In Mail We Trust
There’s an interesting little blurb in the November/December issue of Revenue Magazine on page 18. In part it says:
The study said that newspaper ads were the most trustworthy, with 63% of media consumers saying they trust the ads there. Search ads were the highest-scoring online format, with 34% saying they trusted them. Banner ads were trusted by just 26% of respondents and mobile advertising had 18% of the public trust.
Basically what this says to me is that, even in an era of internet marketing, viral marketing, and SEO/SEM… brick and mortar printing is still the most trusted form of advertisement.
One of the best ways to get the word out in a trusted way is direct mail. Direct mail allows you to catch your customers when they’re more alert and looking for information within their mail delivery. Consider this: when you get home from work at the end of the day and check your mailbox, you’re momentarily more alert while trying to decipher what are bills that need immediate attention, letters from friends or family, and what is advertisements. But even though you’re not looking for the ads, they can still seep into your consciousness during those moments.
Direct mail is inexpensive and can be completed by a number of different resources (other than your kids bribed with a pizza and armed with some stamps on a Saturday afternoon). Reputable printing and mailing companies like PsPrint take all the hassle out of a direct mail piece. Mailing lists are affordable as well, so there’s no hassle in supplementing any customer list you already have with more potential leads.
Make sure to keep these tips in mind when planning our your direct mail campaign:
- Make it Relevant. Target your list in a way that the consumers receiving your mail piece actually have interest in what you’re selling or promoting. Use demographic parameters in renting your mailing list to narrow down who you’re paying to send a piece to.
- Make it Pop. Designs should be eye catching when looking through the usual boring pile of mail. Use vivid colors to make your piece stand out amid the white and manila envelopes.
- Make it Clear. Don’t clutter your piece with information in the attempt to let the consumer know everything about your company. Focus on a single call to action (e.g. coming into the store for more details or visiting the website for more information). Use the mail piece to say the most important thing you want the consumer to know and direct them to the most important action they should take.
Now get out there and get your mail on!
Professional Mailing Services at PsPrint
The “it” site Snapbomb
It seems that on a daily basis there are more and more opportunities for bloggers to make money. I was Stumbling around earlier and found a blog post about SnapBomb from a blogger than I tend to take pretty seriously, LaTease Rikard. Usually she’s pretty on the mark about opportunities out there, including signing up for the PsPrint Affiliate Program!
So I went to check out the buzz about this and it’s the easiest thing I’ve done in awhile. The interface is super easy to understand and there’s no lengthy approval process like other pay per post/sponsored review sites. I don’t have a lot of experience with this as I’ve never written a paid post in my life, but from reading other bloggers around the blogosphere, most paid per post/review sites are a bunch of hoops to jump through. It’s refreshing to see something so straightforward out there.
Now SnapBomb is not going to make you a millionaire overnight. From what I can see the starting pay rates are between $5-10 when you start out. But for prolific writers there’s definitely a chance to make some extra scratch there. And I’m sure most bloggers who are attempting to make money from their blogs appreciate every dollar they can get. It’s also a good vehicle for blog marketing.
I encourage anyone looking for some extra dough to check it out at www.SnapBomb.com and poke around.
Read MoreSocial Media Marketing: Wave of the Future?
I figured out a really nifty thing to do on LinkedIn a few months ago… creating an HTML email signature with a link to this blog, to the PsPrint website, and to my LinkedIn profile. I was, sadly, highly amused by this function and emailed a colleague to show it off.
Colleague: Oh that is cool…I am still not 100% comfortable with online communication websites but Linked In seems cool because it’s business connections.
Me: But it’s the waaaave of the futurrrrre. And we’re going to start social media marketing, so get used to it :p
Back in August we decided to do a full frontal attack on social media! I can’t say much yet since we’re still fleshing out the procedures and nitty gritty details, but I’ll be taking the lead on it. That was decided back in August and we still haven’t made any progress on it, other than my blogging efforts here.
It was exciting to get some new responsibilities and start working on a new project. Our mailing services is pretty automated and our affiliate program was starting to go places. I couldn’t wait to talk more about it, but mum was the word at the time.
So I got to thinking about it… is social media and online networking really the wave of the future? What are your thoughts?
Read MoreAnnoying Sales & Marketing Tactics
Annoying Tactic #1: Launch a campaign without communicating it to everyone who needs to know internally.
Yes, if we told you we’d have to kill you. It’s that secret! Or, just not well communicated. There’s a fine line between keeping everyone in the loop and spamming everyone with constant updates. Personally, I’d rather err on the side of caution and go with the borderline spam. At least that way I never hear that dreaded phrase “Well nobody told ME that”. In my opinion, the more informed the employees are, the more interested and invested they are in making the company work and grow successfully. Maybe that’s just me.
Annoying Tactic #2: Contact everyone at the company you have contact info for to push a deal.
While erring to spam internally doesn’t bother me, constant follow up when I have no say in a matter does. I read an interesting blog a few months ago and man does it ring true. Listen up…if I’ve told you that you need to talk to a certain person that’s obviously not me, don’t keep sending me e-mails and calling me. Despite the word “assistant” in my (former) title, I am not this person’s secretary and cannot get them to call you back any faster if they are not interested or, better yet, not in the office. I’ve never been one to respond well to hard sales even if I was genuinely interested in the product. So back off, Salesman Steve. We’ll get to you when we’re good and ready.
Annoying Tactic #3: Make sure everyone you’ve ever met knows where you work and how they could use you.
There’s a fine line between informative introductions and obnoxious introductions. If someone you meet at a show or other non-work related function asks what you do or where you work, don’t be afraid to tell them. It might spark their interest and give you a wide opportunity to explain to them how great your company is without shoving it down their throat. But be careful not to be obnoxious. Princeton’s WordNet search defines obnoxious as “objectionable: causing disapproval or protest”. So don’t leave a sour taste in people’s minds about your company by announcing it off the bat when you shake hands. Yes shows are great networking opportunities, but if you go around spewing information about your company to everyone who didn’t ask, they won’t be likely to use you. Saturation is not always good.
Annoying Tactic #4: Miss deadlines
Missing so many deadlines that the promotion or campaign is practically a moot idea is the most annoying of all. When people get a postcard for a sale and the sale is halfway over, they tend to be ticked off about it and it really doesn’t encourage them to go order right away to take advantage. I know, I’ve received many a sale card mid-sale and thought simply “well, that’s a sale I won’t be able to hit”. Marketing is all about timeliness, so missing the mark is just poor form. It doesn’t motivate your customers to take action and it holds back other people within your department trying to work on the same project.
Read MoreEek! Affiliate Summit Almost Sold Out!
That’s right, the summit is almost sold out! “As of this morning, we are at 85 percent capacity,” said Affiliate Summit Co-Founder Shawn Collins. “Based on historical data, the rest of the space is going to go quick.”
The keynote speaker for Monday, February 25 will be Jason Calacanis, founder of Mahalo.com. The conference will also feature Moniker’s Live Domain Auctions, the Affiliate Summit Pinnacle Awards Gala, and nearly 70 expert speakers
During the Affiliate Summit 2008 West, marketers will gather and learn from one another in a cooperative environment, while attendees gain intimate knowledge and experience about the affiliate marketing industry and network with industry leaders.
The Affiliate Summit 2008 West conference will be the ninth Affiliate Summit event presented by industry veterans, Shawn Collins and Missy Ward. More information about the Affiliate Summit Conference along with a schedule of speakers and events is available by visiting AffiliateSummit.com. For up-to-date information about the affiliate marketing industry, subscribe to the Real Deal Newsletter – the Official Newsletter of Affiliate Summit at RealDealNewsletter.com.
So what are you waiting for! Go get your tickets today and make sure to get your butt in gear! Once you register you’ll also see the offer for 20% off your printed materials through PsPrint. Get on it!
Read MoreAffiliate Summit Won’t Come to You
Vegas… again. For faithful readers you’ll know that after having not been to Sin City since I was six, I’ve been twice since August. And I’m going yet again at the end of February for Affiliate Summit West 08. It should be sweet; AS East 07 in Miami was my first trade show attendance and it was a special and magical time. And since the show is directly involved with what I do on a daily basis, it’s like going to a crash course on my job.
Luckily for anyone who saw footage of the Monte Carlo on fire today, it’s being held at the Rio All Suites Hotel & Casino. Home of Penn & Teller, an excellent show if you’re looking to mix business with pleasure. I saw them in August and it was top entertainment for not bad of a price.
This year Affiliate Classroom LIVE is putting on an all day training session on affiliate manager training. And it’s FREE (well, aside from that $97 reservation fee to make sure you come). It’s 8:00 am to 6:00 pm so that much won’t be fun, especially since my husband will be joining me for part of this trip so he’ll be on his own to explore :(. But at that price, how could you pass it up? There’s only 150 seats, so if you’re interested go make your reservation now!
Jay Berkowitz of Ten Golden Rules is also putting on an Internet Marketing Bootcamp the same day. Which sucks for me because I’d love to go to both, but maybe some kind soul would give me a verbal crash course in how it goes ;). But this bootcamp is a lofty $200. In comparison to what you’re spending to attend the show that’s chump change, but still hard to swing if you’re a start up publisher wanting to learn the ropes. Affiliate Summit attendees do get $50 off though. Check out the Affiliate Summit Blog for more details on how to swing that.
For anyone even thinking about going to this, I highly recommend it. I learned SO much as a beginning affiliate manager, and got to network with some great people. It’s also an excellent resource for a publisher to check out all the different networks that are out there and all the best strategies and tactics for converting your website into your income. And just look outside at your winter weather then remember that Las Vegas will be warm and sunny and book your flight to go already!
Remember to take plenty of business cards as you WILL need them (we ran clean out last time). As a special, PsPrint is offering 20% off for attendees. But you have to register to get the code for the discount, so register today for Affiliate Summit!
