Smarter Direct Marketing with Melissa Data

A Melissa Data Publication 

In this Issue | October 28, 2008

The Ultimate Marketing Survival Guide For 2009— A Favorite Author Insider Exclusive!

Dear Readers,
In this special issue we wanted to address the key marketing challenges of 2009, and how you should be prepared for them as you develop your campaign strategies and budgets.

With such an important topic at hand, we went straight to the industry sources—
our Favorite Authors. We asked them what they thought is the greatest challenge, biggest concern, or most important issue facing direct marketers in the upcoming year.

Here is what they came up with. Take notes—you’re going to want to print this out and save it!

From Dean Rieck, direct mail copywriter
This has been a challenging year for direct mail. Higher costs, an uncertain economy, and shrinking budgets have made life difficult. And 2009 will probably be more of the same. However, direct mail remains the king of direct marketing. No other medium can put targeted advertising messages into more homes or businesses. 

From Renea Myers, president of Renea Myers Marketing
As you prepare for 2009, be aware that businesses have an opportunity to increase their market share by continuing to market during a down economy. However, many of us are under pressure to increase the ROI of our marketing dollars.
 

From Bob Martel, JMB Marketing Group
All marketing and sales people face the challenge of competing for the expendable income of their prospects and clients, and in influencing the purchase decision. This uncertain economy is forcing everyone to re-evaluate spending, adding to the challenge. The marketing function takes on a higher visibility when revenue slows, and all too often the marketing budget suffers, too. A tough economy always separates the savvy marketers from the amateurs, yet having high value products and services make the job easier.

The greatest short-term challenge I see is the increased pressure to make every precious marketing dollar count and for direct marketing programs to yield maximum results! Keep these points in mind as you refine strategies and programs for 2009: • The quality of lists, good dm copy, and strong, irresistible offers still count! There are no shortcuts. Follow proven DM methods. Apply marketing psychology to your programs and create demand. • Fine tune your cross-channel marketing model and messages to reflect the customer buying process. All of the sexy marketing automation tools are no substitute for a compelling value proposition. • Use direct mail to create a personalized marketing experience and lead your prospects on-line. • Segment, prioritize and profile your customers. Now is the time to be a very smart marketer – and ‘serving your current customers so well they wouldn’t go elsewhere’ is the best place to start. • One overlooked marketing success factor is the internal communication and involvement of key groups. Marketing needs to support the sales effort by delivering quality leads, and customer services have to be in place to create a memorable, consistent and repeatable buying experience. I have prepared a special report which presents 34 rock solid reasons to write a sales letter to your existing customers. Request it at my website. ---Source: Bob Martel is the principal consultant at JMB Marketing Group. View his Web site at www.jmbmarketing.com. Email him at bobmartel@jmbmarketing.com with your comments about this article.

From Valerie Kendrick, President of Kendrick Resources LLC
One of the biggest marketing challenges that will face all of us in 2009 is to answer the question “What’s in it for me?” for all of our clients and customers.

We must make sure that we address their concerns, solve their problems, and stop their pain. I have always stressed we need to focus on our readers, and it will be even more important in the coming year. Ask yourself why they should care each time you set out to write some marketing copy. Then re-read your copy to make sure you have either solved the customer’s problem or at least offered hope that it can be solved. ---Source: Valerie Kendrick is the President of Kendrick Resources LLC, specializing in communications skills training. She has been called the “Grammar Guru” because of her passion to help the business person communicate more effectively. Valerie can be reached at valerie@kendrickresources.com or by phone at 303-552-7349.

From Phil Dunn, co-author of The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing
Due to recession fears and real market contraction, companies are tightening their marketing budget purse strings in 2009. That means less money for direct mail, email campaigns and AdWords integrated landing pages. The opposite should be happening, however.

Companies need to get busier and smarter with their marketing efforts. The truth is companies that increase marketing and advertising budgets during economic downturns end up golden when things turn around. It’s better to follow the advice of someone like Warren Buffet and get greedy when others are fearful, rather than curl up into fetal position. Think about it – Chevy crushed Ford by increasing marketing efforts during the 70’s. Kellogg’s pushed Post to a distant 2nd place during The Great Depression by cranking up their advertising. Stanley tools increased their ad budgets during the 70’s, too, and they absolutely buried their competitors.. ---Source: Phil Dunn writes marketing materials and provides strategic consulting for Fortune 500 companies. He is also co-author of The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing (McGraw-Hill, 2005). Visit his Web site at www.qualitywriter.com

 

Now’s the time to update your mailing lists 2009 is fast approaching, and if you’re not planning your next direct mail marketing campaign, you should be. In less than four weeks, Move Update standards will expand from First-Class Mail® automation and presort-rate mailings to include all Standard Mail® mailings. Read the articles and then get your free quote for NOCALink® Move Update Service. You’ll be glad you did! NCOALink® Move Update service—Get a free quote now!

Chris Rowe VP of DES

About Melissa Data Corp..
Melissa Data is a total solutions provider of direct mail, marketing and data quality tools. Melissa Data helps companies acquire and retain customers, validate and enhance contact data, improve marketing ROI, and save money on postage and mail processing. Since 1985, Melissa Data has helped companies like Mercury Insurance, Xerox, Disney, AAA, and Nestle improve customer communications.

www.MelissaData.com    |    1-800-MELISSA (635.4772)    |    editor@melissadata.com

Industry Insights
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Favorite Author's Archive
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Stamp of the Month
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From the Editor
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