Want Better Direct Mail? Check These 5 Things

 When designing a direct mail piece, have you ever thought about how the recipient’s eye travels around it? Understanding this basic reader behavior can help you improve your results, even if your design is already working for you.

Let’s start with a simple envelope. Where do people’s eyes go first? How can you use this knowledge to improve the impact of your piece?

1. Return address. You might think that recipients look at their name and address first, but you’d be wrong. Recipients almost always start with this area of the envelope. Do they recognize your business name? Are you a business they already have a relationship with? If you are a known brand, consider using colored text or adding a logo, so the recipient recognizes you from a distance.

2. Recipient name and address. It sounds simple, but too many marketers have mistakes in their databases that ruin the user experience before the piece is ever read. Get the recipient’s name right. Ensure all of the data is in the correct field so you don’t send mail intended for Lt. Col. John Smith, USMC (Ret.) to USMC Ret. Yes, it’s happened.

3. Postage area. Even the type of postage you use has an impact on your results. For example, people are more likely to open your mailing if they see a first-class stamp. However, it’s essential to balance postage type with volume, too.

4. Teaser copy (if desired). The outside of the envelope is the first place people are exposed to your message, so take advantage of it. Teaser copy can be preprinted or personalized during the printing process.

5. Back side. When the recipient takes in the mail, which side of the envelope will they will see first? There is no way to predict. So include hints, teasers, and calls to action on the back side of the mailer, too.

The outside of your envelope is the recipients’ first exposure to your marketing message, so make sure you’ve optimized every corner of your envelope. Studies show you have three seconds or less before the recipient keeps or trashes your mail piece and 30 seconds or less for them to decide to open it. Make the most of that time.

Please give us a call at 440-946-0606 for more information.

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7 Tips for Getting Your Best “Look”

Whether it’s on the runway or in the mailbox, everyone wants to get their best “look.” For print jobs, this means excellent color and resolution, terrific design, and details that match up the way they should. But there are other factors in putting your best foot forward that are often overlooked. Beyond the basic design, here are seven other best practices for creating the best impression.   

1. Hire a proofreader. Too many companies have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on a print job, only to discover too late that there was a typo in the headline or the body text. Don’t rely on non-specialists who are “good at grammar.” Hire a professional.

2. Get more eyes. Whether it’s the marketing message, the creative, or the account details, having a second (or third) set of eyes on the project can prevent costly mistakes later. This adds time, but it creates an important safety net.

3. Check the specs! Before submitting the job, double-check to make sure the specs are correct. A slip of the pen, an errant keystroke, or a last-minute change—it can all add up to costly mistakes later.

4. Create mock-ups. Print a mock-up so you can see how the document will look once assembled. Especially with folded and dimensional pieces, the layout might look good on the screen. Still, without a physical mock-up, you could end up with the back cover on the inside fold or the panels on your pop-up mailer ordered incorrectly.

5. Proof after every change. Even when you’re making a small change, don’t pass on a proof. Even a single letter can change the spacing on a page. Something as simple as modifying an "i” to a "j” can impact the flow. Proof it every time!

6. Create a checklist. We’re all human. We all have forgetful moments. Even if you’re a 20-year veteran of the job, create a checklist and use it.

7. Develop a long-term relationship with your print partner. Communicate with us early and often. The more we get to know you, your projects, and your marketing goals, the easier it will be for us to make sure your projects stay on track.

Remember, we’re here to help. 

Please give us a call at 440-946-0606 for more information.

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Make 'Em Say "Yes" to Email Opt-Ins

 

It's no mystery. The more comfortable you make it for people to respond to your offer, the more likely they will do it. This is one reason that the combination of direct mail and email is so powerful. It provides more opportunities for the recipient to say "yes." But unlike direct mail, email requires the recipient to opt-in. So how do you get people with inboxes already full of marketing communications to opt into one more — yours? 

 

Here is a checklist from MarketingSherpa on ways you can reduce the barriers to email opt-in and make it easy for your target audience to say "yes." 

 

1. Don't over-do it. When asking people to opt-in, limit the amount of information required. More questions mean more data, and more data means better targeting, but there is a trade-off. The more questions you ask, the more risk that people will bail.  

 

2. Eliminate unnecessary form fields. If you do not need it, ditch it. 

 

3. Focus on fields that increase list quality. For example, if you are a landscaper, the presence of children in the home may be less significant than how much sun or shade the yard receives.  

 

4. Make less essential fields optional. Let respondents skip some if they desire. 

 

5. Don't try to gather all of the information at once. Gather the most critical information upfront. Then use a drip campaign to collect more data over time. 

 

6. Make the form as short and easy to read as possible. 

 

7. Remove fields that might cause anxiety. For example, asking for a phone number can be a big turn-off. If people think opting in will result in getting unwanted marketing calls, they are less likely to do it.

 

Following this simple checklist will make it as easy as possible for people to say "yes" to your opt-in invitations. Once you start building your email list, you can crank up your multichannel marketing plans. 

 

What can we do to help?

Please give us a call at 440-946-0606 for more information.

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What Makes “Personalized” Mailings Feel Personal?

 If you think that using data — by itself — makes a mailing feel personal, think again. How many times have you received a direct mail piece or email that used your name or “personalized” images, but was irrelevant to you? Probably more often than you’d like to admit.

Say you are a golf fanatic, and you receive a sporting goods catalog personalized with your name on the front cover, plastered with an image of the latest softball gear? Or you receive an incentive to bring your car in for a tune-up six months after your car was due?

As a marketer, you don’t want to make the same mistake. That starts with understanding that, by itself, data doesn’t make a mailing relevant or compelling. Data is just that — data. It is merely a piece of information that can be used well or used poorly. (Or it can be downright wrong.) This is why personalization and relevance are different.

Personalization is simply using data to create unique pieces for every individual in a database, whether those pieces are relevant to those recipients or not. Relevance is the attribute that makes the recipient feel that the communication is meaningful to them and is worth being picked up, opened, and read.

A mailing doesn’t even have to be personalized to be relevant. For example, when you send a mailing to all inactive customers with, “Please come back! We miss you!” along with a 25% discount, that’s creating relevance even if everyone in that mailing receives the same piece. Likewise, if you market different insurance plans to households with children than you do retirees, you are increasing the chances that the recipient will see the communication as relevant even if you don’t do any personalization at all. 

So before personalizing any mailing, ask yourself, “Why am I choosing the variables I am? How am I going to use them effectively? Do I need to add any other variables to improve my targeting efforts?” You don’t want to run the risk of sending a personalized mailing without it actually being personal.

Need help making sure your data results in mailings that are truly personal? Just ask — we’d love to help.

Please give us a call at 440-946-0606 for more information.

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Don’t Miss These 8 “Must Haves” of Marketing

It’s essential to pay attention to the marketing trends around you. Whether it’s a hot new color palette, a unique design aesthetic, or the need to be sensitive to specific social issues, paying attention helps you stay relevant. However, regardless of what’s hot right now, certain basic principles are important all the time, whether that is today, tomorrow, or ten years from now. Here are eight essentials of direct response marketing that you should be incorporating every time.

1. Have a great offer. Don’t assume the reader understands your full value proposition. The proposal needs to go beyond the product itself to include additional value elements, such as availability, delivery options, and technical support. You would be surprised how many marketers neglect to do this. Don’t be one of them!

2. Create urgency. Great marketing pieces create a sense of urgency. Unless yours is a complex, high-value product that naturally has a longer sales cycle, convince the recipient that the decision needs to be made right now.

3. Provide a clear call to action. Don’t assume your reader knows what you want them to do. Do you want them to make a phone call? Go online? Download an app? Tell them! Otherwise, there is a good chance they’ll do nothing.

4. Track and measure. If you do not measure, you do not know what works and what doesn’t. Measure everything.

5. Follow up. Whether by email, phone call, or mobile, following up to your initial offer dramatically increases your response and conversion rates.

6. Write strong copy. Effective selling requires marketing copy that shows that you understand your customer’s pain points and explains how your product solves them. It’s not just what you are marketing. It’s how you are presenting it.

7. Remember that results rule. This is why you measure. If it works, keep it. If it does not, scrap it.

8. Stay focused. Don’t get distracted by shiny objects. If a marketing campaign does not adhere to the previous seven rules, “just say no.”

Every once in a while, you need to go old school for a straightforward reason. It works.

Please give us a call at 440-946-0606 for more information.

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How to Make Any Product Fascinating

It’s okay to admit that buyers don’t get as jazzed about cleaning supplies, light bulbs, and toilet plungers as they do video games and stiletto heels. If you have a “boring” product, how do you use your next direct mail, email, or multichannel campaign to get customers excited about what you have to offer? 

 

1. Create the narrative. Don’t let customers create the narrative around your product. Do it for them. Clearly define the product’s value. Does it save them $100 per year? Give busy executives back an hour of their precious time? Tell them why they can’t go another day without it.

 

2. Be a storyteller. Product specs are boring, but stories grab attention. Think about big home improvement stores like Lowe’s. Their ads don’t show lumber and nails. They show decks being built and yards being transformed. In other words, Lowe’s doesn’t sell lumber and mulch. It sells homeowner pride. What do you sell?

 

3. Bring the dazzle. Creative approaches can make anything fun. Even a tablecloth will come to life using specialty techniques like dimensional coatings or 3D techniques like embossing. House-shaped pop-up 3D mailers can turn even the opening of a new branch of an insurance company into a “can’t miss” event. 

 

4. Help them visualize. Images communicate complex concepts quickly. That’s why the soft, cuddly Snuggle bear and green Mucinex blob are so effective. These characters communicate ideas of softness and sticky goop in your lungs with speed and clarity that text alone cannot. 

 

5. Get personal. No matter what you are selling, buyers pay attention when they see themselves. Whether it’s their name, a reference to an issue they relate to, or the use of their sense of humor, once they see themselves in your ad, they’re hooked. Use data to understand your buyers, then get inside their heads and create messaging that draws them in. 

 

When it comes to print and multichannel marketing, there is no excuse to be boring. Use images, and tell a story. There is something genuinely fascinating about your products. Let’s find it!

Please give us a call at 440-946-0606 for more information.

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Design Your Direct Mail for “Wow!”

 What do all great direct mail pieces have in common? They engage people’s curiosity from the moment the mail piece gets into their hands. Here are five tips for capturing readers’ attention as soon as they open the mailbox. 

 

1. Know your corners. On a mail piece, the upper right-hand corner is where our eyes go first. Use this location to place teaser copy or compelling data such as “99% customer satisfaction rate!” It’s a secret that all highly effective catalogers know — and now you know it, too.

 

2. De-clutter. When the layout is cluttered, it’s hard for people to focus on any one thing. Use white space to draw the eye and make information easy to absorb. Instead of heavy blocks of text, use bulleted or numbered lists. 

 

3. Tap psychology. Have you ever heard of techniques such as the Zeigarnik Effect, Von Restorff Effect, or Noble Edge Effect? These techniques use brain science to capture attention and engage your audience. 

 

• The Zeigarnik Effect is when information is left unfinished. Leave people hanging, and they feel compelled to open... 
• The Van Restorff Effect is the use of content that is out of place to capture attention. Old Spice used this to significant effect with its “Smell Like a Man” campaign.
• The Noble Edge Effect taps people’s desire to be associated with positive social or environmental causes. 

 

4. Let customers sell for you. People trust other shoppers more than they do marketers, so use customer testimonials to let other buyers promote your product. Use QR Codes or AR to bring those endorsements to life by taking shoppers directly to mobile video. 

 

5. Create a great CTA. How many direct mail pieces have unfulfilled potential because someone forgot to include a call to action (CTA)? Don’t assume that readers will automatically know what you want them to do. Add urgency or additional value by giving a deadline, offering an extra discount for early response, or providing other motivators to encourage people to respond right away. 

 

Want more ideas for great direct mail design that gets results? Let’s talk.

Please give us a call at 440-946-0606 for more information.

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How Many Ways Can You Fold a Sheet?

When folding a flyer, brochure, or direct mail piece, do you default to the basic half-fold or letter fold? If so, consider that customers see those folds all the time. Why not stand out with unusual folds that really spark interest? Here are five basic but more unusual folds to get you started:

Z-fold. In the Z-fold fold, the paper is creased into three panels folded in opposite directions so that, from the top edge, it looks like a Z. When opened, the sheet unfolds like a poster. Z-folds are great for displaying information that will be read chronologically or that have images spanning the entire width of the sheet. They are also used for nesting multiple pieces, such as when you want to include a reply envelope.

Accordion fold. Commonly used for maps or instructions, this fold uses a series of parallel folds so that the sheet opens like an accordion. Because a large number of panels can be folded in, accordion folds enable you to take advantage of larger paper sizes and include more information than a 

standard finished size. Uses include brochures, maps, and instruction panels.

Gate fold. In the gate fold, two sides of the paper are folded in toward the middle like two doors opening and closing. You might use this fold to create a silly greeting card or an invitation featuring doors opening into a grand ballroom. Or you might present information like opening a book. The opportunities for creativity are endless.

Half-accordion fold. In this fold, the paper is folded in half vertically, then one half is folded vertically again. This is also called an engineering fold. These folds are often used when engineering plans or other documents are tipped into a book. But don’t stop there. Think about site maps, room layouts, and landscape designs. Don’t shrink it up—fold it!

Half-plus-letter fold. This is a combination of the half-fold and the letter fold. In this execution, the paper is folded into four equal sections. Half of the paper is folded equally, then the folded half is tucked into a letter fold. This is great for newsletters since it allows a legal-sized sheet to be folded down into #10 envelope size in a user-friendly way.

As they say, there is more than one way to fold a sheet. So mix it up. Use different and interesting folds to improve functionality and encourage people to interact with your pieces.

Please give us a call at 440-946-0606 for more information.

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How to Redeem Your Customer Complaints (and Save the Customer Relationship)

Even companies with the strongest customer relationships get complaints once in awhile. Don’t let those complaints erode your customer relationships. Handle them right and you can actually deepen those relationships. Studies have found that helpful responses to negative customer feedback can actually increase purchase intent among future shoppers.

Here are five ways to redeem your customer complaints and turn them into positive interactions.

1. Make giving feedback easy. Create an environment in which it’s easy for customers to make contact with you. Customers are more likely to provide feedback by print or email than they are at the checkout counter or with a sales rep. Use multiple channels (printed forms, email, easily accessible website forms) to solicit their input.

2. Offer personal responses (like, actually personal). Don’t send people to a generic customer service number. If a customer complains, personalize your responses to each individual and his or her specific issue. Give them a human being to deal with.

3. Pre-fill response forms. The easier you make it for customers to return forms, the more likely they are to do so. Plus, it makes them feel valued and reduces the negative experience of making a complaint.

4. Go multi-channel. Surveys show that when brands communicate with customers across multiple channels, customers are happier both with their purchases and the brand overall. Create a consistent brand experience regardless of channel the customer uses to communicate with you.

5. Lean into your data. Data-driven communications can really help with customer retention and customer satisfaction. Use triggered messaging to automatically generate thank yous (such as personalized thank-you emails) to let them know you appreciate the feedback, whether positive or not.

Need help setting up a multichannel customer feedback program? Let us help!

Please give us a call at 440-946-0606
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3 Insider Tips All Nonprofits Should Know

Fundraising is the lifeblood of any nonprofit. Without donations, your mission doesn’t go on. Here are three tips for making the most of your efforts.

1. More donations are driven by direct mail + digital.

Direct mail is one of the most effective ways for nonprofits to solicit donations. However, these efforts work best in concert with other channels. For example, one study found that marketing campaigns that used direct mail and one or more digital media experienced a 118% lift in response rates compared to using direct mail only. In contrast, another found that combining direct mail with digital ads yielded 28% higher conversion rates.^[1]

2. Success starts with your house list.

As long as they continue to believe in your mission, most people who donate to your organization will do so again. That’s why your house list is so important. Prospecting helps to expand your donor base, but your house list will always be the primary source of your fundraising dollars. Keep this list clean up to date, and treat your donors like the most influential people in the world — because they are.

3. Engage beyond donations.

When it comes to a person’s likelihood to donate, the most important factor is his or her emotional connection to your organization. To increase donations, be proactive about building real, lasting relationships with donors over time.

·         Make sure your donors understand your mission and where their money will be used.

·         Write to donors by name and personalize your messaging based on the specific areas or projects to which they have donated.

·         Provide pictures or stories about the ways their donations are being used. If people are donating to an ongoing project, keep them in the loop on the progress.

People want to help, and they enjoy being part of efforts to do good for the world around them. Use direct mail, email, and other digital channels to make them feel part of your mission and continue to move it forward.

---

^[1] https://nonprofitssource.com/online-giving-statistics/email-direct-mail/

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

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How Marketing Is Changing in This “New Normal”

As the U.S. economy gradually begins to reopen, you may want your marketing strategy to look different than it has in the past. Why? Because the market is in flux, and consumers are re-evaluating existing brand relationships. A new study from Influence Central outlines just how impactful some of these changes are.  Here are three of those changes and what they mean for you.

1. Customer loyalty is in flux.  According to the survey, 75% of consumers are unable to find many of their regular products in stores. Nearly half (45%) are unable to find their regular products online. As a result, they are open to new brands they might not have been in the past. 

What this means for you: There has never been a better time to introduce yourself to a new group of potential customers.  Think about launching a prospecting campaign to grab those buyers before your competitor does.

2. Known brands must prove value. Customers are open to change, but they are sensitive to price, too. Only 12% of consumers say they are “very willing” to pay for a preferred brand over a generic label, and 52% are “somewhat” willing to do so. More than one-third (37%) favor generic brands for their cost savings.

What this means for you: Known brands need to clearly articulate their value proposition more than ever. Use your direct mail, email, and mobile communications to communicate why your products and service are worth paying for.  

3. Customer habits are changing. Consumers are changing the way they live. They are ordering out more, supporting small, local businesses more, and bringing more lifestyle elements in-house (For example, 56% of consumers are brewing more coffee at home than they used to.)  Some of these trends will stay long after the pandemic is over.

What this means for you: Understand how your customers’ habits are changing and how you should adapt your marketing strategies to address them.  You may still use the same mix of channels you have in the past. You may just need to position your messaging differently to reflect new consumer habits and sensitivities.

Need help? Let’s talk strategy!

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

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5-Step Checklist Before Refreshing Your Marketing

Mid-year is always a good time to re-evaluate your marketing strategy, especially when there has been a period of downtime. Whether you are using direct mail, email, mobile, or social media, here is a quick checklist to make sure that, as you look forward to the rest of the year, you are hitting all of the basics.

1. Make a plan.

What are your marketing objectives? They are likely somewhat different than they were at the beginning of the year, and that’s okay. What are your goals now? Re-engage your audience? Recapture lapsed subscriptions? Build your e-commerce engine or delivery services? Have specific goals and apply numbers to those goals to help you measure success.

2. Target emotion.

How do you grab attention and get your audience to act? Now more than ever, people respond to how products make them feel rather than the details of what those products do. Insurance makes people feel secure. Freedom to travel makes people feel adventurous and independent. Developing personas rather than just demographic data can be a great investment.

3. Understand the journey.

Some sales happen quickly. Others are the result of a process that includes discovery and education before the decision is made. This is called the “sales journey.” Take the time to understand what your customers’ journey looks like. Also, take the time to understand the benefits of each communications channel. Where does print fit? Email? Social media? Video? Which channels work best to move your prospects from one stage of the sales journey to the next?

4. Market to the generation of “me.”

This is the “me” generation, so tailor marketing content to your target audience. This can be done through personalized communications that match images, messages, and offers to individual recipients. Or it can be done through strategic targeting and segmentation.

5. Create a timetable.

When and how do you intend to deploy the components of your marketing strategy? Success depends not just on getting the right message in front of the right audience, but on getting the right message in front of your audience at the right time. Create a plan for what content to deploy, using which channel, and when.

Miss something on the checklist? Need help with implementation? Give us a call. That’s why we’re here. 

Please give us a call at 440-946-0606
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Got Myths? 3 Misperceptions About Print

Print continues to receive a lot of attention from marketers. Why? First, because it works. Second, it’s simply less annoying. (According to PrintIsBig.com, print is 43% less annoying than the Internet.) Less annoying or not, there are many misperceptions about print that cause marketers to overlook its value. Let’s look at three myths about print marketing and the reality behind them:

1. Print is all or nothing.

Many marketers think that either you live in the age of print or the age of digital, but not both. The reality is that print and digital channels work together. One study found that 51% of consumers prefer companies to communicate with them using a combination of physical mail and email. Even if buyers do end up purchasing online, 39% say they tried a business for the first time because of direct mail.

2. Consumers prefer digital communication.

Sure, consumers love to connect with brands digitally, but they also want to connect with brands through print. They want to communicate across both print and digital. According to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), 92% of shoppers prefer direct mail for making purchasing decisions. In part, this is because print continues to have a trust factor. It also motivates people to buy. The DMA found that for every $167 spent on direct mail, marketers sell $2,095 of goods. There is something about print that spurs consumers to action.

3. Personalization only works for email and online.

Print can be personalized, too. Personalized direct mail can increase ROI by 3x to 10x. Furthermore, 40% of consumers say they buy from retailers who personalize the shopping experience across channels.

Don’t fall for the myths. Know the real value of print marketing.

Want to learn more? Just ask!

Please give us a call at 440-946-0606
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Why the Digital Generation Loves Mail

You’d think that the first digital generation, Millennials, would stick their noses up at direct mail in favor of electronic alternatives, but the opposite is true. Millennials love mail! Studies show that Millennials are more engaged with direct mail than other generations. According to “USPS Mail Moments,” for example, Millennials are more likely than non-Millennials to do the following:

• Scan their mail (71% vs. 66%)
• Organize and sort their mail (45% vs. 40%)
• Read their mail (36% vs. 35%)
• Show their mail to others (24% vs. 19%)

Millennials also show a greater preference for direct mail over email in some key areas. For example, 64% would rather look for “useful information” in the physical mail than email, and while the average person spends 8.4 minutes sorting their mail, Millennials spend 9.2 minutes doing so.

Why do digital natives love engaging with direct mail? In part, it’s because they are inundated with digital media. Physical mail stands out in Millennials’ otherwise electronic worlds. This generation is also geared toward visual content, and direct mail caters to the physical senses.

If you are marketing to this audience, try connecting the physical world to the social media world to create relevance. For example, members of this generation are massive consumers of social media like Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube, so consider designing to your direct mail be “Instagram-like” or “Snapchat-like.” Try incorporating print-to-mobile and print-to-video tools like QR Codes and augmented reality. Turn direct mail into an experience.

Even when direct mail graphics are static, use those graphics creatively. For example, one direct mail piece uses an image of a surfer riding a wave several stories high. At first glance, you might think this was for surf products or Caribbean cruises. In fact, it was for mortgage refinancing. The text read, “Ever feel like your home mortgage is like 60 tons of water ready to crush you and your family? We can help!” Instead of focusing on interest rates and mortgage terms, it used images to show what it feels like to be crushed under debt.

When targeting Millennials, incorporate direct mail. But understand how this audience thinks, then design campaigns intended for this audience in a way that they are most likely to connect with.

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

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Is a Custom Magazine Right for You?

When you think about adding new channels to engage with your customers, starting a custom magazine is probably not high on the list. It may never have crossed your mind. But it might be something you want to consider.  The use of custom magazines as a customer engagement tool is growing.

“Hold up!” you might say. “Aren’t magazine subscriptions on the decline?” Traditional magazines, yes, but not custom magazines. Custom publishing is on the rise, and these publications often become the glue around which other marketing elements—personalized direct mail and email, social media, mobile marketing—are built.

Here are three companies that have been successful using custom magazines to enhance their brands:

Lowe’s: This DIY giant offers both an e-zine and a print version of its “Creative Ideas” magazine, which provides solutions for everything from hidden bedroom storage to painting a faux brick wall. This content drives readers back to Lowe’s stores for supplies. The magazine’s design style mimics DIY pinboards and online communities, creating a sense of being an integral part of the larger DIY family.

Airbnb: There is certain kitsch to being part of the Airbnb community and hosting travelers from all over the globe. To reinforce this identity, Airbnb’s magazine, “Pineapple,” features stories from San Francisco to London told by Airbnb hosts. Since travelers often return to the same hosts over and over again, the goal is to keep hosts engaged so that travelers can build long-term relationships with them and with the Airbnb brand. 

Uber: Being an Uber driver is like being part of your own world. To keep drivers connected, Uber created a magazine, “Momentum,” just for its drivers. Topics range from stories from the field to tips on how to keep your back from hurting when constantly on the go. The goal is to build a broad base of connected, brand-engaged drivers that drives the mission forward. 

So why invest in a custom magazine? It is not to make money through advertising or subscriptions. It is to enhance customer engagement and enhance and solidify your brand in a way that creates long-term profitability.

Want to build a community around your brand? A custom magazine might be just what you need.

Please give us a call at 440-946-0606
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For Better Results, Follow Your Curiosity

Do you have curiosity? If you’re doing personalized print marketing, a little can go a long way. By asking questions of your customers, whether in print or digital surveys, you can uncover valuable information that can improve your sales. 

One governmental agency shows us how it’s done. When the agency began implementing a new set of regulations, it set up a compliance program to help affected businesses. It also scheduled an educational event to let companies know about the changes and help them get on board. In advance of the event, it surveyed attendees about their knowledge of the new regulations and compliance initiative. To encourage them to respond to the survey, it offered a guaranteed prize plus a chance to win a new iPod. 

The survey provided critical insights, including: 

• More than two-thirds of attendees did not know whether or not they were in compliance.

• 54% had never visited the agency’s website designed to educate them on the regulations.

• 48% did not know how the compliance program would help them.

Imagine how this information helped the agency tailor its message during the event!

In another example, one mid-sized marketer used personalized surveys to improve its prospecting efforts. It asked customers to indicate where they needed the most help in critical areas of their business, what services would make their jobs more manageable, and what their pain points were. This information helped the salespeople create highly targeted presentations directed at the individual needs of each prospect. The result was a whopping 73.9% conversion rate. 

Are you doing regular customer and prospect surveys? If not, there are many ways to work them into your marketing projects, from personalized URLs to pre-filled tear-out forms, to online and email forms. 

To create these surveys, ask yourself what information you do not currently have that would help you open doors, increase the relevance of your messaging, and ultimately help you close the sale. Once you know what information you need, we can help you craft the surveys to get the best results. 

Please give us a call at 440-946-0606
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