The Power of a Postcard

Postcards are a powerful marketing weapon because they're economical, flexible, and highly effective. Learn how to use them to increase your prospect and client base.

Annual Doesn't Mean Annually in Direct Mail Fundraising Campaigns

One of your greatest obstacles in operating a successful annual fund is thinking of it as an annual fund.

Consumer Direct Marketing - Don't Leave Your Mortgage Business Without It

You may be very happy contacting and schmoozing Realtors/Agents/Builders and begging for their business or, possibly purchasing leads and then competing with three or more originators for the mortgage. There is a better way...

Network Your Way to Direct Marketing Jobs and Database Marketing Jobs

How do you find jobs in direct marketing and sales? If your first answer is ‘check the adverts for vacancies’, then you’re probably missing out on at least half of the direct marketing jobs on offer at any one time. In fact, some experts say that as few as 25% of all direct marketing jobs are ever advertised at all. More than 50% of job hunters over the age of 40 find their jobs through personal contact rather than through adverts.

Sometimes I like To Be Teased

Producing an outer envelope without a teaser is a technique that has proven to lift open rates and, in turn, response rates. Receiving a mail piece from a trusted company (especially from a financial partner like your bank or mortgage company) requires no additional messaging to get you to open it. The curiosity and worry that it is an important document is enough of an incentive to break out the letter opener. But sometimes I like to be teased! Frequently, companies assume too much when sending out direct mail. No matter what type of company you are, if you don't play your cards right, you run the risk of watching your direct mail program go down the toilet or worse, your brand damaged in the eyes of your most profitable customers.

Do You Know How To Make Direct Marketing Work For You?

It's tough for any business to do without direct mailing these days. Used effectively, this is your trigger to sales.

Direct Mail and Snail Mail...The Pony Express Still Works

Websites, email, MySpace and ipods notwithstanding, there’s still a place for direct mail in your promotion strategies.

Direct Marketing - Keep them Reading

Brief primer on copywriting for direct response

How Much Should You Invest Towards Marketing Your Business?

I hear this question way too much. Here is the answer... As much as you want. I know, you are probably getting ready to fire up your email program and roast me for such an elementary answer...but don't do that just yet. Here is the rest of the answer...

2007 Direct Mail Marketing Strategies for Entrepreneurs

Often small businesses are squeezed for cash flow and yet we know we must advertise if we want to expand and get new customers. As our businesses grow we know that most of our customers will continue to come from word-of-mouth advertising, where happy and satisfied customers tell their friends to shop with us and buy our products or services.

Sometimes Direct Marketing Should Be Anything But Direct

Directing marketing is a game of science - played with numbers - and judged by miniscule fractions of rates. Rate cards. Outer envelopes. Real versus fake signatures etc. And what does all of this exactness tell us? That life is an inexact science of course.

How to Create a Superior Marketing Database

Equip your business or operation with a dedicated marketing database that enables you to communicate intelligently with customers and prospects. Examine successful methods for creating and managing your marketing data on an ongoing basis.

Real Estate Postcard Q&A - Postcard Frequency

This following question came from a postcard marketing Q&A survey I sent to over 3,000 real estate agents. From hundreds of responses, I compiled a list of most-frequently-asked questions. This is one of those questions.

Free Leads - How To Attract Financially Qualified Leads For Free

Buying leads from online vendors equals death for your business. There is only one concrete way to build your network marketing business and that is a funded proposal. Funded proposals allow your leads to pay for themselves. They create an environment where your leads will call you instead of the other way around.