Why My PURL Campaign Failed Miserably (or The 5 Keys To A Successful PURL Campaign)

It’s funny how we all have the similar desires to want to please our clients and yet when they truly don’t do the right thing, how we say to our colleagues and others how a struggle it is to work with clients who don’t listen and continue ignoring our good advice. Yet, often the good advice goes unheeded because we are not always willing to put ourselves on the line to not “Suggest” best practices, but rather tell them “Your gonna screw this up if you don’t listen to me…”

Ok, fair enough, I can’t recall when I used that exact expression to a client, but recently I was once again reminded that when you do show the passion of your convictions, a client might pause and take notice of your experience and may actually heed that advice to the betterment of their campaign.

I thought about it and put a process in place to help clients set the right expectations and how to ensure sucess when using this technology. If we break it down to 5 Key factors, we can ensure the PURL campaign has every opportunity to be successful.

First, let’s take a look from a high level. What do we want to get out of this campaign? You’d be amazed how often I ask that question and see that deer in the headlights look starting back at me. And I don’t mean the obvious “to get more clients” but the end goal.

To educate prospects on a service or product?

• To drive new customers to a website for a quick sale?
• To showcase a Video on your offerings?
• To reach out to current customers and learn from them about how they use our product and how we can better serve them?

Bottom line: if it is to use a PURL cause people like to see their name and that will get them to respond to our website, don’t waste their time…

Next, let’s look at the follow-up (as it is the most overlooked part of an interactive PURL campaign). Let’s say for grins, it is successful. Maybe a 15-20% response. Wow! One of the most appealing parts of this marketing technology is that it can be truly interactive. We can interact with the website and respond immediately to that person within moments of them connecting to that site. So…

Who will get those leads? and how? Email?

• Do the sales team have access to their email 24/7?
• What will be the workflow of the response?

Too often we have ran campaigns that failed because there was no foresight and the company simply didn’t follow-up on the leads they got. One we learned after a large project, the Marketing Dept never told the sales Reps across the country of the campaign so no one followed up on any of the 18% response they received… ouch…

Ok, we have the reason for the project and the plan for a successful follow-up. Nuts and Bolts time as we look at the 5 Keys to a Successful PURL Campaign:

1. Your Audience: Sounds obvious, but many times people forget how important the data is. Is it properly targeted? How will we communicate? Direct Mail Piece only, or is there an option of also reaching them via email for a multi media approach? Will they be touched once, or a few times over a period of time (this is greatly effective especially with email where the second and third touch can be very cost effective.

2. Piece or Email Design: Tough love for designers… The piece you developed may be beautifully laid out, the colors were so vibrant and enticing, the information so complete… but…  “Uhm, where’s the PURL?” Buried in the upper right corner like the return address… or lost in the design? Remember, design is very important, but so is the engagement. If it is the interaction of the recipient we are looking for. Let’s not clutter the message. One of the most effective and Successful campaigns I’ve seen was a simple postcard with a QR Code and a Purl on one side, and a line of text, “Are they Crazy? You gotta check this out!” Depending on our Goals, sometimes less can result with more.

3. PURL Site Layout: Imagine… I went to a purl website and hit a Landing Page that said Thanks Scott for visiting the landing  page. I then clicked to a Survey Page where I was asked to answer a few questions to better serve them. Next was my contact page. All of my contact info (which they must have had since they sent me a mailer??? And once through that I was led to a thank you page where I then was guided to a client side default website… Real World Gut Check: We are all real busy. If we’re lucky enough to people to actually login to your site, let’s keep the experience as easy as possible…

In general, we want to respect the valuable time of our visitors. Try a landing page that says thanks, can you answer these few questions, and confirm you Name, Phone, Email (these are usually the only pieces of info we need to reach out to them-Don’t ask for more info you already have). Then a thank you page with a follow-up Thanks you email. Instead of a 4 or 5 page site, we now have 2. Much more appealing from a visitor standpoint.

4. Interaction: We once worked with a client where they literally had 90 questions to ask about their product. They also only wanted 10 questions on a page. I offered them a deal. I said I would pay for a purl campaign where we ask one question. “Would you answer a 90 question survey about our company? If the Yes’s won, I’d comp the Survey. If the No’s won, they’d pay me a bonus for saving them a ton or programming money on a Purl that no one would interact with. Although we really want information from our clients, we also should respect their time. Keep the questions to around 5. That should be enough to let you know they’re are interested in you reaching out as a follow-up.

5. CALL TO ACTION: Can’t stress it enough. Think about it, we are selfish. We have much to do and little time to do it. If you want your audience to interact with you, make it worth their while. If you do, so will they. Whether it is a gift, sweepstakes, giveaway, there has to be a reason for your audience to engage. Think about what would make you respond, they might too. And remember, everyone will love your product or service, you just need to let them know about it.

Follow-up: I know I mentioned it before, but this is The Most Important Step.

That’s it. Really, not that difficult. A few simple steps will ensure you have the best opportunity to have a successful campaign.

 Last bit of advice, remember to have some fun with it if you can. If you have the right approach, that is to show your customers or prospects the value in your company, you can’t lose.

 Good Luck!

 Scott

Marketing in a Recession

No one needs to be reminded how bad the economy is or how it is affecting each and every one of us.  Instead lets’ just skip over all that and move on to how we can get through these tough times. 

During economic downturns one of the first cut backs many companies make is to pull their marketing budgets. Mistake #1. Studies from previous recessions have proven that businesses that continued to invest in marketing during the recessions saw a growth in their businesses, while companies that pulled their budgets experienced a decrease in sales.  It’s not time to pull your marketing budgets, it is time to get smarter about your marketing dollars and spend it to bring results.  Here are a few things to consider:

1. Stop thinking of marketing as expenditure rather look at it as an investment.  This will help you see the long term value of your marketing dollars.

2. Invest in solutions that allow you to measure your ROI. PURLs and other cross media tools make tracking results easier than ever.

3. Consumers don’t disappear during a recession, or stop spending completely, they grow more conservative. Take this opportunity to encourage brand switching to safer and cost-saving alternatives.

4. A recent study by the American Association of Advertising Agencies study documented a strong correlation between retaining marketing spend during a recession and increased market share.

5. The Strategic Planning Institute developed the PIMS (Profit Impact of Market Strategy), which compared hundreds of companies’ marketing spend during recessions to share and profit gains during recovery. They found that those that spent in recession did far better after the recession than those who significantly cut or eliminated marketing spending.

Next, companies who do continue to market will continue to do it the way they have always done.  Mistake #2.  In a recession three major changes occur: budgets, consumer behavior and the market.  Therefore in order to be successful companies must change their approach. For some that means changing their marketing message and brand strategy.  So instead of using a differentiation strategy, a low cost leadership strategy may be more effective in a down economy.  Brands like Wal-Mart have done an outstanding job maintaining their low cost leadership perceptions.  Even though Wal-Mart may not be the cheapest on every product, they have established that persona so people automatically think of them when trying to find the lowest prices.

Another way to deal with the changes in the economy is to relook at who your target market is and consider reevaluating it.  There may be some hidden potential in different, unexplored market segments.

Also it is important to rethink how we are communicating.  No longer is it cost effective to send a mass message to a large list of prospects.  It has been proven time and time again that a tailored, relevant message to a targeted group will result in much higher returns on investments.  With that being said it is imperative to know your customer.  Know them inside and out.  Know how the economy is affecting them.  Then create your marketing message around them.  Maybe revise your product line to better serve your customer.  Be flexible and continue to evaluate your customer’s needs.

In the coming months, years or however long it takes to recover from the recession consider this- if you stop marketing, how will customers/prospects find you?  Why should they have to try?  Instead continue marking in order to stay at the top of their pile so that your name is the first to pop in their heads when they think about the type of products or services you offer.

Why Print? Top 10 Reasons to Include Print in your Marketing Mix

With various electronic communication tools at our finger tips, print is often taken for granted.  Despite it still being the most effective communication invented thus far, it seems print still needs to justify itself. This is possibly because print has been the number one communication medium in the world for so long we tend to over look its impact and power.  This oversight could be detrimental to your marketing campaign.

People trust print.  They seek it out and feel comfortable using it.  Print does not have to be the only medium you use, but should definitely be considered when you want to persuade, inform, or entertain your audience.  Here, in no particular order we present our top 10 reasons to include Print in your Marketing Mix.

1.      Print Generates Higher ROI.  According to studies conducted by the Direct Marketing Association and the Wharton Economic Forecasting Associates, advertisers spend an average of $167 per person on direct mail marketing and sell $2,095 worth of goods per person. That is a whopping ROI of 13 to 1. People are comfortable with print and gravitate towards it.   Additionally, a RIT study found that 67% of respondents liked receiving printed mail about products from companies with whom they do business.  Give your customers what they want…print.

2.       Print is Credible.   Being able to physically hold a printed piece in your hand creates a sense of importance and credibility that electronic media lacks.  Anyone, from anywhere, can create an email but it takes time, money and effort to produce a printed mailing.

3.       Print is User-Friendly. You do not have to get out a manual or ask anyone for help to use a postcard.  You will never get an error message or have to buy any devices to read a brochure.  If you can read, you can use print.  With all the technology in our lives the last thing we need is to work in order to receive a marketer’s message.

4.       Print is Permanent.  Emails get deleted, radios go fuzzy, computers fail and screens fade to black, but print is for keeps.  It endures where technology fails, and when electronic content dies, your marketing message disappears with it.  However, print is in for the long haul and is often even passed around, getting you message to even more recipients then you originally intended.

5.        Print is Portable.  No one needs a special device or platform to use print.  Print can go anywhere.  The possibilities are endless with cars, trains, and automobiles but what is important is that print is ready to be consumed anytime and any place.  There are no compatibility issues, batteries to remember and you can fold it, stuff it, clip it and then just pull it out whenever you are ready.  Print is the ultimate “grab and go.”

6.       Print Respects Privacy.  Print never wakes a sleeping baby or interrupts a meal.  It allows you to engage when it is convenient for you.  It will also let you respond to the marketer about when a good time to call would be.  It puts the consumer in control. The marketer is perceived as considerate, rather than intrusive.

7.       Print is Personal.  Customized personal communications gives you the power to give your customer what they are looking for.  You no longer have to have a mass message going to your entire audience.  You can target your message on an individual level making it more relevant and thus making your customers more likely to respond.  So maybe you want to thank them for a recent purchase or show a picture about a particular product/service they expressed interest in.  Print can do all that and much more making it an outstanding tool for building relationships.

8.       Print is Pretty. The beauty of print has always been there but with the advances in technology, now more then ever, print has become an art.  The graphic art industry is always pushing the limits and finding new ways to make print even more striking.  The use of different papers and substrates has also done a lot for the attractiveness of print, making readers want to touch and feel your message.  Electronic media just cannot compare to the way print enhances your messages with a tangible dimension.

9.       Print gets Delivered. When you send an email you have no idea if the intended recipient actually ever received it.  In fact, studies have shown that less than one-fourth of even requested email marketing ever gets delivered.  Until now, mail campaigns also lacked the ability to be tracked; however the U.S. Postal Service has developed the Intelligent Mail barcode which allows you to track your mail through the postal stream.  Now you are able to see the distribution of your mail and when it is delivered.

10.   Print Drives Other Media.  Sure, the internet has its place in the marketing world, but how do you drive your prospects to it.  Personalized URL (PURL) technology is an example of how well print plays with other medias to create effective multi-channel marketing campaigns.  PURL campaigns often use a printed direct mail piece to draw prospects to a personalized website.  Once at the website, your prospects can use the power of the web to interact with you, giving you more information about their needs.  Armed with this additional information you can follow up with a printed offer customized to their expressed needs.

What does 4/0, 4/1 and 4/4 mean?

 

DataMart Direct is often asked, what does 4 over 4 mean?  How about 4 over 1?  So we have created this document to help answer what 4/0, 4/1, and 4/4 means to the printing industry.

  

 What does 4 over 4 mean?

  

 

If you have more questions you would liked answered please feel free to contact us at 630-307-7100 or at  jfabbri@datamartdirect.com.