Putting Your Message in the Hands of Your Audience: A Case for Direct Mail
by Ben Quinn
The goal of a marketing campaign is to sell your products or services. But is also should convey that your company shares the same core values as your customer. The most impactful companies gain customer trust by providing real value to a persons life. So when considering your communication tools, don’t forget he benefits that traditional mail brings to the table.
Nearly two-thirds of consumers told the United States Postal Service they “value the mail” they receive in their mailbox.* Even millennials site paper as more trustworthy than digital documents.** There are real benefits to the tried and true vehicle of a well-executed direct mail campaign, even in this digital age. When a consumer gets something tangible in the mail, you send a message that transcends an email viewed via smartphone or desktop.
First, before the the piece is even opened, the consumer assumes they likely agreed to receive it. Second, using direct mail also reflects the company has gone the extra mile to print, package, and send the message through the employees of the mail service, as opposed to hitting “send.” And last, the consumer can’t simply hit delete. They need physically dispose of the piece themselves. And oftentimes the piece lingers on the kitchen counter – allowing more time for consideration.
The 40/40/20 Rule.
The benefits of using direct mail are all real advantages. The execution, however, is what makes or breaks how effective your direct mail piece is at affecting your bottom line. There are many components to a good direct mail campaign. Ed Mayer, a marketing expert from the sixties, developed a rule called the “40/40/20 rule.” It states that the first forty percent of your efforts should determine your audience. The next forty percent should focus on your offer that incentivizes a consumer to action. The last twenty percent should focus on the creative details of your piece, such as format, design, copy and structural delivery.
This tried and true formula for using direct mail worked in the sixties. Like a good pair of blue jeans, it still injects value and style to your overall brand even today. In an era where mail is declining, there is real opportunity to tell your audience that you want their business enough to make the effort that a direct mail piece represents. Using direct mail goes beyond “hitting send.” It conveys that what you have to say is important enough to put it in ink and paper. So when considering your overall marketing campaign, consider using direct mail and show your audience that you value their business to send them something tangible.
*Carrier, Joyce. The Power of Direct Mail. USPS Deliver Magazine, vol. 7 issue 6. Dec. 2011
**Millennial Paper Usage and Attitudes, TRU presented at Paper2011 sponsored by the American Forest & Paper Assn. and the National Paper Trade Alliance, March 2011
Other credits to Sappi Fine Paper North America’s “Act Now” 2013
Continue ReadingB2B Monday Myth: Customer Service Isn’t Important for Brand Identity
by MGB2B
The Myth: Customer Service Has Nothing to Do with My B2B Brand Identity
The Truth: Building Brand Loyalty Requires Robust Support and Engagement
A brand is more than just a logo or a message on a company website. A brand is a combination of several different things, including the way a business interacts with its clients and how the clients feel about the product or service. If it’s been taking a back seat in your marketing strategy, it’s time to consider how customer service for B2B brand identity can help.
Customer service is not a just a department.
Many companies make the mistake of thinking that once a transaction is made, their job is done. But brand building doesn’t stop when the sale is complete. Following up with customers and maintaining a relationship with them is just as important. It ensures that your customers feel positively about your business, encourages them to come back, and even creates raving fans that will market your product for you. Positive brand perception requires authentic interactions that engage. Your marketing strategy should rely on customer service for B2B brand identity to accomplish it.
There are several different strategies for continuing to interact with your client base to earn their trust and build brand loyalty:
- Define yourself through action.Ultimately, the quality of your business is determined by your actions. Clearly identify your company’s purpose and customer support standards. This culture code should be carried out through every level of your company, from top to bottom. In today’s world, it’s not just about what your brand says — it’s about what you do.
Be transparent and available. This is your opportunity to show customers they can rely on you. Be reachable by phone, email, or social media when other companies aren’t. Contact information should be easily available, especially a call center number. This lets customers know there are real people behind your brand — an online FAQ page just isn’t sufficient. Further more, these interactions display what your company is about, and determines what customers say about your business. Own up to any mistakes, and make sure that every support call ends successfully. - Engage on social media. Most business are active online, so use this to your advantage. Engage in genuine conversation with your customers on social media. Personal messages and replies are most likely to increase brand loyalty and awareness. Online communities aren’t just for consumers — businesses also turn to the internet to ask questions, provide answers, and share knowledge about a product or service.
- Encourage feedback. Finally, every brand needs a system to track customer feedback. The most successful companies are often marked by their willingness to let customers speak out about their experiences — positive or negative. Making a customer feel acknowledged will build their trust and help you understand where you might not have met a their expectations.
Customer service is often looked at as something specific only to consumer brands. It’s also the task that many B2B companies dread handling. However, it’s just as important for B2B. Use it to your advantage and elevate the perception of your brand. Start to amp up your customer service for B2B brand identity, and companies will continue to bring their business to you time after time.
Continue ReadingB2B Monday Myth: B2B Web Design is All About Pretty Pictures
by MGB2B
The Myth: Web Design is All About Pretty Pictures
The Truth: B2B Web Design Needs to Properly Guide your Audience Throughout the Site
When it comes to B2B web design, the challenge has nothing to do with the pretty pictures and crazy font. Instead, it has everything to do with the process and functionality that guides your audience through the site.
User Experience
In order to do so, there needs to be a strong focus in user experience. A good user experience has to include accurate and relevant call-to-action buttons and website functionality – this is a non-negotiable. Website functionality isn’t about pretty pictures, like many may think. A clean and focused webpage format draws attention to the site and leads users to where you want them to go.
Also included in user experience is a strong message that is portrayed throughout the site. A lack of message (or an unfocused one) confuses your audience as to what your company does. A strong company message builds trust and lets users know what your company is all about. Your B2B web design must focus on strong messaging throughout the entire site in order to give your audience a sense of understanding – which will ultimately keeps them interested.
Call-to-Action
It is important to have the right call-to-action buttons throughout a site to drive people to a contact page and capture them as a lead. In order to drive people to a contact page, your B2B web design blueprint needs to include easy access to your lead generation form. Basically, if a user has to dig for a way to contact you, the website isn’t guiding your audience. And your user has to already have intent – and patience. A better user experience on your B2B page leads users to easy-to-find contact pages, which means higher conversion results.
The more CTA buttons you have, the better your results are likely to be. Repetition is key. Instead of just having one call-to-action button on the top of the website, it is beneficial to include them on the bottom of each page as well.
Lead Generation
Once your website is designed to accurately and effectively guide users through your site, more and more visitors are able to be converted into leads. After that, you can determine whether the call-to-action buttons helped to generate a lead. Then, you can see how they interact with your brand and determine whether the lead becomes “qualified”.
While pictures are eye catching, they do not create leads. If your B2B web design accurately guides your audience throughout your site with strong functionality and properly placed call-to-action buttons, there is a very strong chance that more users will interact and become interested in filling out a contact form to learn more.
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