The Pathway to Success: Your Most Effective Marketing Strategies for 2012

Direct mailer advertisers should hit the ground running in 2012 with a defined marketing strategy to engage customers and increase revenue. Now more than ever, it is important to set goals and targets and learn from past successes and mistakes to increase your market share. We face stiff competition from our competitors and any edge we can gain should be used to our full advantage.

See if you are poised for success in 2012 by reviewing these top strategies.

Appearances Count

The look and feel of an ad can inspire a range of emotions from your targeted audience.  Carefully review your mailers to see if you are using outdated language, poor graphics, and stale tactics to engage your audience.

Think like a consumer and review your mailer with a jaundice eye. Toss it on the table and see if it catches your attention. If it does not catch your eye, it will not catch your audiences’ eye. Revise, Revise, Revise.

Take all the Available Space

Now that you have reviewed your mailer and streamlined it with fresh and engaging graphics and content, see if you are using both sides of your mailer. If you are only using the front of the mailer, the back can be used by another company. Why not use this space to give directions to your location, your contact information, or even insert a customer coupon.

We are in This Together

Look for ways to tie your business or services in with an event or holiday this year. This can be Valentine’s Day, Christmas, the Super Bowl, or any other holiday as well as a sporting event or happening where you can make a lasting connection to a customer.

If you sell food, add special coupons for Super Bowl Sunday.  Merchandise companies can easily tie-in to Valentine’s Day and Christmas. You get the idea. People shop and spend money on these days, so if you can associate your business to these events, then you can increase your revenue.

Study the Competition

Review the competitions’ ads and see what they are offering in terms of sales and coupons. If you have the opportunity to talk to them at Chamber of Commerce meetings or other business gatherings, discuss with them the different benefits they have seen from either their sales ads or coupons. Find out which one has driven the most sales and plan your strategy accordingly.

The First Step toward Success in 2012

Advanced Mailing Services is ready to assist you in reaching all your goals for 2012. Please feel free to contact us today and begin implementing your own strategies for a successful 2012.

Pitney Bowes’ Top Tips for Trends in e-Billing for 2012

Our partnership with Pitney Bowes gives us the ability to offer our customers an unmatched source of convenience and flexibility in handling their financial affairs. Pitney Bowes offers these great tips on trends to watch for in 2012. 

Mobile Growth

The growth of mobile only increases the mobile network emergence as an important leader in billing. Pitney Bowes predicts 3G Internet and the small screen will emerge a leading player in customer care.  

On a Cloud

We will see the continued growth of cloud computing as consumers move increasingly into this area for storage. One by-product of this growth will be the growing concerns of customer privacy. New laws are being written within the United States and Europe to address this area of concern. However, efforts have failed for a full-scale conversion and Pitney Bowes predicts the United States, Europe, and India will be the leaders in continuing the conversation to address this important issue.

Internet Analytics and e-Billing

Internet analytics and customer billing intelligence will cause the emergence of a behavioral-driven experience that is predicated on customer usage. 

There is a new kid on the block, and his name is e-bill. We have seen and will continue to see an increase in usage of e-billing among the 20-year-old to 30-year-old demographic of consumers. They are savvy and comfortable with the internet and appreciate the convenience of organized finances, up-to-the-minute account information, and bill due date reminders. In addition, the green aspects of e-billing are very appealing and will continue to make an impact on consumers.  

Pitney Bowes references a report by J.D. Power and Associates which shows 30 percent of incoming calling to companies are questions related to billing. In an effort to reduce labor costs companies will continue to embrace paperless statements as a way to clarify billing and reduce call-center resource costs.   

Companies will continue to focus on ways to reduce their overall operating costs and e-billing will be on the forefront of ways a business can reduce their labor expenses. Increasing their e-payments, e-billing, and other online services, companies can hope to streamline their operations and reduce their costs. E-billing is an affordable option for both companies and consumers.

Benefits of e-Billing

There are numerous benefits that come from migrating to e-billing. Consumers and businesses alike can enjoy the convenience of online statements, easy bill pay, and late payment reminders. Advanced Mailing Services is more than happy to help put you in the driver’s seat. Give us a call today to see how easy it is to get started!

         

Strike While the Iron is Hot: Direct Mail Trends for 2012

Businesses searching to ramp up their direct mailings this year should research the current trends and see how they can apply these techniques to increase their market share. A number of trends appear to be hot for 2012. 

In an article online at DMCNY, they expanded on what they saw in terms of direct mail trends and offered a few valuable tips for increasing your direct mail campaign. They focused on a set of trends that consumers are embracing and identified ways to expand your direct mail offers to increase your market share.

Getting the Timing Right: Offering the Right Balance of Special Offers and Discounts:

• Today’s consumer is focused on receiving the best value for their dollar. To be competitive, businesses must offer well-designed and intriguing direct mailers that offer interesting special offers and discounts. They drive home the point that you need to specifically target your audience and offer them deals that appeal to their lifestyle.    
• According to DMCNY, the use of demographic tools can focus your direct mail campaign and increase your market share through specific tailoring. This ties directly into specific market targeting. If you have a detailed set of demographics, you can better tailor your mailers and offer your customer what they want.    

Losing the Typecast: There is No Average American

Deliver Magazine expands on the demographic angle and offers these and more tips to increase your direct mail campaign.

• Our society continues to evolve, and we must use the tools of the U.S. Census Bureau to accurately identify our target audience to succeed
• According to Deliver Magazine, married couples in the United States are, for the first-time ever in American history, a minority of the U.S. households.
• Single people living alone now make up over 27 percent of households within the U.S.

Statics such as these can shape your business campaign and alter your marketing plan to cater to a new set of clients. Use these tools to their fullest to receive the best value from your direct mail campaign.

Language Barriers

The most effective and creatively written direct mail campaign can be lost if there is a breakdown in communication. Barriers in language can hamper your goals and make generating revenue impossible. Target your specific audience and identify potential areas of conflict to avoid lose of revenue.

The Keys to the Kingdom

The potential for a successful direct mail campaign are within your reach. You have all the tools necessary to succeed and expand your business. Create a savvy direct mail campaign based on demographics and offer the right blend of discounts and specials. Advanced Mailing Services gives you the keys to the kingdom by offering you a first-rate company and services.  

Fly Like an Eagle: Mail Presort Services

The growing cost of mailing products makes it imperative to be on the lookout for services that reduce your overall cost. Rates for mailing direct marketing materials, invoices, and account statements are on the rise and companies are increasingly turning to a presort service provider to find solutions. A presort mail service provider can dramatically reduce the overall cost of mail.  

There are strategies available to businesses that will reduce costs and save time in mailing material. The time is now to address the issue of rising mail costs and find a practical solution that fits your needs.    

The Right Choice

The United States Postal Service (USPS) reports that, by presorting your mail and reducing labor costs, businesses can save money by lowering their lower postal rates. Simply by grouping mail within zip codes can dramatically reduce the overall cost of mailing material. The post office states this is one way they pass on savings on commercial postage rates to businesses.

Increase your revenues through a strategy that integrates efficiency and time savings to realize a better solution. You are able to save money with these types of mailings:   

• Statements
• Contracts
• Invoices
• Bills
• Catalogs
• Company Prospectuses
• Annual Reports

Each of these categories of mail can benefit from presorting and are available to receive discounted rates. The USPS requires a minimum of 200 pieces for Standard Mail® and a 500- piece minimum for First-Class mail. For some businesses, they do not generate enough mail volume to qualify, but with a presorted mailing service, we are able to combine mailers and pass these savings on to you. The benefit is substantial. There is a significant discount by presorting and these savings will continually add up month after month.    

Time Savings

Another advantage of using a presorted mailing service is their ability to bypass the USPS sorting process and save time by eliminating this step. Your mailings move directly onto USPS trucks and head straight to their destination without the wait time necessary to process it. Your statements and invoices as well as catalogs and brochures can be in your customers’ hands quicker.  

We are Here to Serve You    

The advantages of using a presorted mailer service are two-fold. You save money by combining mailers with other postal customers and save time by bypassing the USPS sorting process. 

Here, at Advanced Mailing Services, we are ready to assist you in addressing your mail processing goals. Our staff will be happy to review your mailing goals and give you in-depth information on rates.   

Have it Your Way: The Advantages of Direct Mail Advertising

The growth and successful expansion of your business depends on reaching your target audience and engaging them with informative and beneficial product and service information. Business name recognition and advertising go hand-in-hand. As the public becomes more aware of your goods and services, the more likely they will be to contact you and request additional information or stop in your store and purchase a product.

The main point is to spread the word and make contact and one of the most effective ways to engage and connect is through direct mail advertising. The statistics for a successful direct mail advertising campaign spells out how a flourishing campaign can drive your sales and increase revenue. 

An online article on Microsoft Business by Steve Strauss says direct mail advertising can be a very effective tool to reaching customers. Strauss offers these tips to increase the effectiveness of your campaign:

• Grab their attention.
• Find an effective customer base list.
• Create an innovative and eye-catching ad.
• Think about all the advantages of direct mail advertising.
• Remember that perseverance pays off and to plan your direct mail advertising campaign as a long-term investment.

Communication Counts

Your ability to effectively communicate with your customer base and offer sales information, outstanding coupons, and quality merchandise will increase your exposure and profile. A direct mail advertising campaign can be the key to reaching your target audience. Businesses can see a positive return on investment (ROI) with a savvy and well-planned approach to marketing.

We Have Confirmation

The United States Post Office (USPS) offers an innovative service to inform users of direct mail advertising about who is receiving as well as who is not receiving your mailers. This key service called OneCode Confirm® Service can facilitate your business decisions by providing you with vital stats on near real-time information on deliveries.  

According to the USPS, businesses will be able to better manage their supply chain and develop a targeted strategy to improve their future marketing campaigns. With near real-time data, businesses can alter their marketing campaigns to reflect current conditions.  

The Time is Now for Change

The advantages of a successful direct mail advertising campaign can have a significant impact on increasing your company’s visibility and revenues. Planning and developing a savvy campaign directed at your target audience can assist you in increasing sales and promoting your business. Advanced Mailing Services offers answers to your most challenging business problems by offering an array of services designed with you in mind.    

What is Mail Address Hygiene and Why Does it Matter?

While you might usually equate hygiene with a person, the term has application across many industries, including a way to ensure that the right mail gets to the right place. This has become increasing important as the cost of using the United States Postal Service is making using the mail system for marketing and advertising a larger expense. Therefore, you want to make sure your mail gets in front of your target audience.

What is a Dirty Address?

A dirty address is a bad address and it must be scrubbed from your direct mail list as it means wasted printing, paper, labor, and postage fees that cut into your bottom line. Also, it could also mean the cost of a relationship because if the mail doesn’t reach your existing customer because you are sending correspondence to an old address, that customer will think you are no longer interested in them due to a lack of communication.

Stats on Changing Addresses

In a 2009 white paper, Melissa Data noted some of the most important statistics you need to know about changing addresses and the cost of not using a mail hygiene strategy:

• 43 million Americans move each year. 
• More than 17 percent of Americans change their residence annually and nearly 20 percent of all businesses change locations. 
• Industry experts estimate that address databases become dirty at a rate of 15 percent each year because of personal and business moves.

The white paper used an example of the true costs of having a dirty mail database:

In 2009, a First-Class™ mail piece cost $0.33 at the 5-digit presort rate category. If you mailed 25,000 pieces and 7,000 are undeliverable as addressed, then you just flushed $2,310 in postage down the toilet. The cost is even greater if you factor in the cost to create and print each of those 7,000 undeliverable pieces. Say, it cost $1.10 to design and print each one. That is an additional cost of $5,500 in marketing costs, which means you have wasted approximately $7,810.

Scrub a Dub Dub Time
Now that you know why it is important to have clean address databases, it’s time to learn the best strategies for mail hygiene:

• Address hygiene software can analyze customer-supplied mailing lists and change-of-address processing through NCOALink, which is the National Change of Address system, to improve address accuracy and mail deliverability. This provides current and accurate delivery point-coded addresses for all types of moves to increase your ability to get the right mail into the right hands.
•  Data consolidation and standardization includes validation and correction of street, city, and state data; standardization of street prefix, suffix, and secondary address data components; enhanced and corrected ZIP+4^® Codes; the addition of United States Postal Service^® Carrier Route Codes, United States Postal Service^® Line-of-Travel, and Delivery Point Bar Code data; and identification of  undeliverable and non-forwardable addresses.
• Suppression processes help to decrease the cost of inefficient customer prospecting by removing those addresses that may be listed on the Do Not Mail or Deceased Suppression lists. 

Practical and Resource-Saving Solutions
Reducing undeliverable mail can be easy thanks to partnering with companies like Advanced Mailing Services. Find out how we can help you take care of address validation and change-of-address processing, which will save both resources and your customer relationships.   

Welcome To Advanced Mailing Services New Blog

Advanced Mailing Services

Albuquerque, New Mexico

(505) 899-3104

Welcome to our new blog! Advanced Mailing Services is Albuquerque's premier mailing services provider. We are also an authorized "Volly™  Service Reseller" through Pitney Bowes Company. Thank you for visiting our new blog. We look forward to providing you with more information about Advanced Mailing Services. The "Volly™ Service" is a new service offering from Pitney Bowes and is expected to be deployed during first quarter of 2012.