How Direct Mail and Integrated Cross Media Still Play a Vital Role in Campaigns and Elections

In the ultra-competitive world of local, state and national elections, it remains vital that candidates effectively get their message to voters. This means getting to the all-important young voters that can swing elections, but it also means not alienating the base of middle-aged or older voters who got candidates there in the first place. In this age of social media, some make the mistake of overusing this medium and neglecting other areas such as direct mail. Not only is it important to continue using direct mail, it should be integrated with other types of media to be sure the message is reaching all potential voters.

Direct Mail and Millennials

According to Campaigns & Elections, young voters don’t get all of their information from social media, and in fact they do read and pay attention to direct mail from candidates. These young voters are actually more than twice as likely as voters in other age groups to read their political mail thoroughly. Almost 80 percent of young voters then discuss political mail with other people, and almost 70 percent then go on to research political candidates tied to mailings. Most important is what this group says themselves about direct mail, namely that they use it as a reminder to get out and vote, and that they consider it an important factor in elections at all levels. Given these numbers, it would be a mistake to think that social media is the only, or even the best way to reach millennials. 

Integrated Cross Media

Campaigns and candidates are quickly learning that in order to reach the most people possible, and deliver an effective message, is to get information across a combination of print, social, broadcast, online, and other types of media. According to InfoTrends, this approach leads to better brand awareness and consumer ownership. In the world of elections, this translates into potential voters not only getting to know candidates better, but making it easier for those voters to get on board with the candidate’s message. Leaving out any single component can weaken a campaign, while making sure all are strong across the board can help win elections.

 

https://www.campaignsandelections.com/campaign-insider/why-direct-mail-still-influences-millennials-7-takeaways-for-campaigns

http://www.infotrends.com/public/Content/INFOSTATS/Articles/2011/04.06.2011.html

Why Print Must Be a Part of Your Content Marketing Strategy

Once upon a time, print marketing was the only game in town. Flyers, banners, posters, business cards, and ads in newspapers were essentially your sole options for getting the word out about your business.

Then the Internet happened.

And with the advent of company websites, email lists, and social media, everything changed. In the last few decades, marketing has switched almost entirely to a digital platform.

So does this mean that print media is a thing of the past? Not even close. In fact, there are many reasons for why it is important to incorporate print advertising into your content marketing strategy.

1. It hangs around.

Emails can be archived and never seen again with just one click. Top-of-the-page banners and side-of-the-screen ads are instinctively ignored. But a brightly-colored brochure with engaging pictures or a fun and unique business card is something you might not immediately throw in the recycling.

To the contrary, you might put it on the fridge or keep the business card in your wallet. In other words, print media hands around, and that’s what you want a good marketing strategy to do.

2. It’s already “printed.”

Much of marketing involves coupons and discount codes that must be printed to be redeemed. This is a pain for a lot of people, which is why most skip this step and never engage in that type of marketing.

On the other hand, coupons and discount codes that have already been printed and mailed or handed out are much more likely to be used. Furthermore, even though some coupons can be redeemed by showing a barcode on your phone, most people find even this cumbersome. Taking a coupon out of your purse, though? That’s easy.

3. People trust it.

Finally, remember that most people today remember the old ways of marketing. They remember looking for jobs in the newspaper and clipping coupons from magazines. They remember handing out business cards at mixers. This makes these marketing strategies trusted. People have confidence in print marketing because they remember using it to great effect once upon a time.

Digital marketing still offers numerous advantages that print marketing will never rival. But what we should recognize is that current and potential clients and customers will often respond positively to print media tactics in ways that they wouldn’t if you just shot them a mass email every week. Try implementing print media into your marketing strategy and see what it can do for you.

3 Basic Print Layout Mistakes to Avoid

When creating your print design, there are some common mistakes which you should avoid at all costs. These errors will make your printout look messy and unpresentable and, as a result, you can lose clients. Below are the easily overlooked aspects when setting a print layout.

1. Failure to add Bleed

You will notice that at times the document layout will extend to the edges of your design. In this instance, it is important to use “bleed,” which will extend your colors past the edges of your document. After printing the design, you can trim off this extension, ensuring that there is no white edge on the finished product.

2. Using a Low Resolution

A file may look fine while on your screen, but upon printing, it will appear blurry. This can happen if the file is not set at the right resolution, or if you have imported a pixelated image. The quality of your printout will be determined by the dots per inch (dpi) and the resolution. An image with 300dpi will be of much better quality compared to the one with 72dpi, which is why 300dpi is recommended.

3. Setting Incorrect Size

Before sending the design for printing, you should confirm that it matches your desired size. You should also ensure that the design is positioned correctly and has the right proportions. If you intend to have a have a 25 x 25mm sticker, you should set the layout at 31 x 31mm so as to include the bleed area. After setting your document correctly, you should send it to the printer without making further changes. There are many pre-set templates which can be downloaded online including PDF versions with step-to-step guides on how to set your design’s proportions correctly.

Evidently, there are many mistakes which can lead to a low-quality design, but they are typically easily avoidable. If you avoid these mistakes, your printout will no doubt be presentable and attractive ensuring that your clients stick around.

5 Design Tools for the Non-Graphic Designer

Creating quality content is one of the ways of ensuring that you attract the intended online audience. With the advent of social media, great imagery is playing an increasingly significant role in the world of content creation. While relevant text content is important, images can help to entice your audience to click and read what you have created. If you do not have the knowledge and experience required to come up with quality images, there are several design tools that you can use.

Canva

Canva is one of the most popular design tools for non-graphic designers. The tool not only lets you make your own visuals but also comes with tutorials and teaching materials to help you develop and improve your skillset. Although Canva is not free, it has pre-made design layouts, pre-sized templates, and allows you to save your designs as well as to use the templates you have created at a later date.

Fivver

In case you have budgetary constraints, using Fivver will offer you the advantages you need to communicate using quality images. The tool lets you make custom logos within a very short period of time. With this graphic design tool, you will also be in a position to market the various products and services that you offer at an affordable fee.

99Designs

One of the advantages that place this particular tool ahead of its competitors is that it features crowd-sourced design services. You can create a contest for the specific project you have at a given time. This could be your business logo, a cover image for your social media account or website imagery. From such a contest, there is a chance that you will have many experienced designers competing for your project. This gives you an extraordinary chance to tap into some of the best talents in the industry.

Pixlr

This is a simpler and easy to use equivalent to Photoshop. The tool allows users to edit photos and create graphics. You will be able to choose your fonts, customize the size of your images and access it both on your desktop and mobile device.

PowerPoint

Although PowerPoint does not have as many features as those of the previous tools listed, it can also be used to make images. And since most people are familiar with the application, they can easily create the quality images that they need to make their content more attractive.

Having good quality images is a hugely important piece when it comes to creating your content, and just because you don’t have a degree in graphic design doesn’t mean you can get away with poor visuals.

The Importance of Relevant Messaging Both Online and Off

Whether online or offline, creating relevant messages to communicate to your audience is hugely important. These are messages that engage with people and add value to any campaign, marketing or otherwise. As you work to create your next campaign, ask yourself, “Is this message truly relevant to my following?”

What Is a Relevant Message, Then?

Relevant messages are a critical component to any online or offline strategy. They should convey certain themes and add value in some way. Here are some examples:

  • They are revealing.
  • They are informative and timely.
  • These messages can be challenging or empathetic.
  • They may be inspirational.
  • In some cases, they can be cautionary.
  • They should always be truthful.
  • In some way, they connect directly to your audience.

Why Does Relevance Matter?

Relevant messages convey more than just an announcement, a sale or a product launch. Rather, they help to create a unique bond between the viewer of that message and those putting the message out there. For example, the right message helps to show industry leadership thus creating a bond of respect. These messages create emotion in the reader. They appeal to the consumer in some way as well. Your message must impact your reader in a way that encourages them to take the action you desire. Without a relevant message, there’s no way for your reader to connect with your company. That leaves you without the return you want.

Pulling the Pieces Together

Every type of marketing you have should communicate a relevant message to your customer regardless of the platform. It should connect with them on some level to show them why a relationship with your company or organization should matter. When you create this connection, you build your brand, build your revenue, and create long-term connections with people who respect your team. Without a relevant message, your marketing will fall flat.

No matter whether you are creating a campaign in print, launching a social media campaign, or merely speaking out to the public one thing is for sure – make sure every word you add or any message you convey is relevant to the relationship you hope to build with your customers.

 

How to Stand Out in the Crowd on Social Media

Oh, the never-ending dilemma that is social media. Now, don’t get me wrong. It can be an excellent platform when used in the proper context. However, like a “stand” up comic, who has to engage the crowd to get them to laugh, social media marketers need to “stand” out in the scene online.

Therein lies the challenge.

When you have a passion for a product or service, offer personal testimony, this is helpful. However, if you can post a brief video demonstration that showcases your actual use and application of the product, that tells a whole other tale. Now you have a credibility factor and become more believable to buyers. We always hear about the need to create and post engaging content, and that is accurate. But, to create content that catches the reader’s attention, you may need to switch things up.

For instance, as opposed to just writing an informative piece, hit the insert button and add a: Frequently Asked Questions section. You may even create a “Contributor’s Corner” platform. In this manner, readers, your followers, will feel that:

  1. They have a voice, and you value their feedback.
  2. It creates a budding relationship and establishes a trust factor.

When that occurs, trust can translate into dollars, if you have a service or product to offer. If you are merely focusing on increasing your presence, trust is still critical. When followers believe you, two things happen: They will advocate for you on social media, and they will direct others to your page as a source which provides reliable and sound advice.

Another means to make your social media presence known is to upload photos of yourself; include outside interests, so to become relatable to your readers. It shows that you are accessible and very much in touch with the current culture.

Remember, this is not designed to overwhelm you, but put you over the top, in a sea of seekers online.

Here are some other things to consider:

  • Address people of various ages and stages, even if it is foreign to you. In doing so, the element of sensitivity comes into play. With millennials, Snapchat and Instagram are essential. It doesn’t have to be controversial, just conversational.
  • Invite readers to sound off on current events.

Hopefully, this helps.

How to Incorporate Storytelling into Your Content

Everyone loves a good story, right? And with content marketing gaining prominence, it is important that your work stands out. This goal can be achieved by including storytelling within your pieces. There are several ways to include storytelling in your content. One way is to tell a story that gives your audience a reason to engage with you regularly. Have a good narrative, one that includes multiple parts fed out at changing times. This gives your audience a reason to keep coming back; they are interested in the next piece of the saga.

Another way to incorporate storytelling into your content is to tell tales showing how your brand relates to your audience. The stories, even though they are fiction, can help provide another perspective on your brand. They can give more of a backstory around the feelings and culture of the company, conveyed in a thoughtful, entertaining way.

You can also tell a story about a topic to make it easier to understand. Sometimes, a complex problem is more easily explained via a narrative. If you can remember Schoolhouse Rock, you know what I mean.

But, why do this? Stories are not only memorable but also shareable. People can tell others about them. What better way to show how word-of-mouth advertising can work. A person reads a good story on your site, tells his friend about it. That friend goes to your site and reads that same good story. She then tells another friend of hers and so on and so on. Think of the potential power in that.

By telling a good story, you show your audience that you are not just trying to sell them something, that you are trying to connect with them at some deeper level. Give them a reason to like you, maybe just a bit more than a competitor.

4 Print Campaign Examples Millennials Love

With so much advertising being thrown at millennials, it makes sense that it takes an original message to cut through the noise. And with the rise of digital media, print ads have to work twice as hard to convey a message to tech-savvy millennials. Millennials want print ads that cut to the chase and utilize attention-grabbing, direct visuals to convey their message. Here are some examples of print campaigns that speak to millennials, as well as to the young at heart.

Boredpanda.com has a list of ads that are chock-full of millennial favorites. Let’s pick out and discuss some highlights:

1. Volkswagon: Precision Parking

If there’s one thing millennials love, it’s cuteness. This Volkswagon ad features a cute hedgehog parking between goldfish, just the kind of image millennials enjoy.

2. Reading Campaign: Face-A-Book

Millennials love social media, so this reading campaign ad is sure to turn their heads, turning social media giant’s logo Facebook into a pro-reading message. Good advice for millennials, and everyone else.

3. Oogmerk Opticians: Get the Respect You Deserve

When people think millennials, they think hipsters, and this ad for Oogmerk Opticians shows how to turn anyone into a hipster by giving them a pair of trendy glasses.

4. Lego: “Imagine” The Simpsons

Many millennials grew up watching The Simpsons and playing with Legos, so this ad combines the best of both worlds, with The Simpsons characters built out of Lego blocks. All that’s missing is Homer’s pink donut. Maybe there will be a circular Lego in the future?

What makes these ads stand out in the minds of millennials? Not only are they all creative and well thought out, but they are simplistic too. Most people don’t have time to sift through wordy, overbearing direct mail pieces. Keeping yours creative and to the point is a great way to catch the eye of not only millennials but other generations as well.

Is Blogging Right for Your Business?

A blog keeps you engaged with your industry and your community. It can position a person as a thought leader—in any business.

If you are reading this, you already know that the dynamics of doing business has changed. Advertising has changed. Today’s clients expect companies to engage them. Blogging provides a straightforward entrance to the world of online engagement.

Keeping your website reader-worthy makes it into something more than the modern version of a phone book listing. And it will rise in search results through blogging. Search engine optimization, or SEO, is vital for businesses today. If your potential client seeks your service on the web but finds another provider first, you have a problem! You can turn this around with quality blogging.

Setting Up Your Blog

Your website might enable a blog already. As it helps bring in clients, you may seek writing support, so blogging goes on in the background while you handle your professional responsibilities. Consider it part of your marketing budget.

To start, it’s important to establish desired return on investment (ROI). Are people finding your updates, and sharing them with their friends and colleagues? Do readers locate the content of your posts worth returning to? A useful service shows you stats on the time users spend on your blog and how your posts are shared.

Of course, you also want information on how many readers explore your services or place orders. With statistically measurable goals, you can see if your efforts are working, or if it’s sensible to get pros involved with your marketing.

When to Post?

Blog weekly. You can schedule the posts so that they don’t go out at 3 am when you finish writing. Again, if time’s an issue, hire quality writing support. Give your readers material that is valuable to them.

You will want to update your blog about upcoming events where your company will have a presence and about any special promotions you are running.

Community Engagement

The best return from your blog will involve engagement. Enable people to sign up and be alerted to your new blog entries. Allow reader comments. And yes, set up a Facebook page as well as other social media platforms suited to your business. Make sure the word is getting out about your company.

Need inspiration? Watch a big company, one you’ve known a while, using social media. Pick out some ideas that would work for you. Then set a timeline to implement them.

Common Website Mistakes to Avoid

Websites are the modern equivalent of a business card. They’re necessary to stay competitive. If you don’t have a website, the chances are that your competitor down the street does.  And you can bet that customers will go to that business in a heartbeat if they can’t find out anything about your business online.

These days, an online presence confirms your legitimacy as a business.

With that being said, you don’t want to waste people’s time when they do come to your website. They want readily available information that gets straight to the point of what they need. Wading through useless, peripheral information will only frustrate them and send them clicking over to your competitor before the web page has finished loading.

Website mistakes which can cause that situation to happen more quickly include:

1. Talking Too Much About Yourself Instead of What You Can Do for the Client

Your website is a marketing tool. It is not a one-sheet for your personal or business biography. Your “About” page can give some relevant background about your business’ origins or mission statement, but when people visit your website’s homepage, the focus should be on how they landed on the right website to get exactly what they need. The “who” is not as relevant in this case as the “what” and “how fast.”

2. Forgetting to Add a Search Box

If all the things that you offer can’t fit on one page, then people will probably want to do a quick look up for what they need. The emphasis here is on the word, quick. People are used to doing web searches, and they will look for a search box if they don’t immediately see what they are looking for. That search box should be in a highly visible place because if your visitors have to search too long for it, they’ll just as soon go to Google and search for another business that can deliver whatever it is they’re looking for.

3. Allowing Links to Other Sites to Open in the Same Window

The goal is to keep your website visitors on your site for as long as possible. The longer they stay and engage with your content, the more likely they are to become a customer or at least a subscriber. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to link to third party sites for such things as reading source material or to complete a purchase. No matter the reason that they leave, you always want your visitors to come back. Make it easy for them to do that by having all of your outbound links open in a new window. This way, your website remains present and available as a reminder for visitors to take another look whenever they’ve finished doing the offsite tasks.

By having a website for your business and avoiding these three common mistakes, you can create a better online experience for your prospects and customers.