What do Unsubscribes Mean?

In this digital world we live in, it is important to have the option to unsubscribe from different things online. This is why you should know what this means as well as how it will work. It will help you to improve your experience when using the Internet.

What Does Unsubscribe Actually Mean?

Essentially, the meaning of unsubscribing is opting out of information from someone. This could be a person on Facebook or a company that keeps sending you annoying junk mail. This is why if you find that you are seeing things that are frustrating or offensive, save yourself the time and annoyance and simply unsubscribe. You will no longer have to see the information which will make things easier on you.

How to Unsubscribe?

A common misconception people have with emails is that companies will continue to send them junk mail, even if they no longer want it. Companies are actually required to have an opt out feature where people can unsubscribe from future mailings. If you take the time to look at an email, you will see this feature somewhere. Often, you will have to look at the bottom of the email to find it in small print. Just click and follow the instructions.

When using sites, such as Facebook you will need to use their procedures for unsubscribing. Looking at the help feature on the website is a good way to find it. Otherwise, you can always contact support.

It is also important to note with this that the procedures for unsubscribing are different with each company. Some may take you off their list for future mailings immediately and others may take several days to do this. You will want to read the message that comes up after completing the unsubscribe so that you will know when the messages will stop showing up.

Tips to Effectively Track Survey Responses

Tracking of survey responses enables connecting single responses to a particular person or demographic type (in the case of anonymous surveys). It is useful to track the answers to specific questions in order to manage the customer service relationship. Data gathered from surveys helps to maintain customer satisfaction and increase sales through the use of reminder messages, discount programs and customer retention campaigns.

Here are some tips to effectively track survey responses:

Ask for email – even if the email address is never used for any email campaign, it is extremely valuable to use as a customer identifier
Add a unique id to each responder by having a special webpage for each one to use for the survey
Use custom tags which are part of the URL that the respondent uses to complete the survey – these may include such things as email, ID of customer, ID of company, and ID of department.
Ask demographic questions
Track response rate – low response rates invalidate the survey results
Track response time – the amount of time taken to fill out the survey
Track response date and time of day the survey is taken
Track responses in real-time
Create an Excel database – code all responses, for example: 1 for yes, 2 for no so that the entire results may be tabulated and easily seen as an overview
Filter results based on isolation of key factors to make them more useful for analysis – filters include such things as removal of specific questions, cross-analysis, one question response, date, demographic or other data

You Still Need Direct Mail

When you create a marketing campaign, you will need to make sure you have all the elements in place. As technology grows, many people think they can just stick with technology for marketing and forget about direct mail. While it is important to focus on technology, especially mobile technology, this does not mean that it is acceptable to forget about other forms of marketing. There are a few ways that direct mail can still be beneficial for your company.

Build Brand Recognition

When you use postcards, you are building brand recognition. Even if the person throws away the postcard, they still take the time to look at the advertisement that you have mailed. While this may be something they put out of their mind, it is still there. This is why repeat mailings are the best way to go.

Improve Sales to Your Campaign

The more you advertise, the better your results will be. Direct mail can be a great way to direct customers to where you want them to go. For instance, if you have a landing page where you want to capture their information, send them there with a link or QR code. This can help to improve the return on investment that you see. All your campaigns should work together so that they are cohesive.

The biggest thing to remember when using direct mail though is that you need to have the right format and layout. When you choose a company to handle this for you, they should be able to go over the right layout and format for your needs. This will help you to get just what you are looking for out of the direct mail marketing as well as your entire marketing campaign.

Marketing Campaigns: Your Recipe for Success

The goal of every marketing campaign is to be successful. In order to actually be as successful as you would like, there are a few factors that you will want to think about. This will help you to have the best results from your next marketing campaign.

Diversity- the Heart of the Marketing Campaign

No marketing campaign can be successful when there is only one method of advertising. You need to find different ways to reach out to your prospects. This could be in the form of landing pages, Facebook advertisements, direct mail and many other aspects. The more you do, the greater your audience will be.

Make Sure You Target Your Campaign

The worst thing you can do with a marketing campaign is make it too generic. While this may seem that it will make your product or service appealing to more people, it can actually be detrimental. Think about who your target market is. The more detailed you can make this, the easier it will be to not only create a targeted message but find the correct ways to reach them.

Continuity

You also want to make sure that all the different advertisements you are doing for your marketing campaign work together. It can throw off the consumer if seems like you have different calls to action. By creating something that is uniform throughout the entire campaign, you will find your return on investment is greater.

Know What Success Means to You

Before you can determine the success of your campaign, you need to know how you will measure this. It is different for each campaign. It could be capturing information for leads, it could be sales or it could even be increasing traffic to your website. This will allow you to properly gage the success.

Professionals are Your Friend

The best thing you can do if you want to get the most success is find a marketing professional to help you with the campaign. Make sure they are knowledgeable with your industry so you can get the best results.

Getting Referrals for a Small Business

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Getting referrals for your small business is one way of growing your company. In order to benefit from referrals, you need to build your customer base. This can be accomplished by providing excellent services and products.

Building solid business relationships is the foundational block of any small business. Any one of your current contacts can refer you to others. Rather than wait for them to volunteer, make an effort to ask for the referrals you need. The following offers more practical advice on how to build your referral network.

Developing Referral Building Habits

According to Ray Silverstein, President of PRO (President’s Resource Organization), it’s to your advantage to develop good referral-building habits. You can do this by revamping your thinking about asking and being more aggressive in your referral pursuit. Proactive referral habits include:

Integrating referrals into your initial agreements with new customers
Asking for referrals every time you receive a customer compliment on your services
Using client meetings as opportunities to ask for referrals
Setting weekly goals for getting referrals
Being specific in the type of referrals you ask for
Capitalizing on your networking opportunities to get referrals
Give and it shall be given

As your small business grows, you will come in contact with highly potential people whom you can refer to others. Giving referrals generously yourself when the opportunity arises will open doors for others to respond in kind. Be on the lookout for occasions to bring contacts or business associates together for mutual benefit and see how it reciprocates in your favor.

Another way of giving is to offer rewards to customers who provide referrals regularly such as special discounts, free services or products, etc. Don’t forget to thank every customer and referral for their time, trust and support. Showing genuine appreciation to your customers and treating them with care will win their confidence and trust as loyal clientele.

The Importance of Responsive Design

Most business owners are not aware of the positive impact responsive web design can have on their business. The way customers are searching for products and services is changing. Consumers want a response to their questions, and answers to their problems. Modern technology such as the internet provides consumers with quick responses in record time.

Mobile technology is perhaps one of the quickest and most effective ways for businesses and consumers to communicate. Consumers can respond to emails, job requests, and conference calls regardless of where they are.

What Does This Mean for Business

This means that more and more customers are using the Internet to find what they want. These customers range in the category of business people, students, professionals and everyday housewives. Very few people are confined to a desktop computer. This is the age of technology.

Businesses Need to Invest in the Future of Their Business

There is “Office on the Go” which is what many people are using to keep in touch with their jobs and to keep an eye on their competitors. Nearly every mobile device being introduced to the market today, offers some type of responsive web design software. Consumers are able to make purchases, pay bills, and schedule their next dental appointment, from their mobile devices.

Responsive web designs allow consumers the freedom to search the website, request assistance and ask questions. Open communication is the key for businesses that rely on customer responses. This means that customers can enter a website from any mobile device and use any screen size. Businesses that are not using responsive web designs are losing out on customers, sales and profits.

Why We Love Print (And You Should Too!)

We love print media and there is a reason that you should love it, too. When you are working on a marketing strategy for your business, print can help you to reach your entire target demographic, regardless of their age. You cannot rely solely on the Internet because print is how you are going to market to those who are right in front of your face.

Print provides security that someone is going to see your marketing message. You never have to worry about viruses or other malware preventing your message from reaching the intended audience. Once it is printed, it is available for the world to see – you just have to get it in front of the right people.

Printing is available using new technology that allows for higher quality images, larger formatting, full bleeds and real-life colors. This ensures that you are able to portray your company in the way that it needs to be so that people find out who you are and what you are all about.

We love print because it is diverse. You can choose small business cards to hand out to people when you see them, flyers for upcoming events, and banners to tell people where you are. It is a form of marketing that has always been around and will continue to thrive as long as there are face to face interactions taking place.

Print can be affordable and there is room for small and large businesses alike to partake in it. Small businesses generally focus on personalization while large businesses focus on bulk printing. Regardless of who you are, print media can help you achieve your marketing goals in one capacity or another. From catalogs to bulk mail to posters, it can all help you market your business.

Restaurant Acquisition Campaign – New Mover & Birthday Direct Mail

New Mover/Birthday Acquisition Campaign

 

A franchise restaurant group was looking to increase sales in two of their markets that were under-performing. They were looking to expand their customer base as well as respond to some changes in each of the markets. Pel Hughes worked with them to implement a direct marketing acquisition program. One of the main goals was to implement a strategy that took little management from the client, so it had to be extremely automated and efficient.

 

Working closely with our client and their agency, we developed an automated, targeted campaign to potential customers with a birthday or potential customers that just moved into a radius around the location.

 

RESULTS…

 

Total sales more than doubled the combined cost of the marketing and comp values. Because of this success the restaurant group is looking to expand this program into their other markets.

Vitter VDP

Intelligent Direct Mail Printing and Mailing Deliver the Right Message, to the Right Person,  at the Right Time

 

CHALLENGE:

Political campaign managers (like all marketing managers) have found that it is getting increasingly difficult to break through the traditional direct mail advertising clutter to make a favorable impression on their customer, prospect or voter. Generic messages cannot wield the emotional power that targeted messaging incites within a particular voter.

 

SOLUTION:

Targeted Message Direct Mail, delivered using digital production delivers the right message to the right voter at the right time. Voter segments are very diversified and will respond more favorably when their “hot button issue” is addressed; voters feel as if the candidate is talking directly to them to reinforce the message. Phone polls, field surveys, PURLS (Personal URL Response Web Pages) or any other two-way media can be employed to create a profile of an individual voter.

 

REAL WORLD EXAMPLE:

Senator David Vitter’s re-election campaign conducted phone polling to segment likely voters into five hot button issues: immigration, abortion, oil drilling, moratorium, healthcare, and out of control spending. Five unique messages with a unified ard and copy look were developed and five mail databases prepared and sent to Pel Hughes, who then created one job digitally printed and addressed to each voter with the segmented message that they wanted to see.

 

TARGETED MESSAGING FOR YOUR MARKETING CAMPAIGN:

Paul Stackpole

www.pelhughes.com

Direct 504.620.9610

Mobile 504.239.9336