We recently discussed how to measure your social media return on investment. However, it is important to measure the success of all of your marketing campaigns, regardless of the medium, so that you can compare the results and determine which and what type of campaign you should be devoting the most resources on (hint: it’s the one that generates the most interaction). You also learned about the ease and effectiveness of direct mail marketing, but is your current campaign providing the results you want? Is it completely worth it or are you throwing away your time and money on it? How do you know? Are you tracking it? And if you aren’t tracking, how do you know what offers work better, best, or not at all? The only way you can continue to improve your strategy and add value to your business is by analyzing every single aspect of your direct mail campaign to ensure better results.
By utilizing these tracking tools, you can measure what garners the greatest response from your direct mail customers, what receives the most engagement, what leads to the most sales, and what accomplishes the most goals.
Here are the ways you can track your direct mail:
- Call Tracking: Your business receives a pseudo phone number to be printed on your ad that, when called, reroutes to your place of business. The calls are recorded so that you can keep tabs on what campaign motivated your customer to contact you, how the call was handled, and whether or not it ended in a sale.
- QR Codes: This allows your on the go, mobile friendly customer to whip out their smartphones and scan your Quick Response code that will essentially act as a hyperlink to wherever you want to take them virtually. Once they arrive on your landing page, you are able to track what actions they take from there. (Tip: Always test your QR Codes before finalizing and avoid these other common QR Code Marketing Mistakes)
- Coupons: Create a unique discount code for your coupons so that you can track them once your customers redeem them. However, keep in mind that consumers often submit their promo codes on public websites (i.e., RetailMeNot) to share them with others. While that may not bother you because business is business, it does alter your ability to track because you are unable to decipher which customers purchased from you as a sole result of your awesome campaign and which purchase because your coupon code was posted online for them.
- Mail Piece: Simply put, this requires the recipient to bring the mailer physically with them to your business in order to receive the discount or offer.
- Text Messages: As the growth of mobile users rise, it is becoming absolutely necessary to accommodate their swift response by incorporating text messages as part of your campaign. You can even link a microsite to your QR code that sends a text message to the visitor after they have left your site that would proceed to follow up with them on whatever they expressed interest in while on your site.
- URL: If you use a URL, you have to make sure that they are custom made for each campaign so that you are able to differentiate which customers were directed to your site because of the specific campaign you are currently trying to measure and not your regular website traffic.
Direct mailing campaigns undoubtedly elicit a massive response. Tracking your return on investment may seem like a daunting task, but with the right tools and strategies, you can have everything you need to measure your successes so that you can plan and budget accordingly. Once you have properly tracked your campaign, your business can prosper and you can be confident that you aren’t throwing away money on a useless marketing campaign.
Do you have a question about tracking your direct mailing campaign? Share your thoughts and comments with us below, we’d love to hear from you!
Direct mailing is alive and well.
You’ve seen it, because it is really hard to miss. We’re talking about that big wraparound of advertisements cuddling your daily mail. The companies that invest in direct mailing advertisements do so because even though it may not seem like it with all the technological advances of today’s world, receiving tangible mail is still the highlight of most everyone’s day. Of equal importance is that it remains an easy and inexpensive way for businesses to reach potential targeted customers located in specific areas, such as close to their business. Direct mailing is not just some forgotten form of advertising; it is being utilized along with technology to create a unique and targeted marketing campaign that is preferred by 73% of consumers over other advertising methods.
How does it work?
It’s simple. You ultimately choose the route you want your advertisements to be delivered to and your potential consumers get to unwrap your marketing present day of delivery. We know what you’re thinking. Why should you invest money in direct mail marketing campaigns when you can just use the instant power of social media to target your potential customers? Well, think about it this way. Not everyone is on social media, but everybody has a mailbox.
What does Giant Marketing do that adds value to your direct mailing campaign?
With Giant Marketing, your business experience is completely customized and tailored to your needs. We start by mapping three to five miles out from your business address in order to research, analyze, and email you the recipient demographics, along with a saturation map, so that your target audience can be identified. Then, once you have determined the route you want to advertise to, we help you design the ad you want (not to mention we offer GIANT sizes if you want extra assurance that your ad won’t go unnoticed). We also keep the statistics on which businesses complement one another so that we can aim to send those advertisements out together for increased effectiveness. We even offer call tracking, where you are provided with a custom phone number to be featured on the ad, which is re-routed to your business, so that you can measure consumer response and determine whether or not your marketing campaign was successful. Moreover, if you own a small business, you might be interested in our extremely cost-effective direct mailing shared program. That’s where we get one business to take one full side of the postcard (i.e., to visualize this just take a piece of paper—that business is on one side—flip it over and you actually share the back side with anywhere from two business up to eight businesses. If you just want an eighth of a page, we can actually hit ten thousand homes in your area for only $299. A lot of business can afford $299. (ask about out Shared Card)
Will it work for your business?
There are a lot of businesses that direct mail works fantastic for, and then there are other businesses that, it just doesn’t get the word out. For example, if you are selling a product that you have to show, TV or in-store advertising may be a better option for you. Even if you already have a social media campaign, we believe that marketing works the best when integrated with other methods and mediums. Likewise, there just isn’t a guaranteed one-fits all approach to marketing that is going to work for every business. However, the worst thing you can do for your company is to give up on marketing. Let us evaluate your unique needs and work with you in finding your most successful marketing venture.
Call us for a free consultation about how our Giant Postcards can increase your bottom line through the power of direct mail. GIANT SIZED advertising equals GIANT SIZED results!
If you have comments or questions regarding direct mailing, please share them in the section below. We love to hear from you!
Wow! We cannot believe that Christmas has already came and went. Hopefully, you spent the past weekend kicking your feet up, relaxing, and patting yourself on the back for all the work you put into making your holiday events happen, while conveniently ignoring that mess you’ve been meaning to clean up. Yet, now you are faced with the daunting realization that a new year is upon you. So, are YOU ready for 2015? As you form your personal and/or professional New Year’s resolutions, keep these 5 things in mind:
1. This year will only be different if you make it different. It is so easy to convince yourself that this is the year that you will finally do things better. Yet, you are inevitably setting yourself up for failure and disappointment if you don’t have a personal strategy or solid business plan in place to help you achieve your resolutions. In fact, Amy Cuddy, a social psychologist and associate professor at Harvard Business School, reveals that the destructive habit of continuously setting unreasonable goals actually does more harm than good by raising levels of anxiety and lowering feelings of self-worth when these goals aren’t successfully realized. In short, focus on the realistic process of what it is going to take in order to reach your goals instead of on the goal itself.
2. Less is more. A list that is too long is overwhelming and likely to be unsuccessful. If you write down every single goal that you want to accomplish in your lifetime, reality will quickly remind you that “ain’t nobody got time for that”. Simply choose the ones that are the most realistic to accomplish so that it will be a major motivation and confidence boost when you are able to start checking those things off your list.
3. Vague goals will impede your ability to succeed. Not only will too long of a list put you at a disadvantage, so will a list that is too vague. Get specific and narrow your focus to tasks that are actually easy enough to squeeze into your busy schedule. If you want to “be cleanlier”, don’t expect to be cleaning your whole house and organizing your basement weekly. Instead, set your sights on tasks that are more attainable, such as aiming to make your bed every. single. day.
4. Hold yourself accountable. Every year, like so many others, you probably make your New Year’s resolutions, and every year, sooner rather than later, they get swept under the rug just like that fad diet you did really awesome on for like two whole weeks. Guess what happens when you do this? Probably nothing because there is no one or nothing to hold you accountable for ceasing to make good on these promises. The upside is that this year can be different. This year you can get on social media and outline your goals and deadlines to your followers and propose a consequence to happen if you don’t follow through. Because it is public, you will feel obligated to do whatever it takes. Moreover, make it a financial consequence and see how fast you get things done! For example, you can tag a friend or a colleague (who also has a goal set) and compete by saying that whoever doesn’t complete their goal must buy the other one dinner. Additionally, what this whole public accountability thing also provides you with is support to show you that you aren’t in this alone.
5. You can begin NOW, if you want. If you are totally convinced that the actual symbolism of marking the New Year will essentially create the New You then feel free to wait, it is your choice. But just remember that you really don’t have to wait until January 1, 2015 to get started. There is no time to start that is better than the here and now, because after all, we aren’t promised tomorrow!
Can’t figure out what your resolutions should be? Follow our new Pinterest board “Try This in 2015” for some amazing ideas to get you started!
Already have your goals in mind? Share them below and we will be your accountability partner!
As simple as Pinterest’s interface seems, whether it is a business or personal account, not everyone has quite grasped what they should be pinning, how exactly they should organize their pins and boards, and what it is that drives traffic to their Pinterest profile. If you have never used Pinterest before, it is a social network that is filled with endless categories to sift through for the ideas that most “interest” you so that you can “put a pin in it”, essentially saving the idea to come back to when you are ready to start that project, buy a product, or return to a recipe. Once people have, for example, completed a project or made a recipe, they will usually return to comment on their experience and reveal whether or not they would recommend it to others. This is one reason (of many) that Pinterest is an important tool for many businesses. That is, if you make an idea appealing enough for people to want to try it and the idea consistently generates the expected result then the resultant word of mouth will drive more business toward you.
Anyway, we want to make sure that you are at the top of your game. Since pinning=winning, here are 10 Pinterest tips to bring you from beginner to pro:
#1: Check out the category “popular” for trending pins. The search results will be a compilation of all the pins that currently boast the most likes, repins, and/or comments. Thus, when you also like, repin, or comment on some of these popular pins, it gives your profile more visibility. However, avoid posting generic comments like “That’s cool” or “Great idea” because it may give the impression that you are not attempting genuine engagement. Something important to remember is to not post more than 2-3 comments in a single day or Pinterest may suspend your account for “spamming”, even if that’s not your intention.
#2: Pin and share photos. Just as on other social media networks, colorful photos and attention getting graphics receive the most likes and repins. Subsequently, to make your boards more appealing, they should have attractive cover photos to get more clicks and remember to change out these photos every once in a while.
#3: Detail what your pin is about. Provide rich content descriptions for each pin that tells the viewer exactly what the pin is all about. Remember, the more key words and hashtags that you use, the more easily it will appear in the correct search.
#4: Avoid pinning generic ideas. Generic ideas are boring and unnecessary; you want pins that are innovative and exciting. For example, if you pin a stock photo of a birthday cake to your “Birthday Parties” board, with the description of “make sure to have a birthday party”, it is going to be meaningless to your followers because that is such a regular idea that you don’t need to save it for later to remember. Instead, you want to pin ideas that will not just be useful for every day events but that will actually elevate them. Therefore, for your “Birthday Parties” board it is much more beneficial for both you and your followers too if you were to post an idea regarding how to set up the food table in the best way or pin some unique cake decorating ideas.
#5: Know what you’re pinning. Don’t pin anything that is offensive or conflicts with your brand or statement you want to make. Likewise, don’t pin things that are not interesting to you or your followers or really, what’s the point? So, make sure to click and review all content before repining so that you are aware of what that pin says about you.
#6: Follow people with similar interests. Not only will those with similar interests be more likely to follow you back but by doing this you make yourself available to the great content flowing from their boards and you can be the first to pass it on to your own followers.
#7: Make your boards be specific and the title appropriate. When you name a board something like “Outdoors”, the viewer doesn’t know exactly what to expect if they click on your board. “Outdoors” could be ideas for yard landscaping, activities to try outside, or even camping equipment. So, it is a good idea to make your title specific and to only include pins that are relevant to that title. For example, if you have a board titled “Party Ideas for Little Boys” then do not pin wine party ideas to that board (yes, we are exaggerating here to make a point). Additionally, don’t be afraid to have a little fun with your titles to make them stand out, but refrain from making it so abstract that a new visitor won’t know what they are clicking on (or they won’t click at all).
#8: Multiple boards are preferred. This is the aspect of Pinterest that lets you go be wild and free and make a board for everything that interests you. The more boards you have, the more opportunities for your pin and profile to be brought up by someone’s search. So, the minimalist in you has no need to compact all your ideas into the least amount of boards because more people prefer to have a diverse selection of material to look at. Therefore, if you have a board that is named “Style”, you could separate it into multiple specific boards like makeup, nails, jackets, shirts, shoes, and so on.
#9: Fill your boards up. As previously stated, you are more likely to attract followers if you have a variety of boards to look at but making sure those boards are filled with lots of content that the title promises is just as important. If you were a follower, you wouldn’t waste your time following someone who only had 2 pins located on one single board because you know that you aren’t going to be getting very much content to pass along to your followers from them.
#10: Reorder your boards. The boards that receive the most likes or repins should be organized in the top row of your profile so that they are the first ones viewed upon visiting your page. If you are just beginning, place the boards that are more important to you or that you predict will generate the most interest first. Also, for your boards to appear in someone’s categories search, you need to categorize your boards correctly when you create a new board (i.e., just choose the category most relevant to your board from the drop-down menu and if your category isn’t listen select “other”).
*BONUS TIP: If you have a business account, remember to link and verify your website address when setting up your profile so that people know that it isn’t a fake, which makes you more trustworthy.
We covered some of the most important tips that will get you revamping your profile or starting one off right. Happy pinning!
Did we leave something out that led to your Pinterest success? Share your comments below, we love to hear from you!
Facebook was created to be an outlet for like-minded individuals to come together and share thoughts, ideas, opinions, reviews, etc. without being influenced or pressured by corporations. Yet, many people assume that since Facebook is a social media giant that it is the best place to plaster your sales pitches on every wall possible. We frequently see this mistake being made by new businesses and even well-established ones that are just not using what little time they have effectively.
Should you do it just because everyone else is doing it? Absolutely not. There is a delicate balance required in reaching and engaging with your target audience while showing them what all you offer, instead of selling to them (relentlessly) what you offer. More importantly, rather than dropping ads just anywhere and hoping for a lead, here are 3 simple ways to get better results on Facebook.
#1: Stop Trying to Sell, Sell, Sell
We know that times may be tough and it might be crunch time, but believe us when we say that selling your heart and soul out on Facebook is not going to get you anywhere (it may even negatively impact your business!). Instead, set time aside each day to actively engage your target audience by liking some interesting posts on your feed, replying to comments, asking questions, and possibly even helping people for free if the opportunity presents itself! I know, it sounds crazy because nothing is ever really free….I mean….what’s the catch? The point is that if someone on your newsfeed is requesting a recommendation or needs help in some other way that you can step in and help out, they will remember your company through your good deed. By doing something nice for them without expecting anything in return, you are humanizing your business and leaving a positive impression with a potential future consumer. The point is, you can spend all your time trying to have a million static followers, but it doesn’t do you any good unless you have built genuine relationships with your followers to make them want to care about what you have to offer.
#2: Don’t Let Your Content Get Stale
We sometimes get so wrapped up in professionalism that we forget to have a little fun. You need to share content that is already getting attention and create original content that is interesting enough that people will choose to follow you for more. For example, a big hit right now on social media are motivational/inspirational photos captioned by quotes. Actually, research has shown that pictures in general receive far more attention than text only posts. With that said, sometimes people just need a break from the monotonous business related posts and want to see something like a funny picture or .gif to brighten their day. Likewise, while stock photos are sometimes a necessity, don’t be afraid to snap a photo of someone around your office being goofy. Again, this lends a human element that businesses on Facebook so desperately require in order to not be passed over as just another business fishing for sales.
#3: Start Up Some Competition
There are so many various ways to run a competition on Facebook. Consider the following example, if your company sells t-shirts you can tell your followers that every person that sends in a photo of themselves adorned in your company’s t-shirt will be automatically entered in to win some sort of prize. Even if the prize is simply more merchandise with your company’s logo on it, people love to receive free items and it doesn’t hurt that they are advertising your company in the process!
Now that you have learned these simple ways to engage your audience and build up your business to customer relationships, log on to Facebook and try them out!
Do you have more Facebook tips that have led to better customer relations in your personal experience? Leave us a comment below, we love to hear from you!
