Tailoring Your Marketing Materials to Your Target Client

When you market your business, there are a number of goals you are trying to accomplish: building name recognition, branding, acquiring more customers, and developing goodwill.  However, in order to be successful in these endeavors, you need to think about your customers before you prepare your marketing materials.

Know Your Client or Customer

Who is your client or customer?  Are they conservative, wealthy, and classy?  Or do you cater to people who are outgoing with a sense of humor?  Your customer will dictate the theme for your marketing materials.  You wouldn’t want to turn away the discerning customer with fluffy and cheesy brochures.  Rather, choose colors and wording that appeal to their sense of class and style.

Printed Literature

What do you want to say to your customers?  How do you sell your business to them?  As in the example above, your target customer will dictate the color, tone and theme of your literature.  The size of your printed marketing materials may be determined by your customer.  If you sell complicated services, a booklet may be a better choice than a one-page brochure.  Always make sure your printed marketing materials are tailored to your customer base.

Promotional Gifts

A great way to brand and promote your business name is by giving promotional gifts as marketing materials.  Pens, coffee cups, T-shirts, all these and other ideas make great promotional gifts.  However, consider to whom you give them.  A colorful rainbow pen may be great to promote a kids play arena, but not for a serious attorney.  The attorney may consider, however, giving an executive desk accessory to clients, or an environmental firm may design and give away eco-friendly items, such as recycled paper notepads or recycled plastic travel mugs.

Do Not Offend

When you design your marketing materials for your target customer, be sure to avoid anything that could offend them.  For instance, even 30 years ago, most businesses could get away with giving away matchbooks with their name and logo.  However, in the 21^st century, smoking has become quite taboo for a majority of Americans.  Be sure to think twice about marketing materials with controversial subjects.

Promotional and marketing materials are important for businesses to get name recognition and advertising.  However, don’t let your personal tastes and ideas get in the way of designing marketing materials targeted specifically for your customers.

3 Places to Distribute Your Marketing Materials

Your marketing budget should go to good use.  When you purchase marketing materials for distribution to potential customers, you don’t want them sitting in a closet in the supply room.  Where are good places to distribute your marketing materials to target clients and customers?

Conventions – Conventions are the best places to find targeted customers for your marketing materials.  Since conventions are themed by specific industry, holiday, or event, you can find a plethora of potential customers to give your marketing materials.  Even if you’re a local business in a larger city, conventions occur almost on a weekly basis.

Say you run a wedding photography business.  You should rent a booth at every wedding themed convention in your city to get your marketing materials and brand in the hands of potential buyers.  By offering discounts to convention attendees, you can also increase your business.

Bring your marketing materials to national conventions as well.  If your company has a national marketing strategy, you should research all conventions that pertain to your industry and budget to get your brand in the hands of more customers.  National conventions usually occur in larger cities, so use the time wisely there to distribute marketing materials to other researched businesses and customers.

Fairs & Festivals – Every summer produces county and state fairs in every state.  And year-round, you may find other popular festivals where larges masses congregate.  These are great places for branding your business and getting marketing materials to people.  Sponsor an exhibit at the county fair and make sure you have plenty of marketing materials handy for passers-by, and remember that people love free stuff at festivals.  Make sure you talk to organizers to get a table set up with your brand name to give everyone.

Cross-Promote – Through simple joint ventures with other businesses, you can get marketing materials to a wider and newer set of customers.  Find a business that complements yours.  Set up a way for you to cross-promote each other’s business by having free marketing materials for customers, and by giving special discounts for their customers to visit you (and vice versa).

Finding ways to distribute your marketing materials is easy.  All it takes is a little creativity and ingenuity to find the right places with the right number of customers.  Get your brand out there and you will soon find that new customers will take notice.

Five Ways to Spruce Up Your Direct Mail Materials

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BIG CLOSEOUT SALE THIS TUESDAY!

Dear Mr. Smith: Are You Paying Too Much For Your Mortgage?

How many times have you received a piece of direct mail worded like the ones above? Furthermore, how many times have you thrown away a piece of direct mail like this?

Direct mail (often called “junk mail”) infiltrates our mailboxes on a daily basis. When done wrong, direct mail is nothing more than an eco-disaster (i.e. a massive waste of paper and trees). When done correctly, however, direct mail can positively affect your profits in ways you have never dreamed of. Here are five ways to spruce up your direct mail materials:

• Color, Color, Color! – A lot of direct mail materials are in boring black and white – often just simple letters written on a plain sheet of 8×11″ paper. Want to spruce up your direct mail materials? Use color – not just color, but high-gloss and vibrant color. Colorful materials that are printed professionally are far more valued than boring old black and while letters.
• Magnets and Specialty Items – Including magnets and specialty items with your direct mail materials can do wonders for your profits. People love these little “gifts.”
• Include Local References – If possible, include local expressions and references. Creating geographic-specific direct mail materials can be highly beneficial, as this works to personalize your brand to the consumer.
• Include Sports Schedules – Include a professionally printed sporting schedule (i.e. the times and locations of a local sporting team’s games) with your logo on it. Sports fans hang onto these; in turn, they hang onto your logo and image.
• Professional Copy – Use professionally written copy (as in, text) for your direct mail materials. Grammatical errors and poorly written paragraphs make your brand look unreliable and inferior. When your text appears professional, your business appears all the more professional.

Direct mail can be a tricky game; after all, it is quite easy to fall into the “junk mail” trap. Quality, well-written, and colorful materials are the key in making sure that your direct mail is thoroughly read.

How to Personalize a Direct Mail Letter – To Someone You Have Never Met

Plenty of businesses rely on direct mail as a form of effective marketing. Although many may consider this strategy to be “junk mail,” it can actually be quite profitable: After all, when was the last time you threw away a buy-one-get-one voucher for your favorite local eatery?

However, if you run a business that is more service-oriented than goods-oriented, coupons may not be an option.  Those who provide services like legal aid or home repair should shy away from “Free Consultation” or “Free Estimate” vouchers. Customers are inundated with them to the point that they have become pretty much irrelevant.

These professionals need an excellently written letter to render their direct mail effective. Here are some tips on how to write a personalized letter to a person whom you have never met:

• Speak Like a Human – This may sound silly: you are a human, aren’t you? Truth be told, many marketing letters sound more like they were written by a computer than a real live human being. Personalized and sincere language goes a long way when it comes to direct mail letters.
• Consider Hiring a Writer – Consider hiring a writer for your direct mail letters, preferably someone who has experience writing for businesses like yours. People with experience in technical and copywriting have a full understanding of consumer psychology when it comes to penning letters that actually work. The point here is not simply to make your business better known – rather, the point is to successfully garner sales.
• Include a Magnet or Small Calendar – Including merchandise like a magnet or small calendar with your company’s logo and information on it can work wonders. These desktop tools are items that potential customers actually use for a year or more. Think of it this way: when your direct mail reaches a customer, they may not be in a position to purchase your product. However, in a month or so when they need your product, they will be quite inclined to select your company, since they have been staring at your logo for the past few weeks!

Direct mail marketing works – as long as you know how to tap into the personalized psychology of your target clients.

Lies vs. Euphemisms: Where to Draw the Line

In marketing, there is often a fine line between euphemisms and lies. It can be quite tempting to embellish when crafting your promotional materials, especially when the competition may seem to have an edge.

However, blatantly lying on your marketing materials can have strong consequences. Not only can it result in a backlash against your brand, but it also can actually have legal ramifications. To avoid accidentally lying on your promotional materials, here are some tips and techniques to keep in mind:

• The Truth, Only Prettier – Do as your mother said and always tell the truth. However, there is a huge difference between telling a blatant lie and telling a “pretty truth.” For example, if you own a paint shop and are advertising a special on discounted expired cans of paint, it would be a bad idea to promote the product as new or fresh. However, if you believe that the expired paint is still to completely useable, you can emphasize that fact in your promotional materials. That would be a “pretty truth.”
• Don’t Fake Customer Testimonials – If you are planning on running testimonials to promote your business, that’s fine. However, insincere customer testimonials performed by actors are usually regarded as false advertising. Err on the side of caution and pursue your customers for genuine testimonials. Many will love their fifteen minutes of fame.
• Consider Legalities – Remember that false advertising is a huge deal. People have and still do sue businesses that advertise falsely, and it can also get you into hot water with the Better Business Bureau. You should be extremely cautious of any statement that could be considered untrue. When in doubt, always omit any phrase or sentence that you think could later lead to trouble.

We know that marketing can be an extremely competitive sport. However, with the right materials and well-crafted ad copy, you are sure to stand out from the crowd. Just remember: Never ever fabricate any information about your business. The results are too dangerous to ever make it worthwhile.

Creative Ways to Distribute your Marketing Materials

Any small business owner knows that assembling your marketing materials is only half of the battle when it comes to advertising and promoting your company. If you have invested time and care in creating custom promotional materials such as flyers, then you should take an equal amount of time distributing them in a way that is effective and suits your business. However, with so many options available, you may not be clear on which methods of marketing are right for you.

Here are some tips on where and how to distribute your marketing materials.

• Festivals and Fairs – The traditional method of distributing your promotional materials at festivals and fair allows you to attract many customers. The benefit of handing out flyers at a festival or fair is that you know your audience will be in a good mood, causing them to have positive associations with your company. In contrast, when you distribute flyers to people’s homes, there is always a good chance that you will be catching them when they are in a cranky or negative mood.
• A Face to the Brand – Simply “papering” a neighborhood (i.e. littering people’s cars and homes with flyers or brochures) is a horrendous way to pass out your marketing materials. First, people find it to be a huge nuisance. Second, you are not very likely to capture a captive audience that way. If you are planning on handing out your promotional materials, it is best to hand them directly to people, rather than placing them on cars. Furthermore, it is good to have someone who is friendly, upbeat, and cheerful hand out your flyers. This causes potential customers to associate a cheerful face with your brand.
• Include a Coupon – Disguise your promotional flyer as a coupon. If your flyers do not have any discounts printed on them, you can staple a coupon to the corner. When you are passing out the flyers, it is more likely that people will hold onto the flyer when they believe it provides them with a valuable discount or coupon.

Marketing materials like flyers and brochures are solid investments for your small business. Make sure they provide your business with the right return by planning an intelligent distribution strategy.

Using Copy to Turn Your Promotional Materials into Must-Reads

Promotional materials can be a phenomenal way to promote your business and help improve your company’s local reputation.

However, promotional materials can be a disaster when written incorrectly. Let us look at a sample of poorly written promotional materials to get a better idea of what not to do:

Hello! Thinking about selling your home? I am Kathy Smith and I have 20 years experience selling houses and condos and comercial properties in the Shore Hills neighborhood! I am experienced in getting you youre money fast! Call me at 555-555-5555. I want to sell your home today!!!

Obviously, this is a humorous exaggeration of a poorly written, misspelled promotional flyer. However, it is not all that far off the mark. Plenty of small business owners aren’t Pulitzer quality writers. There is nothing wrong with not being a literary genius; no one ever said that you had to be a grammar whiz to start your own business!

Nonetheless, in putting your best foot forward, it is important that the copy on your promotional materials do your marketing investment justice. You want to enlist the best writer on your staff to help with the copy, and proofreading again and again is essential.  Bringing a professional writer on board can do wonders for your promotional materials. Don’t worry about having to break the bank either. Consider hiring an English or journalism major from the nearby university to write the content for your next promotional effort. Plenty of them will work for a smaller fee, and they will be eager to take on the job to boost their resumes.

Here are some important buzzwords to remember when it comes to assembling excellently written promotional materials:

• Branding: Branding is an advertising term, used to describe the process of creating a recognizable image through consistent themes and tones in advertising materials. Try to utilize the same writers and designers for all of your promotional materials. A recognizable theme allows customers to more readily remember your company’s name.
• Copy: Copy is simply a word that refers to the actual text of your promotional or marketing materials. These are the catchphrases that will describe the essence of your company and compel your potential customers to respond to the call of action.
• Synergy: Synergy is when multiple products are advertised under one campaign. This doesn’t necessarily refer to collaborating with other companies; a good example of synergy would be if a construction company advertised both their roofing and siding services on one flyer. When done well, synergy allows you to effectively promote multiple services or products under the same block of copy, which ultimately helps you to save money.

If you can get these buzzwords down and utilize them to your advantage, your promotional materials will be the talk of the town in your neighborhood.

How to Create Marketing Materials That Can Last Forever

You certainly hope that your small business or company will last as long as you will. However, creating a successful business that can withstand the test of time can be a real challenge. It is hard to maintain a great reputation and a reliable brand name for decade after decade. However, if your business is your passion, then we understand how crucial this indeed is.

One secret of successful small businesses is that they are consistently effective in their marketing efforts. One even bigger secret of successful small businesses is that their advertising strategy remains the same year after year. This is because they made sure to get it correct the first time. A good company doesn’t publicly flip-flop around different ad campaigns. This is not effective at establishing your business as a memorable brand.

How do you create marketing materials that can withstand the test of time? Here are some tips:

• Perfected Copy – The text on your initial marketing materials should be so flawless and timeless that it does not require any updating or revamping down the road. Excellent ad copy is not time specific, but rather conveys the fact that your company consistently provides quality services or products.
• A Memorable Logo – Wonder why companies like Coca-Cola or Apple have not changed their logo over the years? It’s because they simply don’t need to – they got it right the first time. A memorable logo should be able to carry your company for hundreds of years, not just ten or fifteen.
• Slogans and Themes – Ensure that your brand is memorable by maintaining consistent slogans and themes. Your brand’s identity should not change with the seasons. Your promotions, specials, or discounts may indeed change on a monthly basis, but the overall manner in how you present them to the public should remain constant.

Remember, companies that stand up to the test of time do so because they are able to consistently keep customers coming back for more. Moreover, they create a recognizable brand image that the public associates with happy feelings and emotions. Never simply throw your marketing materials together. Take time to ensure that they are of the utmost quality, just like your company.

Making Your Promotional Materials Stand Out

It doesn’t take a genius to put together a set of marketing materials. However, it does take a genius to create a campaign that is so memorable and breathtaking that it not only interests customers, but captivates them.

Anyone can start a business, but it takes a great mind to truly become a brand. Companies like Apple and Coca-Cola didn’t simply dream up their billion dollar marketing strategies passively; rather, they truly analyzed the best and simplest way to convey their company’s overall message.

A successful marketing strategy is a tricky thing to dream up. However, if you’re savvy enough to attempt it, it can be the best asset you will ever provide your company. Here are some tips on how to make your promotional materials really stand out from the rest.

• So What? In any text that you create, there is always one big question surrounding it: so what? It is important to always keep this question in mind when putting together your promotional materials. You can make a thousand big, vast statements about why your company is superior to all others. But ultimately, the biggest question is why? Why is your business the best? What does it really provide? Anyone can think up a few cheesy ad slogans. It takes a special mind to come up with dialogue that not only promotes your company, but really captures the essence of why it is a great institution. Answer the “so what” question in your marketing materials, and you capture your customers’ attention.

• Flash is Great, But… Great logos, emblems, and designs are great. This is an absolute truth – advertising materials are worthless if they aren’t eye catching. However, be sure not to fall into the trap of compensating for a lack of rich and informative copy with flashy graphics. Make sure that there is worthwhile dialogue to back up your graphics.

• Capture Your Own Enthusiasm – Speak from the heart when it comes to crafting your marketing materials. You entered into your business for a reason, and use this passion to write your copy. Try jotting down some things that you love about the product you sell, and some reasons why you sell it. Afterwards, review the ideas you listed. You may see some great ideas to put in your marketing materials. You have the greatest passion of all for your product; try and capture your own enthusiasm and it will translate to the customer.

Above all else, have fun and be creative! Regardless of the industry, customers appreciate witty, honest, and fun messages.

3 Big Ideas for Marketing Materials in 2009

While New Year’s resolutions may seem like history, don’t fall behind in 2009. Here are the three bright ideas for marketing materials in the New Year.

• Deals and Steals – The economy is not likely to instantly improve just because the number on the calendar has changed. Deals and steals will be a huge concept for marketing in the first quarter of 2009. However, it is important to remember some key concepts when promoting your special deals and savings. Keep the language positive at all times. Avoid mentioning the sour economic climate because all it does is cause the customer to associate your product with something negative. Rather, promote your deals the same way you would have five years ago – simply because it is truly great to save money on a splendid product. This is the approach you should take, saying nothing more, nothing less.

• Go Digital – Technology booms louder and louder every day. Don’t fall behind in the digital era. Make sure that your business or brand has a memorable website, and be sure to include your URL in all marketing materials. But don’t just stop with links to a website. Try sending DVDs rather than flyers to promote your products in 2009. A well made short commercial or demonstrative video is a great advertising tool. This method can be more expensive, but the results will pay for themselves. Think about it: the customer will put the DVD into their player or computer, if for no other reason than for curiosity. Even if they don’t watch it start to finish, they still took the time to take it out of the sleeve and pop it into the player. That is three minutes of them focusing on your brand, versus twenty seconds skimming a flyer.

• Happiness – No matter how you spin it, regardless how depressing the recession is, the world is gradually changing. Our political and economic climate is slowly improving, and people long to be cheerful again. In mid 2009, the trends in marketing will be cheerful, happy, and upbeat. We have been dwelling in doom and gloom for far too long now. It is time to be content again, and your marketing materials should reflect this. Go for bright colors and positive messages, and remind your customers of how just plain fun your product is.

While the economy may not be growing by leaps and bounds, with the right marketing strategies, you can still maintain a healthy and growing bottom line.