Key Components That Make A Successful Ad Campaign

I was recently commissioned to design an ad campaign for Integrity Orthotics in Arlington, Washington. This client focuses on the production of biomechanically precise, custom-crafted orthotic devices.

The goal of this campaign, as with most ads, is to compel the customer to choose your product over the competitor. With any product a doctor prescribes, cost and customer service is high on the the list of customer expectations. Integrity Orthotics’ customers, podiatrists, are no exception.

The ad I designed was published in the September 2010 issue of Podiatry Management Magazine. The campaign will run throughout this year and into 2011.

Integrity Orthotics Ad - 2010-11

I have held my ad design up to 6 distinct standards for ad effectiveness:

1. Does it have an eye-catching headline?
Do not over estimate “short and sweet”. The headline should get attention quickly and pull the reader into the rest of the copy.

2. Do the images tell a story? Is it the right story you’re looking to tell?
A photo or illustration can instantly spark emotion in the reader. Remember, you want to standout from the sea of other advertising. Keep in mind the whole ad needs to “breath”. In other words, keep it clean and easy to read. Remain within the companies established brand. If you have not established your brand, you should not be advertising yet. For my thoughts on branding, visit this link to the March 29, 2009 issue that talks about Three Brand Identity Myths That Will Bring Your Business Down.

3. Is there a compelling offer?
Have copy that acts as a sales representative from your company. Your copy is playing a sales function, delivering features and benefits. In Integrity ad, there is a clear discount for new accounts with a 100 percent money-back guarantee for superior quality, customer service and quick turnaround time.

4. Is the customer called to action?
The Integrity ad instructs the podiatrist to “call right away”. The ad doesn’t leave it up to your imagination to decide what step to take next. It tells you flat out.

5. Is there a way for customers to respond?
This ad has a big, visible 800 number for the podiatrist to call. Easy to find. Easy to read.

6. Is there a tracking tool?
Integrity Orthotics has a unique phone number so they know exactly what ad the new accounts are coming from.

Calls generated to this number tell Integrity:

• If the ad is compelling and if the publication is pulling its weight.
• How much revenue is generated by new accounts gained from this particular ad

Another tracking tool is to offer a coupon code or promotional code for a discount, free item or reduced/free shipping. A small discount in exchange for tracking new accounts gained through one campaign is a minimal expense.

Your ultimate goal is to communicate your message quickly, before the reader moves on. Sticking to the above key components will ensure the highest return on your investment. In this tough economy every dollar counts. Over time, with a well designed campaign, your brand will also gain traction in your particular market place.

© 2010 Your Creative Mark. All Rights Reserved. 425.931.3440

Marketing in a Bad Economy

Marketing yourself, your business or your services can be a daunting task. Why do it? There are various reasons, the most common: you are out of work and looking for a job, you are looking to drum up more business, or you are looking for a business partner.

Your goal is to be recognized for your valuable and unique attributes as a professional.

Luncheons with guest speakers, job fairs and other various networking events are great ways to meet the right people in your industry. These events can help you land that job or additional business, but what else can you do?  What more can you do to get yourself out there in front of your audience?

Why Not Sponsor a Charity Event?

Make yourself or business part of an event or benefit for a cause you are passionate about.

This can be done in several ways:

Volunteer your time: Non-profits and charities can always use able-bodied people to help in many capacities.

Volunteer your services: Do you have a niche that a non-profit can use? Do you have a printing business and can provide the printing of fliers or leaflets at no charge? Do you own a grocery store and are willing to donate your day-old breads or ripe fruit to a shelter or soup kitchen? Are you a programming guru that can help get a website up-to-date and running more efficiently? What are you good at? There is always a way to pitch in and lend a hand in some fashion.

Many charities will let you advertise your sponsorship of the event as a thank you for your time/services. Advertising in this manner lets your audience know what you services are, and that you care about important causes, as well as your community.

Not comfortable advertising your business in this manner? Why not work during the event and use the opportunity to network? Meeting new people and having casual conversations can often lead to the most promising business relationships down the road.

Keep in mind, you should choose a charity close to your heart.  Volunteer only if you are committed to the work being done.  Half-hearted efforts will not go unnoticed, and your lack of enthusiasm will not leave people with a good feeling about you, or your business.

Here is how I have incorporated my passion with my networking:
On July 24th, 2010 I am helping to sponsor a benefit concert for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure.

My wife, Carey is walking 60 miles in 3 days in September, and has agreed to raise $2300.00 to go towards breast cancer research and lifesaving screenings and treatments.  Both my mom, and Carey’s mom were diagnosed with cancer in the same year. We watched them battle with amazing courage and strength, grace and humility. We have lost several friends to cancer.

We know that a cure for breast cancer will lead to great strides towards curing all cancers. It is with this hope that we have poured our efforts into this amazing event charity.

Every year, Carey and I host a backyard cookout with games, a band, and a drive-in movie after dark for close friends and family.  This year, we have decided to use our venue to help raise money for the 3-Day for the Cure, and open it up to a wider audience.

We have procured three amazing bands/acts to perform throughout the day. Our neighbor has generously donated his home and incredible back yard, with in-ground pool for the event. Friends have donated resources such as tents and seating, food and equipment.

Helping with the design of tickets, team-shirts, dedicated web link, and promotion through e-blasts and fliers, I have used my talents  and networking contacts to help launch the event.

Here’s more information about the event:

Admission to the event is the purchase of a $10 ticket. Ticket purchase allows one adult and one free accompanying child through the doors. It also enters that ticket-holder into a drawing for a Fender StarCaster Guitar and Amplifier. All food, non-alcoholic beverages and access to the pool and bouncy-house are included.

To help raise additional funds, the team is sponsoring a 50/50 raffle, and raffling off other great prizes, with raffle tickets purchased during the event.

All proceeds will go to the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure.

Its a lot of work, but it is a worthwhile event for a cause I care about. It grants me the opportunity to see friends and make contacts I may never have, otherwise.

So consider this:

The next time you are thinking about how to promote your business, or yourself, why not volunteer your services for a charity event, or non-profit? It will be a win-win for everyone involved!

Social Media Sites and How They Can Benefit Your Business

We’ve all heard of social networking sites like Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, etc. You may or may not already be a part of this social-networking phenomenon. Did you know that many industries are throwing themselves into this arena and capturing a whole new audience-base for their businesses?

Sound intriguing? Let’s take a glimpse at just a few key strategies successful businesses use on social networking and media sites that you can emulate to grow your audience base.

Successful Businesses on
Media Sites Know Their Audience:

To reach the people you want to attract to your business, you need to know who they are and where they are “hanging out”.

Don’t know who or where you audience is? Check out social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo Answers, LinkedIn, etc. and type in your industry, competitor’s names, key industry phrases and see what’s being said out there.

Are there fan pages? Complaints?  Blogs? Read them all, and know what is being said by your audience.

To know your audience, you must:

• Listen to what they’re saying.
• Listen to what they mean.
• Listen to what’s bothering them.
• Listen to what makes them happy.

Before You “Represent” Your Company, Establish Rules As To
How To Engage Customers on These Sites:

Companies that participate in these sites generally have a set of ground rules as to how they will handle what is said “by the company” and how it is said.

Sharing of confidential information, personal information or engaging in disparaging remarks about competitors or individuals is a huge no-no. Successful companies establish rules on how to handle unhappy or disgruntled individuals, and establish one or two individuals to handle all social media correspondence.

Engage and Be An Active Community Member:

Now that you’ve found the communities and audience you are looking for, and you’ve established the rules for communicating with them, join and engage in ways that will be useful and a good community member.

Leave comments on walls and on blogs; tweet people. Engage new visitors. When you can provide information or insight that eases their workload, respond. Respond with links to your resources, to other people’s resources, to your competitors’ resources.

When you listen to your audience, you’ll find many ways to get your message out, when appropriate.

Keep Your “Brand” Consistent

To be recognized for your usefulness and valuable contributions to these sites, it is imperative to keep your “brand” consistent. I’ve talked about “branding” in several past issues, but this is an entirely new type of company “brand”.

Branding yourself in social media circles is keeping your identity (or username) within these sites consistent.

When you become a community member, your user name is how your customers will recognize you and follow you and your input. If you are known as “gregshomeloans” on one site, but use “iloan4homes” on another, your audience will be confused and not relate the two names.

Be consistent on all sites; your audience will most likely follow several communities on multiple sites, and consistency is the key to your recognition as an expert and authority in your industry.

Social media isn’t about you. It’s about your customers and connecting with them so that when they have a need, they have a friend online who specialized in that.

Remember, I am always here to help! If you would like advice and ideas on maximizing your social networking experience, please contact me to discuss how together we can brave this new frontier on the web.

Are Business Newsletters Important?

Company newsletters can go a long way in educating your clients and prospects to work with you.

If you’re trying to find ways to engage customers and prospects, look no further than the business newsletter.

I could think of several reasons why you should invest in sending out a company newsletter, but here are just a few:

Higher brand recall and association
What do you do after you’ve sold your client’s home, that software package or other product you represent? Do you wait for customers to get in touch with you regarding that product, or wait around and hope they come back to you for that next purchase? Business newsletters offer you a way to interact with ‘dormant’ customers, cross-sell other related products and provide value through information such as product care tips and more. Keeping your name in front of your customers with relevant, valuable information ensures that when customers want to upgrade to a more sophisticated product or service, you’re the first brand they think of.

Quicker, wider reach
The next time you have a new release of a service or product, wait no longer than the click of a button to let customers and prospects know about it. There’s great power with bulk email. With your own company newsletter, you can reach millions of customers across the world in an instant.

Cost-effective solution
Let’s not even bother comparing an email business newsletter to a printed brochure or newsletter. We all know email is cheaper to send.

Environment-friendly
Most mailed newsletters are discarded by most of the recipients.  Emailed newsletters are much easier on the environment.

What Makes A Great e-Newsletter?

First of all, there still needs to be content. Remember, people opt-in for content. They don’t opt-in for ads. If you’re just going to be a commercial, don’t even bother. There’s a reason most e-newsletters have a 5-10% open rate. There needs to be a compelling reason for people to open your newsletter… there must be something in it for them. Be sure you’ve got GREAT content that is relevant to the target market you’re trying to reach. The content in your newsletter should be free and actionable steps that your target market can use immediately, without spending a dime.

Once you’ve created some great content, then you may choose to include a special offer or product/opportunity highlight that may be of interest to your target market. I like to refer to this as the “content sandwich.” Surround your advertising with great content that will draw people in. This will lead to more success than just flinging ads at people. And be sure you’re including visuals. People will more-easily absorb your content if you give them a visual break. Learn how to add pictures through the publishing program you’re using; use images often to highlight the content and offers you’re making.

If you’re a direct sales company, consider providing your sales force with a newsletter service that allows them to add a content-driven article, based on the needs of the target market they’ve defined. However, be sure that you as a company are also providing back-up content to publish; in case your salesperson doesn’t have time to add an article. This collaboration benefits both the company and the sales force.

If you’re a salesperson with a company that does not provide an e-newsletter, you can still create your own. Services such as Constant Contact and iContact (my personal favorite) provide good tools to get you started. You’ll pay a low monthly fee for these services, but often just one sale resulting from the newsletter will pay for multiple months of service.

Be sure that you don’t use your e-newsletter to spam anyone. Remember, people MUST opt-in for your newsletter, or else it’s considered spam. Don’t sign up your friends, your mother, and your dog for your newsletter without being sure you have permission. A simple strategy is simply to ask every contact, “Would you like to receive a free copy of my newsletter, which has great articles about…?” If they say yes, then you have permission to send it.

Finally, make sure to stay consistent to your brand along with a clean, well designed layout. You want to make sure that your newsletter becomes a helpful tool, not an eyesore. Feel free to contact me for help when first building your newsletter. Remember, first impressions are key to making sure your future newsletters are read.

By making your e-newsletter a strategic part of your overall content marketing strategy, you will be able to provide the follow-up necessary to convert social networking contacts into customers and recruits for your business, as well as ensuring current customers are return customers.

Marketing – “How to Budget” Basic Steps

It can be difficult to accurately assess the practical difference between spending 5 percent or 15 percent on marketing because the figure is often affected by what is currently mere in abundance: time or money. For instance, although 15 percent obviously buys a lot more ad space than 5 percent, inexpensive forms of marketing—like publicity and sponsoring community events—take more time than money, but can be much more effective.

The following tips may help you determine how much of your marketing budget should go to each type of marketing; pinpointing the most effective areas to establish the image of your business:

1. Track the types of marketing your competitors use. Sign up for their mailing lists, see how often they change their Web sites, watch how often they advertise. Then use this information to plan and budget your own marketing program.

2. If you plan to do business with a variety of markets, including retailers, wholesalers, and distributors, be sure to allocate a portion of your marketing budget to allow for the cost of promoting to these markets.

3. If your budget is tight and your choice is between one thousand dollars of advertising or thousand dollars of direct mail, choose the latter. Though you’ll probably reach fewer people, direct mail will not only generate more orders but also help you determine exactly where those orders are coming from. Advertising may boost the amount of traffic in your store or increase the number of phone inquiries, but it also requires more effort in the long run to convert those inquiries into sales. Advertising tends to build name recognition more than direct sales. Savvy business owners know before settling on a marketing tactic exactly what they wish to accomplish.

One of the most difficult concepts for business owners to grasp is not that they have to spend money to make money. Rather, it’s convincing them to loosen the purse strings when business slows down. Especially when the economy slows, the first budget item that many businesses cut or eliminate entirely is marketing. This is the worst thing to do, for two reasons.

First, a business will receive less exposure to potential customers with a decrease in marketing, which then creates even less business, and so on.

The second reason not to slash your marketing expenses, and an even more important one, is simply because your competitors are probably cutting theirs. For example, if you are one of five printing businesses in town, and four cut back on marketing while you increase yours, guess whose business will continue to grow despite the economy?.

Be smart and consistent when drawing up a budget for marketing. It’s possible to be frugal and still hit your target markets effectively.

White Space 101

White space, also known as negative space, is the term describing open space between design elements. It can be between letters, words, or paragraphs of text; space in and outside of graphics, and between all of the elements of the page. It is essential for providing spacial relationships between visual items, and actually guides your reader’s eye from one point to another.

White space is an important layout technique often overlooked by the inexperienced designer. While some artists concentrate heavily on what to put in, they can overlook what to leave out. A design that is to be visually appealing must also be easy on the eyes. Without an adequate amount of white space, text would be unreadable, graphics would lose their emphasis, and there would be no balance between the elements on a page.

White space takes on an added importance on the web because more of a strain is placed on the eyes than with print material. You’ll find that going through the same amount of web pages as print pages can be more visually demanding, one of the reasons being that you usually find yourself staring up at monitor flickering pixels coarser than printed ink. White space provides our brains with much-needed breathing room to absorb the material displayed before us.

Treat white space as more than just a background. Treat it as an integral part to your page design. You’ll find it increases your layout’s appeal with less visual “noise,” while augmenting the visual power of your message.

Windows PC or Mac: Which one is better?

Forget that PCs are more popular. Forget that Macs are the “in” computers used by universities and graphic artists. What is the better value performance per dollar. What operating system is better?  Style may play a bit of a factor.

The Mac/PC debate is not new. For decades, computer users have discussed the relative merits of each system. Unfortunately, the debate is often fueled more by passion than reason. Mac users tend to be fiercely loyal. I have to admit, I am a Mac lover. With that said, the following is a (hopefully) dispassionate look at how the PC and Mac differ in 10 areas, and a conclusion: which computer is best for you.

1. Ease of use: Yes, the rumors are true, Macs are generally easier to use than PCs. This is due in part to the consistent look, feel and functionality across all Mac applications as well as the simple drag-and-drop functions in the Mac operating system. On the other hand, the newest PC operating system, Vista, has received mixed reviews.

2. Media: The common perception is that Mac rules for audio and video content. However, that is not really the case. Mac is generally accepted as the preferred system for professional media production, but with Windows Media Center (WMC), PCs can provide the same capabilities to organize, play and share media files. If you want to use your computer to seamlessly show television, connect to game consoles or play Blu-ray DVDs, either system—outfitted with the appropriate hardware—could work.

3. Performance: A Mac will boot up faster than a PC. This is due in part to the Mac operating system being optimized for the Mac-made hardware and Intel chips. This is good. On the other hand, once the system is up and running, the performance, speed, stability and multi-tasking on a computer depends on a number of factors and these can be adjusted by the user. A souped-up PC may well outperform a top-of-the-line Mac Pro depending on how the systems are configured.

4. Hardware: Apple, the only company that provides Mac computers, currently offers just three laptop and three desktop models, all of which run Intel processors. The desktop models are the Mac Mini, the all-in-one iMac, and the high-end Mac Pro. While iMacs are stylish, the all-in-one design means they can be customized at the time of purchase, but add-ons or upgrades like extra memory and multiple monitors can be pricey, complicated and somewhat limited.

With PC hardware, there is no limit. Numerous companies make computers designed to run the Windows operating system. Intel processors are common, but others are available and just as powerful. PCs can range from a generic desktop tower for less than $500 to a pricey showpiece designed to match your office décor.

The variety of price points, designs, sizes and other hardware options make PCs a better choice. On the other hand, the quality can vary wildly with a PC depending on the manufacturer. Macs are all made by Apple and quality control tends to be more consistent.

5. Accessories: If all you are planning on plugging into your computer are the basics such as keyboards and mice, then either system will work.

6. Software: Quite simply, there are more programs available for Windows-based PCs than there are for Macs. Despite the ubiquitous ad campaigns, Mac users make up only 3.5% of the worldwide computer market.

However, Mac users can still make use of Windows-based PC programs by running Windows on a Mac. By purchasing a copy of Windows and using Mac’s Boot Camp software, you can boot up a Mac as a Windows PC.

If you normally install and use a wide variety of software from the internet, the PC may be more adaptive for you. If however, you tend to do more routine work like word processing and graphics and don’t do a lot of exploratory software activities, then perhaps the MAC may give you a better experience. Lastly, ask yourself if you need to share and work collaboratively with friends – what will that require?

7. Security: Computer viruses, hackers and almost all security problems are PC based. However, this is mostly because of PC’s huge market share advantage, and not because Macs are immune to these issues.

8. Gaming: Most gaming hits are first released for the PC. And most of the time does not get developed for the Mac.

9. Cost: Macs have come down in price in recent years, but for the most part, they continue to be more expensive. Hard-core Mac users say the lower training and support costs make up for the higher original cost.

10. Support: With PCs, this varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. Major PC suppliers such as Dell and HP offer one-year warranties including phone support. Macs come with a one-year warranty with 90-day phone support.

So, which computer is best for you.

This depends on what you want to do with it. The biggest downfall for me with the Mac is that it is pricey. You would think by now they would be more competitively priced. With that said, I understand the phrase “You get want you pay for”. Macs may cost a bit more, but they tend to run smoothly – a lot longer than the average PC.

In some ways, the Mac/PC battle hasn’t changed in 20 years. Macs are the easier-to-use and better-designed option for creative folks who are willing to spend a bit more, while Windows-based PCs offer greater compatibility and products at a better-bang-for-your-buck price.

Website Development: 10 Tips For A Better Website

Why are some websites more successful at drawing traffic than others? More internet business owners are asking themselves this same question. There are several ways you can draw more traffic to your site. Below are 10 tips you can incorporate into your website for better user experience, thus drawing more traffic:

1. Build It For Speed
It’s a fact of modern life – people are in a hurry. Nowhere is that more true than on the internet. It seems that no matter how much the technology improves, nothing is ever fast enough. In fact, several studies indicate that the faster technology advances, the faster people expect things to be.

So what does this mean for your website? It means that you have between 10 and 30 seconds to capture your audience’s attention. If they cannot learn about your product or service in that much time, they will be headed elsewhere. Minimize your load time by keeping graphics small. Compress them where possible. Use flashy technology (Javascript, Flash, Streaming Audio/Video, Animation) sparingly, and only if it is important to your presentation.

2. Focus The Site
Make certain your website is focused on the goal: selling your product or service. A site offering many unrelated products is not necessarily unfocused, but if not properly showcased, can cause confusion or feel chaotic. If your business does not offer several products, try dedicating a unique page for each one. Up-selling or cross selling may be vital, but don’t dedicate so much focus on it that the customer feels caught in a bait and switch. Make mention of other products, but do so subtly.

3. Simple Navigation
Make site navigation easy and intuitive. While it may be artistic to make your index page all black and hide the link to continue, will the customer find it beneficial, or just confusing? If your customer cannot navigate your site quickly to find what they want, they will go elsewhere. Limit the choices and direct your customers through the sale process. A good trick is to have someone who is not familiar with your product do a test-run of your site before committing to a matrix (how your site navigates from one page to the next). You may feel you have mapped things out easily for the consumer, but you know your product inside and out. See if John Q. Public will find things as easily.

4. Consistency
Make sure the site is consistent in look, feel and design. Nothing is more jarring or disturbing to a customer than feeling as if they have just gone to another site, or a pop-up window jumps out at them during a transaction. Limit pop-ups and keep colors and themes constant throughout the site.

5. Content is (Still) king
Good content sells product. Ask yourself the following questions: Does your copy convey the message you wish to get across to your visitors? Is it compelling? Does it lead your visitor through the sale process? Have others review, critique and edit your copy to ensure it is delivering the intended message. Always double check your spelling and grammar.

6. Design It For Indexing
85% of all web users find what they are looking for at the top of search engines. It is rare that your customer will navigate beyond page one of a Google, Yahoo or other search engine. Don’t let your site land on page 2 or beyond; make sure that your page is designed to maximize your placement. Focus on your keywords and keyword density, but don’t sacrifice your message. Utilize meta tag keywords, descriptions and titles. Use your keywords when naming your pages.

7. Credibility Is Crucial
The most professionally designed site won’t sell anything if customers don’t trust it. The impersonal nature of the internet breeds a certain level of mistrust. For your website to be successful, you must overcome this tendency.

A clear privacy statement is one way to build your credibility. Every commercial website should have a privacy statement posted online. Provide a prominent link to your privacy statement from every page on the site, as well as from any location where you are asking your visitors for personal information.

Make sure a live-person is reachable. Have you ever hunted a website for a phone number, only to have difficulty locating it, or never finding it at all? Provide legitimate contact information online. Your contact information should include an email address, mailing address, phone number and a fax number if applicable. If you are unwilling or neglect to provide this information to your customers, it screams that you don’t want to be contacted, or implies you may have something to hide.

8. Offer A Guarantee
Offer an ironclad, money-back guarantee. What better way to establish your customer’s trust than to eliminate any risk for them? If the customer sees that you’re so sure customers will love your product that you will assume the risk and expense should there is an off-chance a customer doesn’t love it, they will immediately be more inclined to trust your business. This doesn’t mean you will have to give away the farm. Make clear reference to warrantees, time-limits on your guarantee, etc. Certain products cannot be restocked for resale, or reused, so make clear all exceptions, and explain why these products are exempt.

9. Make Payment Easy
Offer a variety of payment methods for your customer. If you don’t currently take credit cards, consider starting immediately. You can set up a merchant account or use one of the many credit card clearing houses. Consider accepting checks online. Provide an address for those who prefer to pay by cash, check or money order. Make sure the payment process is clear, easy to access and intuitive to use. Eliminate as many steps as possible. Do not ask for any more information than is necessary to complete the transaction; nothing frightens a customer off faster than feeling that their privacy is being invaded.

10. Make it Secure
If you are accepting online payments or have a login/password section for returning customers, consider investing in a well-known and trusted SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) Certificate such as VeriSign. Customer data becomes encrypted during transactions, and not only protects your customer’s personal information, but can help you further the trust between you and your customers.

For more information:
Here is a link about online shoppers getting security savvy.

Make it quick, make it easy, make it secure.
By offering what your customers need online better than your competition, site traffic and internet sale growth is sure to follow.

The Palazzo Time Machine

1993 – Sydney, Australia wins its bid to host the 2000 Summer Olympics. Microsoft releases the first version of Windows NT 3.1 operating systems for manufacturing. Nelson Mandela and Frederik Willem de Klerk each win the Nobel Peace Prize, and actor Angus Jones (from Two and A Half Men) is born.

1993 was also the year I graduated from design school. I had a great time in design school; I was constantly learning and surrounded by like-minded students. I was a twenty-two year old kid that had big dreams and a slightly naive sense of reality.

Thinking back to those first years out of school, I realize my fundamental design philosophy hasn’t changed much: good design should be functional and useful. It should communicate and convey ideas, not get in the way of, or distract from the message.

It has been over 16 years now, and I am proud to say I have both survived and learned a lot. I have learned a great deal about managing design projects and personnel and I’ve learned how to help an organization move from traditional print marketing to digital and web. Having been an integral part of multiple marketing campaigns, I learned a lot about branding and establishing design consistency.  I have also had the pleasure of working with many fabulous individuals, as well as some great companies.

I have put together a quick slice of my very first portfolio, right out of design school. Keep in mind, computers were fairly new to the design industry, and 95% of my designs were created by hand (Now a seemingly “long-lost-art” in these days of computer graphic programs!).

Direct Mail 101

One of the keys to direct mail is to target it toward people who are truly interested in the subject matter. Give them something that directly applies to them.

When preparing direct mail campaigns, think about your customers and what they want to receive. Respect privacy preferences by offering an opt-in strategies, Show your knowledge of their unique need by offering relevant information. The average readers attention span for e-mail is just a few seconds so keep your mailing piece simple and straightforward. Don’t let your message get lost in the clutter. If they can’t get the primary point in 15 seconds or less, your communication may end up in the junk file. Continue this trend and users will add you to their blocked senders list.

It is no longer effective to send all of your customers the same mail piece – the results are not the same. Know your customers, research their preferences, understand their buying habits and most importantly, give them what they want!

Target marketing with variable data technology is a great solution. Let me explain why.

What Is Variable Data Printing?

Variable Data Printing is a type of on-demand printing. The information, such as text, graphics and images can be changed from one printing piece to the next, in one press run. This comes from information supplied by database files, such as CSV or Excel files, Access, even SQL Databases. Much like a web page assembles itself by pulling content from source locations, variable printing extracts its “recipe” in a similar way.

Variable data printing can be used for personalized mailing pieces with targeted and specific information. By using this method, it can increase your return rate by as much as 50% versus other mail pieces.

There are several variable printing options, listed below:

Introductory Attributes: Changing the salutation, name, and/or address on each copy. The overall content and the images are static, all pieces look the same with exception of the name and the address.

Content Specialization: Changing the images, and/or text based on a group of addresses. The groups can be defined as demographics or other attributes, perhaps by a previously expressed interest. For example, for investors, the segments can be by age or long-term goals. For car owners, the segments can be by the models of the cars they own, or geography. Customized content is then delivered to the addressees that meet the criteria or particular segment.

Remember, the idea is to build highly relevant and custom-tailored content to an individual. The document can be varied in layout, images, as well as text on each individual printing piece.

And, don’t forget, using a qualified and creative graphic designer will help you create the perfect direct mail piece for your audience! The investment you make here will further increase your return-on-investment.