Friday, February 9, 2018

3 Tips for Better Email Marketing

Want to improve your email marketing for 2018? Here are three tips you want to keep in mind.
1. Know (we mean really know) your audience.
We’re not just talking about knowing what they buy. We’re talking about how they like you to communicate.
For example, younger audiences don’t like the hard sell. It’s important to communicate your value, but the hard sell will turn them off.  Younger audiences also tend to be more responsive to user-generated images than to professional photo shoots. They also tend to be more responsive to peer comments and reviews than to company-generated content.
2. Create campaign-specific landing pages.
When your audience clicks through the email, don’t send them to your main website. Send them to a landing page created specifically for that product, that campaign, and that promotion. 
Ensure that the content on the landing page matches the content in the email. As your audience clicks through the email to the landing page, you want it to be a smooth, seamless transition.
3. Don’t, don’t forget the CTA.
Although many audiences don’t like the hard sell, they still need to understand what you want them to do. If you focus exclusively on content, they may simply see your email as an information campaign. Include a clear call to action so they know the end goal — to purchase a product, sign up for a webinar, or come to your event.
There is lots of content out there being used for branding purposes. If you are selling something, make sure your promotions aren’t confused as being among them.
Need help getting your email messaging out there? Let us help you integrate your direct mail, email, and other multichannel content in an integrated, effective campaign. 

Please give us a call at 440-946-0606
Or visit our website here for more information.



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Print in 5 Dimensions

One of the great things about direct mail is the many ways it engages the senses. This is something that cannot be replicated in the digital world and continues to make print an indispensible piece of the marketing puzzle. Here are 5 “dimensions” of print that you can use to engage and delight your audiences.
1. Texture. Paper stock comes in many textures—from sleek coated stocks; to classic cottons, linens, and laids; to the raw, earthy feel of uncoated, unbleached stocks. Use texture to help tell your marketing story.
2. Scent. Scent marketing is a growing industry that uses aroma as a subtle but highly effective marketing tool. Scents like coffee, cinnamon, and pine can be used to trigger emotion. When included inside the mailing envelope or direct mail piece, it can trigger positive associations and increase sales.
3. Color. The use of color goes beyond ink on paper. Consider how colored envelopes and stocks can be used to make your message pop.  Want to create a particularly dramatic effect? Consider the impact of white text and graphics on black stock. POW!
4. Video. There are many ways to send recipients to video in a printed piece. You can use augmented reality (AR), QR Codes to mobile video, even embedded video screens in the piece itself.  Print and video go great together.
5. Dimension. Nothing stands out in the mailbox like a piece of dimensional mail. Whether it is a thick envelope, a beautifully printed box, or a pop-up cube, anything beyond the typical flat mailer draws immediate attention and shouts “OPEN ME!” Recipients can’t wait to see what’s inside.

Print isn’t just four-color ink on plain stock anymore. It offers a multi-sensory experience that excites and engages your audience. Which one of these sensory experiences would benefit your next marketing campaign?  

Please give us a call at 440-946-0606
Or visit our website here for more information.



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Tapping Your Envelope’s Most Powerful Real Estate

What is the most important real estate on your mailing envelope? It is the upper left-hand corner, the location of the return address. It is here that your prospect will often decide to open your envelope... or not. 
Here are three reasons this space helps recipients decide to open your envelope:
Existing customer relationship: If the mailer is from a company the recipient already does business with, studies show that they will often open the envelope simply because of that relationship. Even if they do not have an immediate need for the product or service, they will often open it because it is you.  If you are mailing to existing customers, play up that relationship and make sure your company is clearly identified.
Brand recognition: If it is from a well-known brand that the recipient does not do business with but they respect, they will often open the envelope as long as it is a product they are interested in. Here is where positive, established brand identity and smart targeting play an important role.
Attention-getters: To get people to open an envelope from a company or organization they may not know, use attention-getting techniques such as images, colorful brand logos, and other techniques. Some even use the signatures of celebrities. One nonprofit, for example, gained permission to use the signature of actress Natalie Portman above its logo to attract attention. Identification with a well-known figure can have a powerful effect. Just make sure that you have the correct permissions and that the images relate to the product or service you are marketing.
Take advantage of this powerful real estate. Use it to create a powerful emotional connection and tell a story, even before the envelope is opened. 

Source: Taken from the video “Engaging Envelopes: The Corner Card,” sponsored by Tension Corp. and hosted by Target Marketing

Please give us a call at 440-946-0606
Or visit our website here for more information.


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