By Deborah Simpson
Jan. 6, 2011
The marketing industry can’t seem to agree on new vs. old when it comes to 2011 trends. Some surveys indicate that e-media is the channel of choice, while others have named print to be the “new media” for 2011. A recent study by the CMO Council states that print collateral is still the most common form of marketing material produced. With all of the differences in opinion, there is one thing that all marketers can agree on – each marketing channel is important, serves a distinct purpose and works best when integrated with other marketing channels.
Direct mail remains as one of the most cost-effective ways to acquire new customers, while e-mail is a fabulous retention tool. Why not combine them both to drive revenue through new and existing clients? Every direct mail piece can be tracked and measured, so why not use every tool available to make sure every direct mail campaign is bringing a positive return on investment? If you’re not able to tell that your campaign is resulting in increased revenue or profits, then I’d suggest you stop that campaign. It’s not about spending money on marketing; it’s about spending money to drive sales and profits.
With that in mind, e-media, whether mobile marketing, social media, e-mail or your website can be very powerful if used and tracked appropriately. However, keep in mind that sophisticated spam filters and not having 100 percent e-mail address accuracy can ensure that your e-mails never hit the intended target. So, if your marketing plan is dependent upon e-mail marketing, a major focus should be on e-mail address accuracy.
Also, marketing must take into consideration the fact that people are unique and have preferences about how they wish to be contacted. As marketers, we need to honor those stated preferences. It makes no sense to continually send e-newsletters to someone who has stated they prefer direct mail communication – and vice versa. Today, the customer is in control of the conversation and it behooves us to listen and use the appropriate channel(s) to communicate with them.
Whatever tactics or options you choose, data should continue to be a focus for marketers. Data is king and he who has the data rules! Every client contact should result in more information (data) about that client that is then fed into your CRM. Use that data to better target offers — no matter what channel you are using. Consider running a campaign to weed out those who will never purchase what you are selling – it will be money well spent. It makes no sense to continue to spend time and money marketing to someone who will never buy from you. Get them off your list!
Today, more than ever, marketing requires people with open minds, an adventurous spirit and the ability to adapt quickly. Technology is driving the speed of change faster and faster. Just as we seem to have gotten our arms around a new way to market our products and services, another channel pops up. Don’t just blindly embrace the new technology because it’s new – embrace it only if it makes sense. Do your own research, track and measure everything you can, talk to your clients and honor their channel preferences when deciding where to spend your marketing dollars.
Deborah Simpson is the president of Multi-Craft marketing support and print services company located in Newport, Kentucky. You can follow Deborah on Twitter @IdeasnMotion or e-mail her at dsimpson@multi-craft.com.