Search Results for ‘incentive marketing’
Quirks Marketing Research Review recently wrote an article about how to increase survey respondents satisfaction. Surveys can help to give the smart marketer a heads up on what your client and prospect really want and need. Surveys can be used to gather all sorts of market data such as customer demographics, likes and dislikes, customer satisfaction and much more. I highly recommend that if you are not using surveys in some form or another (digital, hand-written or by phone) you are missing out on information that can take your business to a new level fo success.
Here are the 10 tips Quirks shared:
1. Make surveys engaging and convenient
2. Avoid complex questions
3. Limit questions to 50 words or less
4. Avoid long lists of rating questions
5, Avoid open-ended questions
6. Avoid repetitive questions
7. Advertise accurate survey times
8. pay incentives (prizes) promptly
10. Pre-test surveys thoroughly
11. Get feedback on surveys
I would only disagree with number 5. Sometimes a person needs the option to expand on a response and having an open ended question makes that possible. You might have an open ended question but make it an option to reply thereby not annoying those really want to offer feedback but who don’t have or want to spend a long time doing so.
About accurate survey times, the article states that respondents don’t mind taking longer surveys as long as they know how much time they will take. This is good to know when you need more in-depth replies.
You can read this and other articles online at http://www.quirks.com/. While there, you can also request a FREE subscription (if you qualify).
While you’re at it you can grab a FREE copy of eMarketing ~ 300 page textbook aimed at tertiary education students, business owners and marketers who want to get ahead in online marketing. It has everything from the facts to case studies and study questions around each eMarketing tactic. Go to http://www.quirk.biz/emarketingtextbook/download.
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September 17th, 2009
The Quirky Marketing Greeting Card Contest is officially over!
The “rules” were to “Create a fun, quirky, unusual card message as a promotion for your company, product or service and tell me what you did. The message should be creative and promote something you want to spread the word about. It can be a product, a new product launch, an event, a celebration, a strategic alliance, does not matter. As long as the message can be expressed on a greeting card or postcard.”
What surprised me is that some people did just that and others sent in cute cards with no purpose in mind. They did not have a clear message nor did they promote their company in any way, shape or form. Having said that, we did have a few people who followed the directions and sent us some cute and/or quirky cards. It was a tough decision, in fact so much so, it took the judges an extra week to decide who to bestow the honors to.
Honorable Mention goes to the following:
Honorable Mention winners receive a half page ad in WE Magazine for women.
Kristine Sheehan of The MerryBird.com for her Valentine Postcard announcing her pen and Ink portraits for your Valentine.
Lisa Moren Bromma of Wise WomenInvestor.com for her postcards announcing her services and invitation to visit her website.
3rd Place winner in the Quirky Marketing Greeting Card Challlenge is Jessica Sellers of Chrysalis Logos.com – her card focused on “Make up Your Own Holiday Day” and offered an economic stimulus incentive (discount on services) to anyone who placed an order on that day. Way to Go, Jessica! Jessica won a One-year Charter Membership in the Women’s eCommerce Association.
2nd Place winner in the Quirky Marketing Greeting Card Challenge is Mr. Jim Barber. Jim promoted his company Tooter Talk (www.TooterTalk.com) with a picture of him on the cover standing in on stage at the IMPROV with the headline “Do You Know What Today is?” The inside said simply… “Today is the first day of the rest of your new career!” Talk about perfect timing in this economy! Jim won a full page ad in WE Magazine for Women!
1st Place winner in the Quirky Marketing Greeting Card Challlenge is …..drum roll please………………
Racheli Smilovits of WCS Lending! Racheli didn’t send in the required one entry – she sent in SIX! And each one was clever and unique. The one that cinched the winning was the postcard attached to a bag of peanuts that said “It will be NUTS to Navigate throught the Real Estate Waters without a Professional Lender.” And her contact info, etc. The graphic she used was a walnut shell and her beautiful face peeping out of it. Racheli won a two page article interview in the Spring Issue of WE Magazine, a copy of her choice of one of the fabulous books in our library AND a $25 gift certificate from SendOutCards (choice of Visa Gift Card, Candy, Brownies and more).
Each of the above entrants will also receive a frameable Certificate customized with their names and date of the Quirky Marketing Contest as well as a mention in the accompanying media release announcing the Winners!
Several of the contestants grabbed their free account at SendOutCards.com/Heidi. THANKS!
Look for our next contest in the summer!
And if you haven’t yet picked up your copy of Quirky Marketing, go here: www.QuirkyOffer.com. More than $2,000 worth of bonuses are waiting for you when you do!
March 25th, 2009
So you want to start a direct mail campaign for 2009, but you aren’t sure where to begin or what type of campaign to run? Before you do, you should know your options.
Here are Eleven time-tested direct mail options for you to consider:
Package inserts ~ a package insert can be anything from an informational brochure to a postcard to a little business card size document. The purpose of the insert is to get the recipient to take an action such as go to a website, call the company for more information, send in a warranty card, redeem an incentive such as a coupon and gift certificate.
Co-op Mailings ~ A form of trade sales promotion where a marketer offers non-competing companies the opportunity to share the cost of mailing to a particular database or group of customers and prospects.
Postcards ~ an economical way to promote a business or particular product or service less expensively than mailing a letter. Postcards can be very effective because there is no envelope to open and the prospect can see the offer at a glance .
Flyers ~An offer detailed on a single sheet of paper.
Card Decks ~ a package of individual cards wrapped together and mailed to prospects. These decks vary in quantity, and can contain 60 cards or more, each competing for the prospect’s attention.
Sampling Programs ~ A method of encouraging trying products free-of-charge or very inexpensively.
Statement Stuffers ~ Marketing brochure in a customer’s billing or account statement containing an offer or brief sales message along with a call to action mechanism such as a short-form, postcard or toll-free telephone number. Statement stuffers are an inexpensive way to market additional products and special offers to current customers.
Catalogues ~ A publication, such as a book or pamphlet, containing a list or display of products, services and offerings to a specific group of prospects and customers.
Door Hangers ~ door hanger marketing is where you create a small flier (often in mixed in with a few other direct mail pieces that are included in a plastic bag to be hung on the door knobs of prospects. This form of direct mail is often seen in residential areas however has also been effective in large office buildings (provided leaving them is allowed).
Webserts ~ A websert is a text or graphic link that appears after an online purchase is made. Webserts are more cost-efficient, offer more accurate source tracking, and can be dynamically served more easily.
Classifieds ~ Print advertising that is limited to certain classes of goods and services, and usually limited in size and content. Classified ads can appear in print media such as newspapers, magazines and catalogs as well as in digital media such as ezines, online magazines and websites.
In my next post I will be sharing 8 tips to run a successful direct mail campaign.
For a complete list of marketing definitions, visit: Speaking With Spirit and download your FREE copy of the Self-Marketing Dictionary TODAY!
January 8th, 2009
Need some ideas to advertise your website in the coming months? Here are twelve tips to get you started:
Tip #1
Put your URL on every piece of advertising you use to promote your company, your business card, letterhead, bills, checks, invoices, delivery vehicles, personal vehicles, magnets, yellow pages, newspapers, notecards, etc.
Tip #2
Partner with vendors, and suppliers to offer giveaways or freebies to your customers.
Tip #3
Make your website part of your overall marketing efforts including networking, print, radio, etc.
Tip #4
Create a registration page on your website and offer something for free to encourage them to leave you their contact information. It could be a register to win something just for stopping by, or something they can download when they register. Be sure to track where the leads are coming from.
Tip #5
Offer a “hidden prize” on your site such as a dinner for two or free product. This will encourage people to visit other pages to find the prize. It is a great way to force people to read all the pages on your site, so they learn more about your company in the process.
Tip #6
Design and write a newsletter or ezine about your area of expertise, industry news, tips, answers to difficult questions, and ideas about how to make the most of your products and services. Create a sign up box for people to subscribe (I use Aweber).
Tip #7
Place banner adds on local sites such as city/town/municipal sites and radio stations. If these are your customers you can probably “trade” links. On radio stations, you can offer to provide a giveaway to the listeners for visiting the website.
Tip #8
Cross promote your newsletter with other complimentary companies or companies and individuals who target your audience.
Tip #9
Create a postcard campaign announcing your website and send to everyone in your current database or at least those who would benefit from visiting your site.
Tip #10
Include a voice message for your phone system (or cell phone) inviting callers to stop by your website – be sure and include your website address and spell out anything that would be difficult for someone to understand or has an unusual spelling.
Tip #11
Try a classified ad campaign with an incentive to get people to stop by and take advantage of your special offer.
Tip #12
Ask other complimentary website owners to “trade Links with your site. Start with those you visit and shop and then expand to others that serve your client base.
And be sure to check out the Internet Business Success Report for the 21st Century for more ideas to Start and Grow and Online Business.
December 18th, 2008
If you have a website (of course you do) then you may have already experienced the power of digital coupons to drive business to your site and even to your brick and mortar locale.
Even if you don’t have a website, chances are good that you have downloaded a digital coupon once or twice, or dozens of times if you are my daughters. In fact, when my girls have to go shopping for anything that costs more than $10 they first go online to see what coupons are available. When they eat out, they look to their favorite restaurants for coupons offers. They check out the shoe store, the technology stores, department stores, specialty stores and more. They never leave home without at least a handful of coupons to use on their shopping “sprees.”
According to a marketing research study conducted by ICOM Research, coupon redemption rates rise when prices and unemployment go up. Knowing that and the fact that 67 percent of US shoppers say they are more likely to use coupons during a recession, it may just make sense to have a coupon program in place on your website.
The study goes on to say that digital coupons tend to have a much higher usage rate than traditional paper coupons. It sited that 58% of consumers responding said their coupon use would increse if they could download it from the internet to an electronically swiped frequent shopper card.
My newly designed retail website ~ Eden Florist ~ has a mechanism in place when anyone becomes a new customer they get a coupon as a thank you. They can use the coupon on their current purchase online or at a later date.
And lets not forget mobile coupons that you can download to you mobile device. Hundreds of merchants around the globe are already offering these to their clients and customers. Mobile coupons are a great way to gain new customers, offer specials to current customers, and grow your existing database. Mobile coupons are also a great way to reach prospects because they have instant access to them and don’t have to download or cut out coupons. They just carry them around on their cell phone or PDA to use when they need them.
Coupons also make a good incentive to purchase early and avoid the rush. What kind of coupon could you offer your customers to encourage them to buy now instead of later? Digital coupons can make sense to small business especially with the high costs of being in business, doing business and living today.
Here’s a couple of sites with digital coupons offered by hundreds/thousands of merchants around the country: DealWorker.com and RetailMeNot. Check them out for ideas and of course to save money!
November 17th, 2008
November 1-7 is World Communication Week – Time to create a viral email marketing campaign and send to your opt-in list. Include a refer-a-friend button in your message and on your website and invite your audience to send your message to their circle. Give them an incentive for doing so, such as a discount or FREE gift.
November 5th, 2008
Last week I received a pleasant surprise in the mail. It was from OPEN American Express. Generally speaking, when a credit card company sends you something in the mail it is either a Congratulations, you have qualified for a new Credit Card from (insert name of company here); It is a letter telling you your credit limit has been raised; or It is a letter telling you that you have qualified for a low interest “loan” or balance transfer offer.
American Express did something I found to be much more appealing. They sent a deck of cards (5 to be exact) and on each of them was advice to help you in various aspects of your business.
No selling, just sharing. A great marketing model in this day of in-your-face advertising.
Here’s what they shared:
● QUICK TIPS FOR MARKETING YOUR BUSINESS ONLINE
This card gave an overview of what the other cards were about…. And gave a link to download the Complete Online Marketing Guide from America Express OPEN including expert advice, success stories and online resources at www.openforum.com/onlinemarketing
● GET PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS
The card had tips on WEB 2.0 Marketing including: Set up a blog to position yourself as an expert in your field and Join social networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook.
● THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING
This card shared the story of The Zingerman’s Deli owners Ari and Paul and their experience with paid search advertising when they worked with an outside company to create the campaign.
● HOW TO USE SEARCH-ENGINE MARKETING ~ FOR FREE
This card talked about “natural search” marketing with tips on how to optimize your website to appear more frequently in search results including choosing the right keywords and key phrases. OPEN suggests you begin with a broad list of about 50 words that describe your product or service from every angle, be as specific as possible in using words unique to your company, use wordtracker.com to find out the frequency certain keywords and key phrases are searched.
● DESIGN A WEBSITE THAT WORKS
This card talked about website usability, functionality and appeal. Questions asked included: Is your site simple to understand and easy to navigate? Does it load quickly enough to keep the customer’s attention, Is it interesting? Is it easy for customers to contact you?
Each of these cards gave VALUE to the receiver and food for thought and steps to take action. I found the campaign interesting and informative without being boring. Not your typical white paper or special report!
How could you use this type of marketing campaign to GROW YOUR BUSINESS? Are Cards in your future? If so, Redhead Marketing can help you create them. We have created marketing cards for networking events, for incentive packs and for other business and social functions.
We can create marketing card packs, blog sites, websites and other marketing campaigns for your websites.
Contact us at heidi (at) redheadmarketingblog.com or 954… or 877 Wisdom 7 (877…).
August 11th, 2008
Scratch-off Marketing
In this day and age of Lotto, Instant Win, and other forms of GIG – “Gambling Instant Gratification” scratch-offs are an excellent way to promote a product and/or service and get customers in the door.
I have used these for a few years now – We send a postcard to our past customers (those who have not purchased in a year or more) using a scratch off incentive. The post card has a Milk Carton graphic with a caption “Missing” – there is a scratch off with a prize which the customer can either redeem in my shop or over the phone. The “prizes” range from $5.00 off your next purchase to a dozen roses.
Sending these postcards serves two purposes. It cleans up my database – returning those that are undeliverable – and it reminds people to again use my business. We have had incredible success with this program (having done it for about 15 years now). The postcard design changes from time to time, but the message is generally the same.
In addition, this year those postcards that were returned to us undeliverable came in handy for Saint Patrick’s Day. We cut out the scratch off from the postcard and stapled it to a coupon that said “try your luck” When customers came into the store, we gave them the coupon and invited them to scratch it off and redeem instantly. It created quite a buzz and flower sales were up 30% over last year for Saint Patty’s day.
Check out Terra Williams site for some ideas and to order scratch-offs for your next campaign at Easy Scratch-offs.
August 5th, 2008
Last week on HER Mastermind Network Dr. Leah Jackman-Wheitner, Ph.D. posted some thought-provoking questions to the group. The responses were interesting and helpful so I thought I’d post my responses here.
Q1. “What do you do to market when holding your head above the water is your primary goal?”
I think that if people are experiencing the negative impacts of the economy as far as their businesses are concerned then “holding your head above water” seems fitting. The most important thing to remember is to ALWAYS BE MARKETING ~ it is the #1 way to recession-proof your business. And #2 is something I was recently reminded of and that is when a marketing program is working well… keep doing it. I for one, will start something, see it through to a certain point and when I get bored with it will stop doing it. Our customers and clients EXPECT us to keep our name in front of them. When we don’t, they often forget about us and go elsewhere.
When times are tough I tend to get more involved locally to reaquaint others with my products and services. I give away samples and I offer incentives (not discounts per se). In February we created the Daisy Dollars program to reward customers who refer others to us. So far, we have invested about 3 hours coming up with and promoting the program and have seen at least a 10% increase in referrals since it’s implementation. And, we have sent the “Daisy Dollars™” to the referring parties and only one out of about 20 have redeemed them so far ($50 worth).
Note: Did you know that only about 5% of all discount offers, gift certificates ever get redeemed? I’m not sure that is good, because that may mean they are not coming back to you ~ so my next suggestion would be that if you keep track of who you send them to, then make it a part of your program to remind your clients of their incentive and ask them if they would like to redeem them? Since people forget they have them, they appreciate the reminder and you see an increase in business ~ and more importantly Referrals!
Q2. How do you pick and choose your marketing and networking commitments when time and energy are tight?
I choose those that have worked in the past as well as find fun new programs to showcase our products (see above answer). When time and energy are tight, it is just as important to market as not. If you are busy because of all your marketing efforts never think that it will last forever. Marketing is an ongoing effort. When times are good some people slack off on marketing and then wonder what happened when times get slow.
Q3. How do you know which activities are going to be best for you?
That is a tough question and the one marketers have asked since the beginning of time (or at least since there was something to be sold to someone who needed to buy…)
That’s why its so important to TEST the waters ~ if you are doubtful of the success of a program, test it on a small basis and see if it workings. If not, it gives you a chance to either modify the direction or plan or to drop it for something else. Before I do anything new I always run it by my mastermind group, my staff, a couple of friends I think will be impartial as well as my husband whom I consider my VOR (voice of reason). Sometimes I am so excited about a new program, I don’t fully analyze the cost versus benefits (ROI). Of course if it’s a very simple campaign that has a small financial investment to get off the ground such as the Daisy Dollars™ Program, I just run it by my staff.
You will read about some of the other contributions over the next few days.
July 28th, 2008
“Cause-related marketing can help you stand out from the competition in a way that portrays your business as a compassionate, likeable and giving company to do business with.”
I am an avid reader of a very diverse collection of business, professional and lifestyle magazines. Among them is ”Successful Promotions Magazine” – a one of a kind promotional products magazine that helps distributors retain their top accounts and grow their business. Very close to my own mission which is to help your business grow and blossom into a thriving, positive enterprise.
One of my favorite marketing strategies is Cause-related Marketing. I find it both productive and rewarding both for my clients and for the organizations they support. In a recent issue of Successful Promotions the one article that really caught my eye was “NYSC Gives Grand Central a Spin.” It described a 24 hour Spin-a-thon called Saints and Spinners. The event was co-sponsored by NY Sports Club and Snapple.
During the event, 1,800 participants pedalled their stationary bikes to rais money for Health Corps, an organization dedicated to fighting teen obesity. They raised $250,000 for the cause which is not bad for a days work and the marketing perk is that the sponsors garnered likely more than a million dollars in media attention!
It got me thinking about what types of causes my clients (and my little marketing firm) could also align themselves with to co-produce an event in our own communities?
And that’s the first step. To find the right CAUSE. And most importantly one you are passionate about.
By choosing the right cause, for the right reasons at the right time, your business will gain visibility, increase sales, build loyalty and get positive media coverage. And when you choose a cause you are passionate about you will find rewards beyond the monetary kind, it will charge you emotionally and spiritually.
For more incentive and promotion ideas, go to Successful Promotions Magazine and subscribe.
July 25th, 2008
