Better Marketing Results

The three of the most common and difficult small business and medium enterprises marketing challenges are:

• Finding new clients and customers
• Using engaging marketing messages that generate results
• Implementing business oriented marketing systems

I have published an article on the Marketing Challenges of Small Business & Medium Enterprises (SME) that provides useful information and tips on how these challenges can be handled.

Many of you that have been in business a number of years will have encountered these challenges and have survived the experience to grow their businesses.  For those of you that have kindly share with us your successes in managing these small business and medium enterprises marketing challenges.

Email marketing is one of the most cost effective communications mediums when used properly to add value and build relationships with your recipients. Here are the five steps to follow in building an effective email marketing program:

One: Define your business objective

You need to be absolutely clear about what you want to achieve.

Two: Build your email list

Put a plan in place to start growing your list.

Three: Prepare your message

Plan ahead and spend most ofyour effort on the message you want to get to the recipient and whataction will result from it.  Follow the AIDA guide;attract the Attention of the reader, generate their Interest, create aDesire for the reader to act and provide them with a call to Action.

Four: Test and test again

Test for open rates with different email subject lines andtest click thru rates for different call to actions.  Once you have theemail that best performs send it to your target list.

Five: Measure and track your results

Use your email marketing analysis tools to measure the resultsof your effort versus the objectives you have set for the emailmarketing campaign.

Share with us your views on how you have used email marketing to promote your business - what works and what does not work.

[Read the complete article]

What makes direct mail campaigns successful? 

• Addresses a specific group of people or targeted audience
• Uses creative to cut-thru the clatter of the mail box
• Offers a personalised message that communicates a compelling benefit
• Creates a sense of urgency and excitement with the mail piece
• Provides a your clear and visible ‘call to action’

Using this structure approach will achieve superior response rates from direct mail campaigns.

How can we  use integrated multimedia to dramatically improve the results from direct mail campaigns? Consider the following factors:

• Personalise all communications with the recipient across the different media
• Using several multimedia channels in the promotional campaign
  • Letter, postcard or mailing piece
  • Mobile phones and other smart mobile devices
  • Web landing pages with personalised URL (PURL – define)
  • Email marketing and auto-responders
• Using a QR image (QR Code define) image to support the ‘call to action’

Essentially, an integrated multimedia direct mail campaign allows a one to one personalised engagement with the recipient.  It has the ability for the recipient to immediately accept the offer or secure additional information with readily available technology such as their mobile phone or access to the Internet.

What is your own experience with integrated multimedia direct mail campaigns? Let's hear from you.

Many businesses neglect this very valuable asset - your own in-house database. Why? Most think it is too time-consuming to keep updated or simple fail to realize the potential goldmine from using and maintaining their database.

You may have heard of the marketing phrase “Content is King”, however, you may not have heard that the “Database is Queen”!

Your database must be viewed as a valuable resource asset. It is a potent source for marketing intelligence and a powerful tool for building relevance while nurturing relationships.

To make the most from your database you must be able to answer these five questions:

1. What is your database objective?
2. What information is available?
3. How can the information be captured?
4. How can you use the information?
5. What is the best way to segment your database?

What do you think? Have any of you taken the time to segment your database to achieve better marketing results?

View my presentation titled "Why your database should be your best friend" at the recent Email Marketing Summit Australia EMSA 2010 held at the Art Gallery of NSW in Sydney.