We mention it all the time, as a marketing agency we want to see others that we work with succeed when it comes to their business marketing. It’s not just something we say, it’s something we truly believe in.
This is why we have created a new Guest Blog Partnership Program! We are excited to give business owners and colleagues that we know a forum to write about and thoroughly discuss a variety of aspects about their business. The new Guest Blog Partnership Program, gives local businesses an opportunity to spread the good word about their business, no matter what industry they are in.
The program will cost only fifteen dollars per month (with a one-year contract.) This partnership agreement will include your business logo/link to your business website here on this blog page. Essentially, your business will be a sponsor of this blog page. It also includes the option to add one written blog per month about your business to this page, that will be posted here by a 77 Design Co team member. We will then share your blogs onto our social media outlets. To improve results, we encourage other business owners that are also in the program to do the same. The goal here is to create a sphere of local business owners that can cross-promote one another that will increase engagement and awareness of each others business. We believe this is a fantastic opportunity for any business owner without a blog outlet and the rate is very affordable.
The price of fifteen dollars per month simply covers the time we’ll have involved with posting and sharing of the blogs. Feel free to contact us for more info. We look forward to working with your business too!
Welcome to the 77 Design Co blog once again. This weeks blog is about…blogs!
You may ask, What is a blog? How do blogs help my marketing efforts? What’s the point of a blog? What can spending all that time writing a blog do to help my business? These are all valid questions and questions we’ll answer them here shortly.
Let’s start with the basics. The Dictionary definition of a blog is, “a regularly updated website or web page, typically one run by an individual or small group, that is written in an informal or conversational style.” There you go. A blog is a simple means of communicating something about your business, product, hobby, interest, or any topic of your choice. You may want to write about something relevant in your industry. Perhaps, you may choose the topic of baseball and write a short personal blog about that sport. It can be any topic. It can be any length. Make it yours, just try to make it informative and accurate…especially if you are blogging about a business.
Now let’s get into the nitty gritty a little more. How can it help marketing efforts? Well, a blog can help with SEO (Search Engine Optimization,) it can add credibility to your company, it can be used to market a sale or discount you are offering, or maybe a new product/service. A blog can help in any way you want it to. Promote your blog on social media and see if customers react. Ask customers what they’d like to read about that’s related to your business.
What’s the point of a blog? It can have a very crucial point. Or, no point at all. It can be something that you can direct customers to. It could be about something such as a particular law or legality for a law firm’s blog. Maybe a new product is coming out in the gas well industry. A manufacturer may want to discuss that with their customers through a blog. The point of a blog can be as important or as ridiculous as you want it to be. Again, if you are in business and blogging, make it accurate and informative.
What can spending all that time writing a blog do to help your business? Hmm, let’s see here. You can become an authority in your profession! If you know something and you know it well, share it with others. Write about problems you see and deal with on a daily basis, then give suggestions on the best ways to avoid these problems. If you market your blog properly, customers will thank you for the helpful information. You may also be able to influence a reader into choosing you instead of a competitor. Give insightful information about whatever topic you choose and be the person or business of influence!
Here are a few tips for blogging.
1. Add images, short videos, or a cool design. Not just any old out of focus, uninteresting image or video but damn good looking stuff! The human eye picks up on images 50,000-60,000 times faster than ordinary text. This will keep readers moving along and interested in what you have to say. Keep the blog fresh and the images looking sharp. If you need a hand with this, hire a professional photographer/videographer/graphic designer…or give us a ring!
2. Use terms that are relevant to your industry. Terms or short phrases will immediately attract attention to your blog topic. Plus that will also help with SEO.
3. Be professional and courteous. Write professionally and don’t slander or smear others or your competition in a blog. If you do it better, just say why and leave it at that.
4. Be consistent. Make a schedule of when to blog and stick to it. It takes a while for others to find your blog or gain interest in it, and nothing is better than consistency at helping with this. You should blog to your website AT LEAST monthly, if not daily or even weekly.
Now, get writing and get sharing your blogs with the world! It can be a tremendous help to your business if properly written. For any questions or any help to get started…our numbers and emails are right below.
As a business owner, you probably spend a lot of time and effort searching for ways to acquire new customers. But there’s actually more value in focusing on the customers you already have.
Knowing this, it’s vital to focus your marketing efforts on reaching these customers. Direct mail can help you do just that-retain existing customers, inspire their loyalty and even win back the ones you’ve lost.
Direct Mail Campaign for TAG Development franchisee of Subway and Auntie Anne’s in Greensburg, PA.
Retaining Customers with Direct Mail
Retention is a good starting point for a direct mail campaign. Repeat business both drives incremental purchasing and spurs more recommendations to others from these frequent customers. Not to mention, it costs less to retain customers than it does to acquire new ones.
Imagine you own an outdoor-gear store. Your customers like to go on adventures, so use direct mail to remind them of the fun they’ve had while using your products.
35%Targeting customers who have purchased from your business in the past can boost sales up to 35 percent.1
In this case, it might be helpful to appeal to their senses with beautiful outdoor imagery to recapture the sense of accomplishment they might have felt in association with your business.
Chances are, you already have some information about your customer. The key to creating mail that drives your customers to buy again is knowing your audience and providing information about the products or services they care about. If a customer has purchased cycling gear in the past, you probably want to show them the best you have to offer in cycling apparel or bikes, rather than, let’s say, winter jackets and snowboards.
In order to retain customers, make sure your direct mail is targeted, has a time-sensitive offer and a strong call to action. This will strengthen your brand connection and motivate repeat visits.
Gaining Loyal Customers with Direct Mail
Direct mail can also help with creating loyalty. Because while returning customers are great, it’s your superfans who purchase frequently and spread the word about your business.
Let’s say you own an apparel store. It would be important for you to showcase the latest styles and create a customer base that comes back each season. These loyal customers are valuable because nearly 80 percent of an organization’s revenue is generated by the top 20 percent of customers.
Mail can be a cost-efficient, effective and measurable way to keep in contact with your customers and grow your base of loyal customers. Create mail that makes them feel appreciated and rewards their loyalty.
Use these three ways to refine your loyalty mail:
Assess available data to create the right messaging.
Choose a motivating reward that targets your most passionate fans and inspires them to act.
Integrate with existing marketing to guide customers to your website or social media to redeem offers, make purchases or sign up for your company’s newsletter.
That’s why building a loyalty program can drive sales and reward your biggest fans. A simple brochure can act as the perfect entry point: part content, part exclusive offer.
Show them what you have to offer and give them an incentive to become a loyal customer.
A URL can lead customers to your website where they can redeem the offer, join your program and-more than likely-make a few more purchases along the way.
Winning Back Customers with Direct Mail
You know those customers that shopped once and then disappeared? You can win them back with direct mail.
For example, if you own a home decor store, you wouldn’t want to lose a customer’s business after they only purchased one item. Ideally, they would come back when decorating their entire home. Customers leave your business for a reason, so just letting them know about your new stock of picture frames won’t be enough.
Using direct mail to reach lapsed customers can be highly effective in grabbing customer attention, sending specific messages and reaching a highly targeted group of customers. To do this, you need to send a message that grabs customer attention, addresses the reason they left and then makes it easy for them to return.
Personalized messages that show you want to understand why they left can be very effective.
Including a Business Reply Card will motivate customers to respond to a short survey in exchange for a reward.
You can also ask about their shopping experiences and leverage this feedback to improve your business and better identify customer issues in the future. After gaining a better understanding of why your customer didn’t return, you can remind them of what they’re missing and then provide an incentive to win back their business.
In Conclusion
There are many tactics for converting the customers you have with direct mail. You can remind customers of their visits, offer loyalty incentives and gather the information you need to improve their experience. By using direct mail for retention, loyalty and win-back, you can inspire customers to continue coming back, again and again.
1.“Holiday Marketing Case Study: Boosting Flower Sales with Direct Mail.” USPS Delivers, www.uspsdelivers.com/holiday-marketing-case-study-boosting-flower-sales-with-direct-mail/.
