Quick & Easy Marketing Tip:

First and fore most keep in front of your current and former clients! These are the people that are currently buying from you or have purchased from you. They know your product or service works! There may be other products or services that they need from you but do not know you offer.

Second and almost as important; ask your current clients for referrals. Again, your current clients are purchasing from you for a reason. They are happy with your customer service and they know your products and or services work. These people are walking testimonials; ask them if they know of any other people who would benefit from your service/products. Then reward your clients for giving you a lead that turns into a new client. Give them cash, a girt certificate, something that has monetary value that they can go out and use for themselves and then continue doing this every time they give you a lead that turns into a client.

How to do all this? That is the easy part. It can be as easily as a phone call or a direct mail campaign. Visit www.moneymailerofatlanta.com/marketing.htm for more details.

A Competitive Edge

Are you looking for a way to increase your competitive advantage? Would strong community presence help your bottom line? Let's consider some interesting statistics from a recent survey.

·92% have a stronger positive image of companies who support a cause they care about

·78% agree that cause marketing should be standard business practice

·66% report having greater rust in those companies aligned with a social issue

·84% report they would likely switch brands, retailer, or service providers to one associated with a good cause when price and quality are equal

These findings strongly support the idea that your business can prosper by doing 'good' in the community you serve.

2004 Cone Corporate Citizenship Study

New Census Data Details Major Changes in Language Landscape

By Bradley Johnson

Published: August 20, 2006

LOS ANGELES (AdAge.com) -- If you want to communicate with California, you may need to try a language other than English or even Spanish. A full 42% of Californians speak a language other than English at home, with two-thirds of that group (28%) speaking Spanish and the rest speaking some other tongue. Not coincidentally, 27% of Californians are foreign-born, the highest in the nation.

Flip side
On the flip side, West Virginia has the lowest percentage of foreign-born residents (1%) and highest share of English speakers (99%). Some 95% of West Virginia residents are white and non-Hispanic (vs. 43% in California). But West Virginia has the lowest share of college graduates: Just 17% of residents have a degree, vs. 30% in California.

These are among the findings from the first major release of the American Community Survey, a Census Bureau program that each year will provide a demographic portrait of the nation based on a survey of 3 million households. The survey replaces the old "long form" version of the every-10-year census.

New data released
The Census Bureau last week released survey data on demographics, with results on economics, housing and other details to follow in coming months. Among the new data:

Ancestry: 17% of Americans say their roots are German, the largest ancestral group; 12% say their background is Irish; English (10%) ranks third. The fourth-largest group: 7% of the population says its ancestral background is "American."

Immigrants: One in eight residents (12.4%) are immigrants (legal or illegal), up from 11% in 2000. Latin America accounts for more than half (53%) of the immigrant population; 27% came from Asia/Pacific. Nearly one-third (31%) of immigrants are from Mexico; there are an estimated 11 million Mexican-born residents in the U.S., greater than the population of all but seven states.

Age and household
Age and household: Utah has the nation's youngest median age (28.5), highest percentage of households with children (44%) and largest families (average 3.1 people). The oldest state? Maine (median age 41.2). In Florida, 29% of households have residents age 65-plus, the highest in the nation, but the Sunshine State ranks sixth in median age (39.5). Nation's median age: 36.4.

Education: 27% of U.S. adults (age 25+) have a bachelor's degree; 10% have an advanced degree. Massachusetts scores first among states in percentage of residents with a bachelor's (37%) or advanced degree (16%). Among large cities, San Francisco is by far the most educated: 50% of residents are college graduates.

They love New York: 21% of the state's residents are foreign-born, second highest after California. But native New Yorkers stay home (or come home); 82% of New York's U.S.-born residents were born in the state, the highest percentage in the nation.

New Residents Can Make Up for Local Customer Turnover

Targeting new residents is the most effective way to replace the 20 percent to 40 percent annual customer turnover rate that typical small retail operations face.

According to research cited in a new study by Moving Targets (via DMNews), movers go through five stages of transition during a move: Separation, as people say goodbye to their old connections; Transformation, the physical aspect of the move; Early Integration, encompassing the first six months in the new community; Later Integration, the subsequent period of adjustment; and Maintenance, the indefinite period once the resident is finally settled in.

It is during the Transformation, Early Integration and Later Integration stages that new residents represent the immense opportunity for local retailers. According to the U.S. Postal Service, this period represents a time of "hyperspending" as movers buy everything from new drapes to Chinese carryout. On average, new residents spend $7,100 for goods directly attributable to their relocation. During the first 24 months after a move, an estimated 80 percent of new residents will try new products and services from local businesses.

The Moving Targets study reports the following facts about new movers: 62 percent eat pizza; 65percent of female new residents are anxious about finding a good hairstylist; 67 percent say it's difficult to find an honest auto repair shop; 80 percent redeem gift certificates offered by local merchants; and 98 percent appreciate gifts or offers from local merchants.

Yahoo Search's Secret Weapon: Direct Mail

By Cara Wood
August 8, 2006

Yahoo Search Marketing's recent business-to-business push for its Sponsored Search service uses one of the oldest tactics in direct marketing: direct mail.

The Yahoo unit drives sales by sending targeted three-fold pieces with promo codes and business reply cards that direct companies to http://sponsoredsearch.yahoo.com/connectme. The unit tracks conversion rate, cost per acquisition and customer lifetime revenue as well as how direct mail assists its other acquisition campaigns.

"Yahoo Search Marketing leverages direct mail as a key component of its marketing and customer acquisition strategies," said Patrizio Spagnoletto, director of acquisition marketing at Yahoo Search Marketing, Burbank, CA. "[It] tests on a continuous basis multiple creatives, formats and lists with the ultimate objective of increasing overall conversion rates."

Yahoo Search Marketing has used direct mail to acquire customers for the past five years. Mr. Spagnoletto said direct mail aids both direct and indirect customer acquisition, especially with the market the company is targeting.

"Few other channels allow us the ability to reach out to our target audience with actionable messaging that is compelling to the small business owner," he said. "In instances where the business owner is not ready to complete the purchase, direct mail enables us to initiate a dialogue with the customer and provide them with more specific information through e-mail, telesales and additional mailings."

The mail piece highlights the process of the Sponsored Search program. It features graphics of the online search window and potential customers holding up signs indicating their desire to purchase. For example, the exterior fold is headlined, "Connect with customers searching for what you sell. Sign up for Sponsored Search and get a $75 credit." Alongside is an image of a smiling young woman holding up a sign that says, "Sell to Me."

Inside, the second fold is headlined, "Sponsored Search puts your business where interested customers are searching." A man is shown with a sign that reads, "I want to buy what you sell." Finally, the centerfold is headlined, "Your new customers are out there. We'll help them find you." A woman holds aloft a sign that says, "Ready to buy."

The mailer's recipient is offered $75 off the $199 Fast Track starter service if he signs up for Sponsored Search by Sept. 30. The prospect is asked to visit the Connect Me section on Yahoo's Sponsored Search site, call a toll-free number or send in the business reply card.

Yahoo Search Marketing did not disclose quantities mailed or the lists used but said the target was small businesses with an online presence.

"The goal of our creative is to make sure the Yahoo brand is well represented but to also bridge the gap between Yahoo for your personal life and Yahoo for your business," Mr. Spagnoletto said. "We capture the excitement and playfulness that embodies the Yahoo brand and pair it with effective and product-specific messaging and art. These elements ... work together to pull the reader through the package and help to sell our message to any business owner."

Other tactics used by Yahoo Search Marketing include affiliate marketing, graphical online advertising and paid search.

Yahoo Sponsored Search is a pay-per-click service that lets companies bid on keywords. Each new account requires a $5 initial deposit, and the minimum bid per clickthrough is 10 cents. Yahoo Search was the second-most-used engine in June with 23 percent of the search traffic, according to the Nielsen//NetRatings MegaView Search. Google had 49 percent.

Sponsored Search has about 100,000 current advertisers ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small, single-owner-operated businesses. Firms include Citibank, Gap, The New York Times' nytimes.com and Microsoft.

Yahoo Search Marketing will continue its direct mail program to expand that list of advertisers. Mr. Spagnoletto said that testing the campaign leads to customer insights that influence market segmentation and improved creative for subsequent multichannel programs. Continuous testing of the direct mail campaign helps Yahoo Search Marketing overcome the challenges of scalability, he said.

"A key challenge we face is maintaining response rates and CPA while expanding our target universe and mail volume," he said.

12 Boring Ideas That Make Copy Sell

In marketing, people are always looking for the new thing. And with the start of a new year, you undoubtedly will be bombarded with information about new technology, new lists, new creative formats and all sorts of new whiz-bang stuff. But when it comes to copy, the old ideas are generally the best ideas. Why? Because selling is about communicating with people, and people are pretty much the same today as they ever were.

Yeah, that’s a little boring. I’d love to reveal some spectacular new copywriting discovery. But for the most part, the stuff that worked 100 years ago still works today. And 100 years from now, it will work just as well.

Buzzwords come and go, of course. The style of marketing copy is generally shorter and more to the point now. But if you look at a magazine, catalog or direct mail package from decades ago, you’ll see the same principles at work as you would today.

Here are a dozen of the most important:

* Make your copy sell. In direct marketing, writing is not about words per se. It’s about selling. And the way to sell is to combine your communication skills with knowledge of psychology. As the eminent Herschell Gordon Lewis said, "Psychology + Communication = Salesmanship."

* Sell as much or as little as needed. Ask yourself, "How much selling do I need for this audience? How familiar are people with this type of product or this particular product?" If you are selling a familiar product with a common offer, such as a magazine with a free trial, you don’t need to push as hard as you might when selling a less familiar product with a less common offer.

* Use a proven copy formula. There are as many formulas as there are copywriters, but they all boil down to the same ideas. You need to 1) Establish your objective, 2) Clarify the benefits to your prospect, 3) Show how the benefits will be delivered, 4) Prove your statements, 5) Add sweeteners and facilitators, and 6) Tell your prospect how to respond.

* Use the imperative mode.That’s a fancy way of saying, "Tell people what to do." On the envelope, say "Look inside" or "Open immediately." In the letter, say "More" or "Read on" to bump readers to the next page. On the order form, say "Complete and mail within 14 days" or "Ask for your free issue today" to encourage quick response.

* Focus on one clear, big benefit. This will simplify your message, select your audience and differentiate your product from others. If you’re selling a computer design program, your big benefit might be that it can automatically translate any print design into a Web page. There may be other benefits, such as low cost and speed of operation, but these would be secondary. Usually, your big benefit is the subject of your main headline.

* Make clarity your No. 1 goal.People do not interact with advertising the way they do with game shows and sitcoms. They’re not looking for entertainment, they’re looking for relevance. "What’s in it for me? Why should I do this?" Avoid clever verbiage and make your message clear and direct.

* Make a strong offer.An offer should be more than simply presenting your product and mentioning the price. An offer is a deal you make, a special low price, an exclusive premium, the chance to try the item free for 30 days, etc. Your offer is the crux of every promotion, so make it as strong and appealing as possible.

* Provide enough information for a decision. This includes product information, the offer, ordering instructions, guarantee, etc. If a decision will prove difficult for products that are expensive, complex, new, hard to explain or that require a considerable commitment, you may need to use a softer offer (such as a free trial) or break the sales process into multiple steps.

* Guarantee satisfaction. Because people cannot see or handle your product beforehand, there is always the perceived risk of being disappointed or ripped off. A guarantee is not a legal throwaway. It’s a powerful benefit you should highlight.

* Provide a good reason for immediate response. Studies show that people are more likely to respond to requests when a good reason is given. Is supply limited? A seasonal rush on the way? Can you sell only a limited number to each customer? Do you have to plan your production by a certain date?

* Make it easy to order. Exclusivity and convenience are the main reasons people transact via mail order. So it is imperative that you make ordering as quick and effortless as possible. Make your offer easy to understand and complete. Give short, simple ordering instructions. Provide toll-free numbers, postage-paid envelopes and the ability to respond by fax, e-mail or the Internet.

* Use the word free. This may be the only word that stands no chance of becoming a cliché. Look for features, benefits, accessories and premiums that can be offered for free. "Free" almost always generates more interest and response.

Stop yawning. I know this is pretty obvious stuff. Or is it? Are you really making it easy to order or are there hurdles? Have you provided enough information for a decision or are your potential customers left wondering about some detail? Are you selling too much or too little? It may sound boring. But I promise it can make your results very interesting.

By Dean Rieck

Better Branding

Whether you're a small-business owner who's looking to invest in brand marketing for the first time, or someone whose current branding efforts are falling short, you need to carefully consider your next steps.

Here are five useful tips for getting started, or back on the right track:

1. Be Realistic
Before venturing forward with a brand marketing plan, small businesses should set attainable objectives and not try to mimic their larger competitors. "The first imperative for a small business is to live within your means," says Tom Simons, president of Partners & Simons, an advertising firm based in Boston. "Understand what kind of brand marketing methods and tools you can afford."

2. Consistency Counts
Once a small business decides to invest in branding, executives should firmly define the message they want to convey about the company. "That becomes the driver for all marketing going forward," says Beth Barbee, president of Darwin, a strategic communications firm that specializes in brand development, based in Denver. "Every single piece of communication, even if it's sales oriented, should be treated as if it has some accountability for that [company's] brand," she says.

3. Tap Into Resources
When it comes to implementing a branding program, "in with the new" does not necessarily imply "out with the old." One of the most cost-effective resources a small business has is the endorsement of its old customers. A small business should concentrate on "using its earliest customers as a means to attract more," Simons says. He recommends using referral programs, testimonials, and Internet communications like Weblogs to harness positive customer experiences. "The most effective and authentic brand marketing communication is word of mouth," he says.

4. Make It Clear
Brand messages should be concise and to the point so that people on the receiving end are not left confused or scrambling to uncover the meaning. "Don't overexplain yourself," Simons says. "A small business embarking on a brand marketing program must be able to communicate the proposition in a few sentences—meaning two or three."

5. Be Patient
Regardless of how big or small your company's budget is, implementing a branding program is not going to move sales needles overnight. For companies that can't afford to invest in pre- and post-awareness research to measure results, "make sure they give enough time to see how [branding efforts] change year-over-year sales, by comparing with years when the branding wasn't in place," Barbee says. She recommends companies wait 18 to 24 months before assessing the impact.

Sales & Marketing Management

More Tools to Boost Mail Response

When we last talked, I was pondering my home remodeling project and how craftsmen always have an overflowing toolbox. For any project, they can rummage around and pull out the right tool. I noted that it’s the same for advertising craftsmen. The best always have a "toolbox" filled with ways to encourage people to part with their money. Having accumulated thousands of these selling tools and techniques, I promised to share 99 of them with you and started this series by giving you the first eight. Here are a few more.

9. Test a separate order form. Sometimes you can attach an order form to a letter or brochure and get good results. But a separate order form is easier to use and doesn’t force your prospect to take the extra step of tearing things apart. It’s worth a test, especially for inquiries, sales leads and impulse sales.

10. Offer a toll-free number. Some people don’t like filling out forms. They prefer a phone call, even if it takes longer. Have the toll-free number jump off the page in big, bold type. Shorten "toll-free" to "free." For example, "CALL FREE 1-800-555-1234." It gets to the point faster.

11. Offer something free. Creative techniques come and go, but "FREE" will be with us forever. You almost always can boost response by offering something for free: free premium, free dollars-off coupon, free sample, free accessory, free upgrade, free consultation, free issue, free book, etc.

12. Target messages to your audiences. Everyone’s hot buttons differ. If you’re mailing to a variety of markets, adapt your message to each one. For example, if you’re selling an accounting software program to home computer users, stress the benefits of getting control of finances, easier budgeting or faster tax form preparation. If you’re selling the program to home businesses, highlight the benefits of saving time, being more competitive or eliminating paperwork.

13. Aim for clarity. Forget the fancy stuff. If your readers don’t understand what you’re selling and why, they won’t buy. Your first job is to be clear. Your copywriter should get to the point quickly. Your designer should make the copywriter’s words easy to read.

14. Appeal to emotion first, reason second. Most direct marketers are number-crunching, logical people. It’s easy for us to fall into a cold, left-brain, bullet-pointed, 714 reasons type of sales pitch. But people make decisions in their right brain, based on emotion. Then they "justify" that decision with logic. To set up a sale, appeal to emotion first. Then, to close and confirm a sale, use logic.

15. Be truthful and believable. If you’re truthful, you believe what you’re saying. If you’re believable, your prospect believes what you’re saying. Back up your claims every way you can: testimonials, case studies, visual evidence, solid guarantees, merchandise return labels.

16. Encourage involvement. Get your prospect’s hands busy filling out a form, picking up the phone, affixing a stamp or leafing through multiple inserts. Action breeds action. The more involved your prospect, the more likely you are to get an order.

17. Always state a clear, specific call to action. People aren’t stupid, but they are lazy. Never make people guess or assume anything. If you want a phone call, say so. If you want a filled-out order form, give instructions to do it. People don’t act unless you tell them what to do.

18. Ensure extras have a clear purpose. Many consultants like to add extra pieces because they make for a bigger, more impressive (and more costly) package. But you’re smarter than that. Make sure that any extra-lift letter, buck slip, sticker, membership card, flier or even brochure has a clear, tactical purpose. If you can, test the package with and without it to evaluate its cost effectiveness. Often, results are the same or better without the fancy stuff.

So far, we’ve covered general ideas related to your prospect and creative. Next time, we’ll plunge into specific offer tactics that can boost response. This series of articles will last nearly the whole year, which, coincidentally, is about how long my remodeling project should last. The difference, of course, is that while I’m setting my checkbook on fire, you’re getting everything for free.

By Dean Rieck

Long-Term Romance: 10 Ways to Lure Customers to Your Loyalty Program

Loyalty programs can be your key to high conversion rates. People like to be appreciated for their patronage – especially if you offer them something special first-time or infrequent customers don't get. Following are some simple strategies for turning a one-time customer into a habitual and happy loyalty program spender:

1) Make it easy for them: Structure your program to make joining as simple as possible. Design it so that all of your customers can participate at some level.

2) Make it easy for you: Choose vendors who are flexible and don't just offer technical expertise but also support, so that the ball is never dropped.

3) Add real value to your loyalty program: Consider your costs and ROI, and focus on what's valuable to your customer.

4) Personalize: It costs almost nothing to call your customers by name, but it makes them feel special. It also helps create the impression that your message was expressly intended for the reader.

5) Show them you're paying attention: Turn the data you receive about your customers' interests and preferences into value for them.

6) Get it in front of them: Promote your loyalty program at every customer touch point -- call center, website, etc.

7) Make your loyalty program viral: People like to pass valuable and exciting opportunities on to their friends, so make it easy for your customers to get others to join your loyalty program.

8) Tie your PMS into your loyalty program: Work your unsold inventory into your customer rewards, so that you move that merchandise quickly and effectively.

9) Reward your customers for planning ahead: Check your past history to see what inventory sells slowly or usually needs to be moved, and promote this to customers far in advance at a great rate.

10) Bring effective partnerships into the equation: Sell mini and combination packages that make it easy for customers to purchase not just your merchandise, but complimentary products and services, too.

by Steve Webster, Chief Strategy Officer and founder, iPost

The Three Keys to Advertising Success

Advertising is very important to any business, large or small. When you break it down as far as you can, you find three necessary components.

1) Awareness - How does a potential customer find your business? They might see your store front sign, a friend might refer them, they may have a need and search you out, or they may see (and remember) your advertising. Of these, you only have control over your advertising.

2) Trial - What causes a potential customer to try your product or service? You have something they want or need. It is important that your ad appeals to the customer enough that they will make a purchase. It is your responsibility to have a product, service and offer that makes a person commit to a purchase.

3) Reinforcement - How often do you need to advertise? The industry standard is 7 times before your message begins to register with the average consumer. Repetitive advertising places your business in the minds of potential consumers increasing your sales and your customer base.

Your success is based on how well you execute these three.

Source: Advertising Research Foundation, 2003

99 Handy Tools to Boost Response

By Dean Rieck, Direct Creative


Remodeling your home is a unique experience. That’s a polite way of saying it’s an insane process that can make you pull your hair out, but it’s also very educational.

As my wife and I watch our home being demolished and rebuilt, we are learning that a good craftsman always has a massive, overflowing toolbox. No matter what the project or situation, he can plunge his hand into the box and pull out just the right tool.

I think it’s the same for advertising craftsmen. The best always have a "toolbox" filled to the brim with ways to encourage people to part with their money. Over the years, I’ve accumulated thousands of these selling tools and techniques, and I’ll be sharing 99 of them with you over the next several months.

Some are specific. Some are general. Most relate to direct mail. All have proven valuable if used at the right time. Of course, you don’t want to use them all at once, any more than a plumber or carpenter would use all his tools simultaneously. The intent here is simply to help you add to your own toolbox.

1. Relate to your prospect as a person. Everyone wants to be liked, feel good and belong to a group of similar people. So give your package or mailer some personality. If you’re selling to women, show a woman using the product. For men, use more masculine language. For children, be off the wall and playful. Prospects should see themselves in your product pitch.

2. Try to help people instead of just sell them. Going solely for a sale often leads you to dry, overused techniques. But if you make a genuine effort to be helpful in offering your product, you’ll hit the hot buttons. For example, if you’re a bank wanting to increase deposits, don’t just send a letter saying, "Please remember that we offer you many interest-bearing accounts." Offer a free booklet that educates customers about how to use your services, with a title such as "How to earn more interest with your money."

3. Reduce perceived risk. People fear spending too much money on something that won’t work or choosing an inferior brand. Show your prospect that your product is a bargain, that it’s guaranteed and that it’s the best for them.

4. Remove the barriers to buying. People want to buy things. However, if there’s a reason not to part with their money, they won’t, no matter how persuasive you are. The fastest way to success is to remove the physical, emotional and financial reasons not to buy. The toll-free number, for example, did more for selling than any eight-page letter.

5. Be honest and straightforward. Fake invoices, deceptive offers and other unethical techniques often work well, but treating customers like ignorant sheep is bad for long-term success. The way you sell says something about you. If the only way to sell your products is through deception, you need better products. If you’re a solid company with good products, act like one.

6. Avoid mistakes before seeking brilliance. Direct mail profits seldom result from a wild, new creative idea. Generally, it’s the solid, tried and true — even boring — mailings that work again and again, year after year. If you have a groundbreaking format or creative tactic, test it. But don’t get caught up in a search for the Holy Grail.

7. Break the rules now and then. Try two or three separate letters instead of one long one. Try two, three, four or more envelope windows. How about two order forms, each for a different product? Are you serious all the time? For a CD-ROM game, I once wrote a tongue-in-cheek letter that began with "Dear Sucker" and ended with "Insincerely Yours," followed by six separate P.S.’s. When it’s appropriate, loosen up. Have fun.

8. Design your package for chaotic reading. No two people read in the same way. You can’t count on your readers to follow the linear path from envelope, to letter, to brochure, to lift piece, to order form the way they’re supposed to. Make each piece complete with the offer, call to action and ordering information to boost the odds of response.