E-MAIL MARKETING
How can I use e-mail for acquisition?
“Don’t think of e-mail as an acquisition tool; think of it as something that complements other acquisition vehicles,” advises Chris Marriott, VP and general manager of Acxiom Digital.
He calls consumers who respond to search ads, banner ads, promotions and other online acquisition tools “hand-raisers,” — people who have expressed interest in your brand.
“While consumers expect an immediate payoff, such as information, for their response, they may also be interested in hearing more from you,” Marriott says. “Marketers can use acquisition tools to sign up consumers for e-mail campaigns that educate them about the brand or drive them to a subsequent action, up to and including purchase. This approach will work best for companies whose products and services require a lot of information to be sold properly.”
INSERT MARKETING
How do I use trade publications to deliver my direct mail message?
If you have a client who is in a highly specialized market or wants to reach a certain market segment, you should consider using an insert in a major trade publication to deliver that message, suggests John Sonnhalter, president of Sonnhalter.
“The challenge in any direct mail program is to get someone to open your message,” he says. “There are many obstacles once it’s delivered to your target’s place of business; even if it hits their desk, it may go into a pile that is never looked at.”
But trade magazines, he points out, are always delivered and read. “Your message is delivered with more impact and it probably didn’t cost any more than a traditional direct mail piece.”
Most publications will help you define your target based on their BPA statement. Costs are based on the percentage of circulation you choose and are usually not much more than a traditional mail campaign.
DIGITAL MARKETING
How do I use social media to boost my traditional campaign?
Kelly Cutler, CEO of Marcel Media, points to blogs as a key component of a social media campaign.
“If your company has integrated a blog to the site, adding book-marking capabilities will help increase the number of return visitors, while also increasing links to your blog. This will increase its link popularity and its PageRank,” she says. “Including applicable articles or blogs mentioning your company and its offerings will help align your company with key phrases that are fueling your offline marketing strategy. This will continuously strengthen your direct marketing campaign.”
Cutler adds that using social networking helps SEO efforts. “Social networking can help accelerate the PageRank while increasing exposure quickly. As a result, social networking is an excellent tool when utilized effectively to boost direct marketing efforts.”
