel campaigns in your marketing efforts.

FMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) studies, conducted by Millward Brown, Bangor University and UK’s Royal Mail, show that there are 3 main differences uncovered between how study participants’ brains processed direct mail and digital messaging. This study, which measures neural activity, reports that:

1.  Direct mail generated more, or deeper, emotional processing than the digital messaging.
2. The brain saw the physical material as more real than the digital messaging.
3. There was more activity in the areas of the brain that are connected to introspection when people viewed the direct mail.

These studies suggest that our brains are more emotionally engaged when we view direct mail, and that people pay more attention to something that is real and tangible versus something that is more transient. This study also indicated that the direct experience of a brand stays in the memory a lot longer with a physical piece of direct mail than it does with digital media. So, direct mail actually results in increased retention.

Today, direct mail often gets a bad rap because people claim it is expensive and ineffective. Un-targeted, irrelevant direct mail is extremely expensive and ineffective. But, you shouldn’t be sending out un-targeted and irrelevant direct mail. 

If direct mail were not effective, then why does Google, Yahoo and eBay, all online companies, use direct mail? They use direct mail because it IS effective! Particularly when it is relevant and targeted. You can send beautiful, expensive direct mail pieces all day long, but if you’re sending meat offers to a vegan, than your direct mail piece will be totally ineffective and a true waste of money. Be relevant!

Look at your mailing list. What do you know about the people and companies on that list? Use what you know to divide your list into segments so that you can mail relevant offers. And, every time you gather new data, make sure you roll it right back into that list. Having an up-to-date mailing list, with lots of demographic and psychographic details is a treasure – use it to your advantage!

Consider using what you know about your clients and prospects to executive a variable text and graphics campaign. The personalization will drive a higher response rate than a static direct mail piece. A higher response rate should result in increased bottom line revenue for your organization.

Sending targeted and relevant direct mail will help you print less, mail less, yet get a higher ROI for the marketing dollars you are spending. If you need assistance in putting your direct mail ideas into motion, give us a call. www.multi-craft.com

The technology is incredible. Just by holding one of the specified pages up to the webcam, a 3-dimensional image appears. By turning the book, the image turns – allowing me to see the front, back, side, top and bottom of the illustration.

As if that wasn’t cool enough, I discovered that by pressing the space bar and arrow keys, I could actually make the dinosaurs walk, fly, fight and roar! By the time I had worked my way through the book, I had an office full of people just as enthralled as I was.

But, like any new technology, you wonder about the practical applications. When you get beyond the Wow! of the technology, what is the How? How will AR interact with the other marketing channels? How can I use it to sell more of my products and services?

My first thoughts are of using it to show your product in 3D – enabling prospects and clients to get a real feel for it.  Instead of just looking at a pretty picture in the brochure, give them the opportunity to see how it really looks from all directions.

Imagine walking down the street, wearing your augmented reality glasses or using your smartphone as the input device. By looking at different displays and signage, extensive information and graphics will appear in your field of vision – and you will be able to hear audio that coincides with what you’re seeing. These enhancements will be refreshed continually to reflect the movements of your head. Makes those billboards, bus signs and POP displays a little more exciting, doesn’t it?

Some other uses:

• Test drive the new sports car you’ve been eyeing.
• The USPS Priority Mail Virtual Box Simulator lets users compare the size of an item they need sent to the size of boxes available from the postal service, by seeing how well their item fits inside a transparent box.
• Ray-Ban’s Virtual Mirror lets you try on glasses – virtually. Think about the applications for clothing retailers or interior designers!
• For those in real estate, you will be able to view a building in your city and find out if there is available office space for rent.

But, like any new marketing channel, the focus should be on using the channels that support your marketing strategy. We are often tempted to jump into a new arena just because it’s new and trendy, but spending money on marketing that doesn’t work, just doesn’t make sense. Let us help you make those decisions and put your ideas in motion! www.multi-craft.com

As far as marketing channels and tools, I’m looking at Augmented Reality, Near Field Communication and digital watermarks – trying to understand how they will impact and enhance our clients marketing efforts in 2012. 

Some are predicting the demise of the QR Code in favor of Near Field Communication, but keep in mind that NFC is “chip” related – the QR Code can be distributed via direct mail, point-of-purchase, magazines, newspapers, bill boards and email. So, QR Codes have a wider distribution network, in my opinion. 

But, does any organization really employ, or need to employ, every marketing channel available? I don’t believe so. Just like marketing in the past, there are multiple channels available on which to execute your marketing strategy. In the past, the channels were fewer than they are now, but only a small number of businesses probably employed all of those channels (TV, radio, publications, bill boards). Today, we just have more choices.

So, be selective – be wise. Take the time to understand where your clients and future clients “hang out”. What are the best channels to use to communicate with them? What type of messaging will resonate? Marketing is still marketing and the more time we take, up front, to develop an effective strategy to target the client segments we want to attract, through the channels that make sense, the more effective our strategy will be.

If you’ve never developed a business plan or a marketing strategy, make 2012 the year to do that. Organizations cannot afford to spend money on advertising that doesn’t drive a return-on-investment. And, ROI is the key. It’s not about what you’re spending, but about what you’re getting for what you’re spending.

Email marketing may be thought of as “free” marketing, but are you getting any results from it? It’s time we realize that email marketing is not “free”. There are hardware and software costs, employee costs, time spent and, more importantly, lost opportunities for all of those emails that are spammed or undeliverable.

Let’s make 2012 the year of smart marketing decisions – considering the channels available, testing our offers and creative, and making our decisions based upon true return-on-investment!

No matter how you feel about our current elected officials, never forget that we have the ability to let our opinions be heard at the voting booth. So many people do not have this blessing. Freedom is a wonderful thing!

My prayer this Thanksgiving is that our country find a way to come together for the good of every citizen and that the world embrace true peace on earth. My personal prayer for you is that God abundantly bless you and your family throughout the coming year!

What I’ve been witness to over the last 7-8 months of her life is her impact on those she had a relationship with. This is a young wife, mother, daughter, niece, cousin, sister and friend. Her life was lived with passion, joy and commitment and those qualities infused everyone she had a relationship with. She is being remembered as the truly special person she was!

How do you want to be remembered? I want my friends and family to remember a person who loved life, laughed a lot, had fun, took care of responsibilities, worked hard, had values, devoted time to God, family and friends and most of all was someone who treasured relationships.

Everything in life can be taken from you. You can lose your job, which can cause you to lose your house, your car and cause total financial ruin. You can lose your health and in the process lose your hair. Material possessions can vanish, but those who love and care for you will continue to love and care for you. Yes, relationships are the most important thing because after everything else is gone, they are what is left standing by you.

And, I know there are more than personal relationships. We all work, so we have business relationships. They may be a relationship with a boss, a co-worker, an employee, a vendor or a customer. How you conduct yourself will reflect in the depth and quality of your business relationships. I have many clients who started as customers and over time have turned into friends that I cherish. I love being able to do business with them.

In short, I don’t know of anyone who can say, “I have too many friends in my life”. I think we’re all searching for those meaningful relationships and most of us realize that to have a good friend you need to be a good friend. So, today, be that good friend to someone who needs you!

• Building reliable advocates – we are beginning to realize that just having tens of thousands of followers or friends are not going to get us where we want to go. Marketers want brand advocates – quality connections who are loyal and will be helpful in spreading the message.
• Niches – focusing on expertise in one, or a few areas, and not trying to be all things to all people. Small businesses need to focus on niches and position themselves as experts in those areas.
• Quality content – useful, quality content adds value and will help create online conversations that override the “noise”.
• Social media – marketers will beef up their social media marketing efforts as consumers spend more time online. No matter what size your business is, a social media presence is required.
• Monitoring social media – it’s important to know what people are saying, where they are saying it and who they are saying it to.
• Mobile marketing – mobile ads, branded apps and QR codes – consumers expect businesses to have a mobile presence.
• Localized Marketing and Geotargeting - Local discount sites like Groupon or Yelp make it easy to localize your marketing efforts. Marketers will begin to create local, targeted marketing campaigns using tools like these.
• Silo Marketing is Ineffective – it’s all about integrating the various marketing channels to spread your message and lead consumers from one message to another. Cross media marketing will drive a significant ROI for marketers.
• Co-marketing – when you partner with another complementary organization and develop co-marketing programs it helps to boost returns and lower your costs. It also can expose your business to new audiences.

So, how are those predictions doing? I’d say they are coming to pass. I particularly see progress with organizations realizing that it’s not about ink/toner on paper, it’s not about your website, your social media or mobile marketing. It’s about all of those. An integrated multi-channel approach to marketing will bring a far better return on the marketing dollars you are spending.

I’m in the process of researching the marketing trends we can expect to see in 2012 and will be sharing those with you in December.

The focus of the meeting was the news, that had hit last week, announcing that the Cincinnati main post office was one of the 252 post offices that were being studied for potential closure.

What this could possibly mean for our customers is that with Cincinnati no longer being a BMEU (business mail entry unit), we would lose the current discount on postage that comes with having a BMEU in Cincinnati.

As if that news wasn’t disturbing enough, I had attended a meeting earlier this week put on by PIANKO, our industry association, where two gentlemen presented on EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail) and the Direct Mail Hub. Both of these are programs of the United States Postal Service.

EDDM makes it possible for clients to by-pass their mail service providers for saturation mail by going online to the USPS site, purchasing/uploading mail lists, completing the paperwork and dropping everything off at the post office. Some of the mailers were not very concerned over this “toe” being dipped into our pool, because in typical post office fashion, the process was so complicated and confusing, that their clients called to request they handle it instead.

My concern is that this is the first step on a slippery slope. What happens if the post office gets a clue and makes the process less complicated and less confusing? Will those mailers then be concerned about the loss of their clients. Will the employees that will lose their jobs over a lack of work be concerned? I would think so.

And, talk about ”suspect” activity – the post office uses the confidential information that we mailers are forced to provide to them on our customers. The USPS has hired a direct sales force that is then using that confidential information to call directly on our clients and educate them on how they don’t need us, but can use the EDDM and Direct Mail Hub.

Let me tell you about the Direct Mail Hub. Now, not only do your clients not need a mail service, they will no longer need a design firm to design the mail pieces nor a printing company to produce them. Yes, our USPS has built a web-to-print solution where clients can go to the Direct Mail Hub, design their direct mail piece, have it printed by one lucky printer who the USPS has contracted with, buy their mail list and hit “go”.

First class mail has done nothing more than decline over the past years, while pre-sort (the type of direct mail that companies like us produce and mail) has stayed somewhat stable. So, the USPS solution to their declining revenues is to directly compete with their best customers? Doesn’t make sense to me.

For some crazy reason, it makes more sense to me to right-size the USPS for the current level of mail they process. This means right-sizing the workforce. Currently, their union contracts prohibit them from doing this. Instead of developing a website to compete against your best customers, wouldn’t the time be better spent in negotiating with the unions, developing a strategy to improve your workflow and finding ways to cut out waste so that your revenue solution isn’t always to raise postage?

To date, our monthly seminars have tackled the topics of:

• Web-to-Print Portals
• Integrated Strategic Marketing
• PURLs and Data Analytics
• Mailing, Fulfillment, Inventory Management
• QR Codes and Mobile Marketing
• eCampaigns

Every seminar has been full to capacity and some we had to repeat to accommodate all who wanted to attend. What a wonderful thing!

Now we find ourselves in the same position – developing a schedule for 2012 seminars that will engage, excite and inform our clients and prospects. So, we went to the source – our clients. We asked them what topics they would want to know more about. So far, we have heard:

• Social Media
• Postal Regulations
• Effective Direct Mail
• Dimension Mail
• QR Codes – more in-depth than 2011

So, we take their interest as a sign that our monthly Ideas In Motion Seminars are filling a need for information. This reminds me of the tagline I have been given – “information junkie”. Yes, guilty as charged! I love to learn, particularly anything that can be used in marketing our organization and to help our clients market theirs.

So, I’m reading about Augmented Reality and Near Field Communication. These two topics will need to be researched, learned and incorporated into the offerings we bring to market. Both are so exciting and cutting edge – in my opinion. I want to figure out how to use them to help our clients ultimately sell more of their products and services.

What topics are you excited to learn more about? What’s new and cutting-edge in your world? Have you taken the time to self-educate so that you can be a resource both within your organization and to your clients? If not, what’s holding you back? Not enough time? Not interested? Nobody’s paying you to learn? All excuses!

Someone recently said that, “You can’t use being busy as an excuse for not getting better anymore!” I’d like to expand that and say that you can’t use anything as an excuse for not getting better. Everyone is busy. Everyone is bombarded by new technology and trying to figure out how to capitalize on it. Excuses don’t make you money. Excuses don’t save your job. Excuses won’t help you or your organization succeed.

So, get busy learning. And, if you have any ideas of what people want to learn more about in the world of marketing, drop me a line and let me know! I’d love to research and learn more about them so I can help my clients succeed!

Check us out at www.multi-craft.com. Visit our Resource Center and download – for FREE – any of our articles, templates or other helpful tools that you desire.