In
this issue:
Using
the Power of Postcards
Postcards
can drive a high volume of traffic to your web site and
they can generate a large number of sales leads for you.
They're highly effective, easy to use and cost very little.
Still not convinced that postcards are for you? Consider:
- Postcards are delivered already open and ready to read
— you get 100% readership.
- "Gatekeepers" who screen incoming mail in
many offices, usually pass them through to your prospect
especially if they are well done.
- Since
postcards are smaller than other mail, they usually
end up on top of the stack, ensuring your prospect will
see it.
Here
are a few tips to help you maximize the effectiveness
of these little guys:
1.
Keep it Simple
Don’t
try to put 10 pounds of information on a 21-cent postcard.
The postcard back should have an intriguing graphic and
headline. Pay them off with enticing and brief copy on
the front of the card with the address. Too many tiny
words and graphics won’t get your message across.
2.
Make it Personal
For
large mailings, you may want to include phrases like:
"Developed to make integration easier for design
engineers" or, "Helps purchasing managers reduce
inventory costs."
For
better results, you can personalize the message even more.
With inkjet addressing you can begin your copy on the
address side with: "Mr. Smith, we have developed
this product to meet the needs of software developers
like you…" It is more expensive to address the
cards, but the added results are worth it.
3.
Ask Them to Do Something
Strong
bid-for-actions such as "Visit our web site for details
on this limited time offer…" or, "Call
Mary Smith to receive your free sample today…"
will significantly increase your response rate.
4.
Do it Often
Sending
out just one or two postcards won’t normally get
the job done. You never know when a prospect will have
a need for your product or service. Besides, multiple
mailings will help to increase the awareness of your company.
To keep costs to a minimum and response high, print three
to six cards all at once and then schedule monthly mailings.
Light
at the End of the Tunnel?
The
Economy is Already Rebounding - - So says James Butkiewicz,
chairman of economics in the College of Business and Economics
at the University of Delaware. Butkiewicz points to an
upswing in manufacturing orders, consumer confidence,
housing starts, and the stock market as evidence of recovery.
Also, he says a rise in unemployment does not indicate
weakness in the economy, because employment always trails
recovery.
Second
Quarter Recovery - - "Economic recovery is on the horizon
for 2002, but probably not until the second quarter,"
says Ernie Goss, Creighton University economics professor.
Goss expects unemployment, a lagging economic indicator,
to continue to rise throughout the first quarter. "Inflationary
pressures will remain low, thanks in part to lower energy
prices. However, the Federal Reserve has little room to
move on interest rates any time soon after reducing rates
11 times in the past year," says Goss.
Marketing
Activity on the Rise - - "We are seeing an increase
in marketing activity," says Roy Harry, president,
Media II. "Many of our clients are ramping up their
commercial communications efforts, especially e-marketing
initiatives, to get ahead of their competition as the
economy ramps up. Everyone agrees that there is a lot
of pent up demand and now is time to get in front of customers,"
he went on to say.
New
Product / Service Introduction Checklist
Link
to the Checklist
The
link above is a Microsoft Word document that contains
a helpful checklist to make your next new product or service
introduction is a success. We have used this checklist
with our clients and found it very useful since it includes
a variety of strategies and tactics that are sometimes
overlooked. When completed, it keeps everyone on the same
page during the introduction process. Being a Word document,
you can modify it to meet your company's needs.
Quote
of the Month
There
is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what
you love; there's only a scarcity of resolve to make it
happen.
-
Wayne Dyer, author and seminar leader
If
you have a topic you would like to see us address or if
you would prefer not to receive this newsletter, please
let us know. Email roy@mediaii.com |
