How much should I spend on marketing?

This is a common question that marketing consultants gets asked on a regular basis.

The simple answer is that there is no hard a fast rule – it depends on the competitive environment, the stage of business development, the product or service category and the balance of advertising designed to promote the brand vs advertising designed to generate a specific response.

If you use direct mail it’s in your best interest to get as much of it opened and read as possible. You may have spent a small fortune on the copywriting and the expensively printed brochure, but if you don’t ensure that as many packs are opened and read as possible, then both copy and brochure are wasted.

There are two main schools of thought on how to avoid being binned. The first is to use disguise, and the second to use persuasion.

Using disguise is mainly a business to business approach but it works for business to consumer mailings too. Business to business promotional mailings are marked out in that they don’t appear to have been handled individually. This can be indicated by an envelope pre-printed with a postage mark, and use of a window or address labels to show an address.

Try one or more of the following to give the envelope a more individual look.

Use stamps. They have to have been put on by hand, so it must be individual. There’s no more obvious an indicator than a pre-printed stamp impression. When a preprinted impression is used in conjunction with a window envelope it practically screams advertising so don’t do it.

Hand write the address on the envelope. This is probably only viable for higher value items but will certainly get more attention this way. It doesn’t have to be copperplate, it just needs to look as though it’s been handled individually.

Use an unusual material for the envelope, say vellum or a textured paper. In tests conducted by a paper merchant, this alone increased responses significantly. The additional cost for the special paper was more than compensated for by the additional revenue generated by the mailing.

Again, do anything to make your mailing appear more individual and personal to the recipient. Probably the most important element is the use of stamps. This on it’s own can be enough to get you under the recipient’s radar.

Secondly, use persuasive tactics. This is completely the opposite from disguise and is used mainly for business to consumer, but again it works for business to business too. In this instance we mark it out specifically as commercial by using advertising images, copy and headlines on the outside of the envelope itself. In this instance it doesn’t matter if you use a printed postal impression.

Unlike the previous method which uses curiosity to get your envelope opened, we need to give the recipient a good reason to open the envelope. This can take a variety of forms, but as a couple of examples you can state a benefit, “Increase sales by 15%”, or alternatively provide an incentive, “Reply by the end of the month and get 2 for the price of 1″.

Be very clear and very specific about what the contents are going to achieve and remember you are only trying to get the envelope opened and read. Avoid anything vague. Don’t expect to appeal to everyone using this method. You don’t have that much room on the envelope, and you can’t be all things to all people.

Hopefully you will achieve a strong enough response in a small percentage of recipients that they open, and read the contents. Your persuasive copy will follow on logically from the envelope copy, and keep your prospect interested.

There is a lot of advise against this in business to business direct mail, and there is probably an element of truth in this. If you are mailing to an executive whose mail is screened then it’s likely good advice. However there are plenty of owner/managers out there that still open their own mail, if the offer or benefit is clear enough and of interest, it will get opened. You may well consign your mailing piece to the bin for the 99.5% of your prospects by doing this, but it wasn’t about them was it?

In summary it’s pretty simple. Don’t be run of the mill. Step away from the norm and make sure your envelope is overtly commercial with a clear benefit or incentive or alternatively make it look it personal. If you do this you are halfway to getting it read and that’s more than half the battle.

The Foreign Exchange Market, which is perhaps better known as the Forex, is a global market established for the purchase and sale of currencies. It effectively operates around the clock and daily transactions run into trillions of dollars, which in itself sets it apart from markets such as the US Treasury Bond market which sees daily transactions in the region of three hundred billion dollars and the combined American stock markets at about one hundred billion dollars a day.

It’s tough for any business to do without direct mailing these days. You might mail prospective customers using the Internet or maybe you prefer to rely on the postal system. Maybe you use a combination of both. Whatever your preference, the writing on the wall for any business is clear: you need direct mail. Used effectively, this is your trigger to sales.

The return on investment for the engagement of MJH Group for Small business marketing is based on the following;

Business Growth

• Increased sales and profit from effective strategy and campaign outcomes

In times of a worldwide recession, many companies are looking at their budgets and marketing is one of those areas that can sometimes be affected. So how can you still ensure you market your company to make contact with consumers and to build leads, whilst still reducing costs?

Many small businesses are stuck with the problem of needing to advertise in order to bring in more clients, but not being able to afford to do so until they’ve actually acquired these new clients. This doesn’t paint a very nice scenario, but the good news is that it’s easier to fix than you may realize. While you may not have the budget to launch a television or billboard campaign, you probably do have the budget to launch a fairly powerful direct mail campaign. To get the best results from your direct mail campaign, you’ll need to make sure that it meets certain criteria.

It has to stand out. Most people, especially business owners, get a lot of direct mail. If yours looks just like everyone else’s it’s going to get tossed right into the trash along with the rest. Make sure that yours stands out by using an unusual size, shape and design. To do this, you’re going to have to take a look at the direct mail that your competitors are sending out, but it won’t hurt to look at direct mail from companies outside your industry too remember, even though you aren’t directly competing with them, your marketing materials are competing with theirs for the attention of your prospect.

It has to present the right message. Your message should be clear, concise, and contain a call to action. Don’t just tell your prospects that you are the best mortgage broker in town tell them to call or stop by your office. The goal of your direct mail should be to get their attention and cause them to take some action so that you can then convert them into a client.

It has to target the right prospects. You’ll get far better results by sending your direct mail to the people most likely to have a need for what you offer. Instead of sending it to a list of 10,000 prospects, narrow it down to a list of 1,000 prospects who are:

1. The most likely to need what you offer right now

2. The most likely to be able to afford what you offer right now

3. The most likely to place a larger than average order

4. The most likely to refer new business to you

It has to be consistent. People are constantly being exposed to marketing from hundreds if not thousands of companies, so in order to make be noticed and remembered, you’ll need to execute your campaign on a regular basis. People don’t care about what you’re offering until they actually need it, so the idea is to increase the likelihood of your message being in front of them at that time.

It has to be followed up on. In just about every B2B scenario, some follow up is going to be needed to convert your prospects into clients. Direct mail is usually most effective when it’s used to initiate the sales process, leaving the actual presentation and the close to a live sales person, or at the very least, your web site. Plus, by following up, you’re adding a more personal touch and even if your prospect isn’t ready to move forward, they will remember it when they are.

Do you run a flyer distribution company? Great. So you know a thing or two about direct marketing. But how do you deliver your product actually? Do you just slide it under people’s doors? Or leave it on their lawn so it can get wet or covered with snow?

If you are a serious direct marketer, you love creativity. But finding creative ways to deliver your flyer is not the real pure essence of creativity. Your direct marketing is important to you and you want it to be important to your potential clients. Well, there is one way that represents quality direct marketing at its best and it’s called Plastic door knob bags. Why?

•    Because not only can you advertise directly at someone’s home or business with dignity, but you also receive a higher response. The retention rate of these substantial plastic door knob bags is much higher than a paper door knob hanger or a simple mailer. Why wouldn’t it, it makes your clients feel like their in a hotel.

•    When people come home and check the mail, they usually disregard junk mail, not to mention flyers that are on the floor. When you leave a door knob bag, people tend to take your door knob bags off of their doors and bring them inside their houses. From there, your advertisement has already made it further than any of your competitors.

•    Because plastic door knob bags are of such high quality, and if designed right, your potential customers will investigate your ads closely and take your services more seriously in turn.

•    Another great benefit of plastic door knob bags is that they protect your advertisements from weather. Or from the neighbors dog. Again, this increases your conversion rate with clients.

•    Additionally, consumers are likely to reuse these durable bags. This benefit keeps your advertising, brand, or message in your clients’ daily life activities.

But wait, Plastic Door Knob Bags are perfect for other uses of your direct marketing needs. Cut with large round door knob holes, these plastic bags are sturdy and visually appealing and can be used for different purposes. For example, plastic door knob bags allow on-site service workers and technicians the opportunity to leave receipts or notes or advertisements with customers who are not home at the time of service. This is an ideal solution for exterminators, electricians, contractors, plumbers, gardeners, and many other professionals who need to leave messages behind.

You can now choose from a large selection of Custom Poly Bag for various advertising and flyer sizes, from postcards to magazines. Door Knob Bags are available in any color, size and thickness.

For more information, visit us at www.excellentpoly.com and sign up for an online quote. There is no risk and you are not required to order anything. At www.excellentpoly.com you will find a wide variety of high quality, durable poly bags to choose from. No matter what is your product or purpose, at Excellent Poly Bag Corporation you will always find superior poly bags that fit your needs.Excellent Poly Bag Corporation has a wide variety of high quality, durable poly bags to choose from. Manufacturers or businesses that are looking a “green” twist can check Poly Bag’s eco-friendly reusable bags.

You have surely seen at least one of the thousands of infomercials promoting a new product of some sort. These infomercials are created in order to enlighten the public about a new, amazing product that is simply a “must have”. This is the world of Direct Response TV or DRTV. This term simply refers to the advertising that manufacturers use to solicit consumer response to their new products. Normally, there will be included within the program a short commercial giving an overall description of the product and a number to call, typically an 800 number, where you can order that product. This is one type of Direct Response Marketing and it has been shown to be very effective.

There are actually two types of DRTV. As with most anything, there is a long and a short version. The short version of direct response TV typically includes television ads that are no longer than two minutes. These include most of the regular length television commercials that you see.

The longer form of direct response TV are those advertisements that are longer than two minutes, typically done is thirty minute programs called infomercials. Typically, a company that is interested in promoting their product via an infomercial will purchase a spot on a specific television station. This spot is twenty-eight minutes and thirty seconds long. Products that need extra instruction or a more detailed demonstration are typically shown to the public via these infomercials. In many cases the products that you see on infomercials, or the long form of DRTV, are typically a bit more expensive than those that are shown on a two minute or less commercial.

If you have a product that you want to gain public awareness of, then either of these direct marketing campaigns will work. The form that you use will depend on a few things, including your budget and the specific product that you want to promote. There are many agencies that specialize in the television types of direct marketing that can help you to build your commercial or infomercial in such a way that you get a more positive response from the public. These agencies typically offer a package that includes the strategies you should use, the commercial production and creativity. You may also find that some of these agencies specialize in managing your direct marketing campaign as well.

Television stations, including cable and broadcast TV, typically sell any leftover airtime for the specific purpose of direct response TV. The rates may vary from station to station, but this type of marketing is typically much less expensive than many other forms of airtime. The only specification that must be met in order for your marketing to qualify as DRTV is you must provide a website and/or telephone number in order for your potential customers to contact you and order your product. Many call centers also sell time in which you can accept customer orders around the clock, making it much easier for many to order.

You have surely seen at least one of the thousands of infomercials promoting a new product of some sort. These infomercials are created in order to enlighten the public about a new, amazing product that is simply a “must have”. This is the world of Direct Response TV or DRTV. This term simply refers to the advertising that manufacturers use to solicit consumer response to their new products. Normally, there will be included within the program a short commercial giving an overall description of the product and a number to call, typically an 800 number, where you can order that product. This is one type of Direct Response Marketing and it has been shown to be very effective.

There are actually two types of DRTV. As with most anything, there is a long and a short version. The short version of direct response TV typically includes television ads that are no longer than two minutes. These include most of the regular length television commercials that you see.

The longer form of direct response TV are those advertisements that are longer than two minutes, typically done is thirty minute programs called infomercials. Typically, a company that is interested in promoting their product via an infomercial will purchase a spot on a specific television station. This spot is twenty-eight minutes and thirty seconds long. Products that need extra instruction or a more detailed demonstration are typically shown to the public via these infomercials. In many cases the products that you see on infomercials, or the long form of DRTV, are typically a bit more expensive than those that are shown on a two minute or less commercial.

If you have a product that you want to gain public awareness of, then either of these direct marketing campaigns will work. The form that you use will depend on a few things, including your budget and the specific product that you want to promote. There are many agencies that specialize in the television types of direct marketing that can help you to build your commercial or infomercial in such a way that you get a more positive response from the public. These agencies typically offer a package that includes the strategies you should use, the commercial production and creativity. You may also find that some of these agencies specialize in managing your direct marketing campaign as well.

Television stations, including cable and broadcast TV, typically sell any leftover airtime for the specific purpose of direct response TV. The rates may vary from station to station, but this type of marketing is typically much less expensive than many other forms of airtime. The only specification that must be met in order for your marketing to qualify as DRTV is you must provide a website and/or telephone number in order for your potential customers to contact you and order your product. Many call centers also sell time in which you can accept customer orders around the clock, making it much easier for many to order.