Strategies Can Bolster Fundraising If the Economy Turns Rocky

Although economic growth and jobs data continue strong at the start of the year, many AccuList® nonprofit clients still express anxiety about the impact on charitable giving of higher inflation or even recession later in 2023. Here's the advice from fundraising veterans: Stay the course and avoid the temptation to cut back on direct mail or digital marketing. When fundraisers reduce the channels and frequency of donor requests, they cut opportunities for giving and erode long-term connections. 

A better way to offset economic drags is to increase the efficiency of donor acquisition and retention programs. For direct mailings, costs can be reduced by tactics such as modified package size and pre-sorting, as well as by greater mailing list efficiency. Using the best-performing vertical lists and modeled data can boost donor prospecting ROI, for example, while house donor lists can select out lower-value or lower-response segments. 

In tougher times, nonprofits also can't afford the waste of bad data. OneCause, a provider of event and online fundraising technology, found that only 18% of nonprofits reported having enough data and insights for cost-effective decision-making in 2022! So fundraisers should prioritize clean data—de-duped, complete, consistent, deliverable and actionable—for cost-effective targeting. 

Fundraisers also can take better advantage of the fact that today's donors are multichannel responders by coordinating direct mail with boosted social media outreach as well as online and mobile giving. In-person fundraising events are expected to make a comeback in 2023, too. OneCause reports 83% of organizations plan to hold at least one in-person event in 2023. Data supports that investment in event and online efforts: Over half of nonprofits surveyed reported generating 21% of operating budget from event and online fundraising in 2022. 

For help with donor acquisition, multichannel fundraising and data management, see https://www.acculist.com/fundraising/

Business Trends Drive Recognition & Incentive Sales

AccuList USA recently completed proprietary research on hundreds of top performing lists of employee recognition and incentive product buyers to support clients in a business-to-business marketplace that now encompasses close to 90% of companies. In fact, the 2017 "Trends in Employee Recognition" report from WorldatWork, a nonprofit human resources association, found 89% of surveyed organizations committed to recognition programs, with 65% offering between three and six different programs, from companywide (81%) to individual (69%) to department/team (67%). Certificates and/or plaques remain the most awarded recognition item, at 80% of respondents, followed by cash (55%), gift certificates/cards (45%), company-logo merchandise (40%), and food, such as a lunch or pizza party (39%). For incentive and recognition marketers, targeting can mainly focus on two departments responsible for administering programs: human resources (59%) and compensation (22%). Now, the Incentive Research Foundation's "IRF 2018 Trends Study" offers recognition and incentive marketers more guidance on changing demand trends. For one, predictive analytics, artificial intelligence and augmented reality capabilities will be a "fundamental requirement" for vendors and suppliers looking to partner with incentive professionals in 2018, per IRF. Marketers also will want to push wellness messaging, since more incentive professionals are adding health and wellness components focused on fitness, food, and comfort to their incentive programs this year compared with other features, says the report. And when it comes to merchandise products, incentive buyers in 2018 don't want more choice as much as more "impactful products," such as products with local sourcing or organic roots and products that can be easily personalized and customized. The desire to build a brand-asset culture around intangibles, such as innovation, as well as traditional assets is one factor pushing these non-cash awards in 2018, notes the report. On the other hand, gift cards will continue to gain momentum this year, according to the IRF, which says mid-size firms spend an average of nearly $500,000 annually on gift cards across all programs, while large ones spend over $1 million annually. Finally, although incentive travel makes up a small part of the recognition pie, the incentive travel industry's net optimism score for the economy is up almost 20 points from 2017 in the IRF report, leading to budget increases despite rising costs. For more on top incentive trends, see our website blog post at http://www.acculistusa.com/2018-recognition-market-tech-partnering-wellness-non-cash-awards/

This Direct Mail Lead Gen Is Budget-Friendly

Many direct marketing articles tout digital tactics for generating sales leads, but we can attest to the continued lead-gen effectiveness of traditional direct mail for a range of our clients, including online retail and publications. Direct mail has higher response rates while avoiding some of the challenges of SEO, social media and e-mail, such as rapidly changing rules, deliverability/visibility issues and a crowded competitive space. But what about the cost of direct mail? As a recent MarketingProfs post highlighted, there are direct mail options that can effectively deliver leads without busting the marketing budget! A No. 10 envelope that includes a one- or two-page letter and a reply card is an expensive, simple and effective way to reach prospects with something likely to be opened and read (unlike many e-mails). Of course, response depends on the proper targeting of the prospect lists and the personalized content of the letter. The letter should identify a problem, present a solution and offer a "freebie" of value, such as a brochure, sample, demo, evaluation, information kit or anything else that will get a response so that salespeople can follow up with qualified prospects. A postcard is an inexpensive alternative to a letter, with low print costs and lower postage rates than letters as long as you stay within USPS minimum and maximum sizes. Because there is less room for the sales message, offer copy needs to be simple with a clear call to action. And because there is no additional response device, postcards need to stress a website address or a phone number. To drive traffic to a retail store, make room for directions or a map. Similarly, flyers are cheap and great options for local small businesses. Printed on ordinary paper, folded in thirds with a tab to hold it closed, and addressed with a mailing label and stamp, the result doesn't have to be beautiful to be effective. An invitation also doesn't have to be printed in formal lettering on cream card stock in a fancy hand-addressed envelope. You can draw people to an event or offer in a way that seems more personal and important just by using the words "You are invited..." An invitation can use a letter, a postcard or a flyer for an open house, special sale, product demonstration, etc. The key is to make the event seem exclusive and the invitees special in some way. Another way to make a mailing seem special is to use FedEx or other quick delivery service. The package content can range from a simple personal letter to a video or product sample. A special delivery package is a guaranteed open, but, because the delivery method is more expensive, it is usually limited to a smaller group of select targets. For more, see http://www.acculistusa.com/direct-mail-lead-gen-doesnt-have-to-bust-the-budget/

Direct Mail Still Powers Nonprofit Fundraising

Interest in direct mailing lists and services from AccuList USA's nonprofit clients remains strong despite the growing share of donor dollars collected via online giving. Some of the reasons that fundraising pros stay committed to mail power are cited in a recent article for The NonProfit Times by Mark Hrywna. Despite the growing share of donations attributed to online giving, Steve MacLaughlin, vice president of data and analytics at fundraising tech firm Blackbaud, stresses that online giving is still less than 10% of all charitable giving. Fundraisers need to avoid confusing the channel of engagement with the channel of transaction, he advises. Direct mail response certainly is no longer limited to mailed donations as many direct mail recipients go online to give; similarly, a mobile-device outreach or e-mail appeal can generate offline gifts. Even in an increasingly digital world, a good multi-channel mix will include direct mail. Hrywna cites Make-a-Wish Foundation as an example of that continued direct mail investment. When Chief Financial Officer Paul Mehlhorn started with Make-A-Wish Foundation in 2009, he recalls that he was told direct mail was a dinosaur that would be gone in five or six years. Yet last year the national office exceeded 2009 direct mail revenue by several million dollars, going from $13.9 million to $15.3 million. "It looks to me like a program that can stay very strong for the next 10 to 15 years," Mehlhorn asserts to Hrywna. In fact, Mehlhorn says he may expand on his direct mail investment: "As you get past the low-hanging fruit, [online] becomes almost as costly as direct mail. Unless you enlarge your donor pool, you’re going to be spending about the same." Plus, there are some areas where direct mail retains an edge, such as planned giving. Make-A-Wish Foundation has seen revenue from planned gifts just about triple during the past four years, growing from about $2 million to $6 million, and Mehlhorn credits part of that success to actively promoting planned giving in direct mail as well as online campaigns. “A lot of the folks now making end-of-life plans are still in that generation that likes getting mail,” he points out. See the full blog post at http://www.acculistusa.com/direct-mail-still-powers-fundraising-especially-planned-giving/

Why You Should De-dupe Your Data

Anna Kayfitz, CEO of StrategicDB Corp., recently offered AccuList USA this expert advice on why direct marketing success requires de-duping data: 

In today’s data-driven marketing, data is not only the most important asset that your company can have but can also make or break your campaign. Having clean data impacts not only marketing activities but also impacts your reputation, operations and decision-making. De-duping is one of the most important aspects of overall data hygiene. Duplicates can be found on many levels of data; they arise at the household level, individual e-mail level or company level. If you are not convinced that you need to de-dupe, consider the following five benefits. First, you can avoid different offers to the same customer. For example, you send two different direct mail creatives to the same household. As one of the records was a customer, you decided to provide a returning customer 15% off, while the other record was marked as a prospect and only got 10% off. Now the person opening both direct mails will be confused by having two different discounts, and the company also can face a PR nightmare. Second, you can cut unnecessary cost. For example, assume you are doing a direct mail creative which costs you $5 per mailing. Your list contains 10,000 recipients. The total cost of mailings therefore is $50,000. If you decided to de-dupe, you would find out that 10% of your mailing list was duplicated. Therefore, $5,000 was a waste of resources. It would have been much cheaper to de-dupe prior to deploying your campaign. Third, you will get better analytics for decision-making. Analytics is important not just from a perspective of understanding how your marketing and sales is performing but also from a decision-making perspective. By having duplicates in your CRM, you are going to be double-counting your list capabilities, miscalculating your true growth rates, and getting the wrong rate of responses. If you are looking to make a decision on future campaigns, basing it on duplicate data will will give you the wrong list count, wrong budget and possibly the wrong creative picked (especially if you are basing it on an A/B testing done previously). Next, de-duping helps prevent customer service confusion when clients call in, e-mail or come into the store. For example, Mary Smith is found twice in your CRM with the same phone number. She calls in to your customer support to inquire about her order status. Your customer service rep decides to pull up the customer account by phone number and finds two records. Now she has to put the customer on hold while she checks both accounts to try to locate the last purchase before she can even assist the customer. Not only is it wasting everyone’s time and making customer service inefficient, it also makes the customer have a bad customer service experience. Finally, the biggest impact that duplicates have on your business is a potential loss of sale. If you have duplicates, you do not have a true view of all prospect or customer activities. Therefore, you could be excluding prospects from a sales call because your lead scoring system indicated that they are not ready. However, if the data from both records was combined, you would have all signals indicating they are ready to be passed on to sales. With duplicates, by the time you figure it out, a customer may have already lost interest and gone with your competitor. De-duping should be part of your data-cleaning initiative, either prior to any major campaign or on a yearly basis. You can easily de-dupe your list by using a de-duping tool that will require less effort to identify duplicates and establish a master record than is required to deal with the consequences of duplicate data. For more help, see http://www.acculistusa.com/why-you-should-de-dupe-your-data/

How Performing Arts Marketers Find Best Targets

Since AccuList USA has successfully worked with performing arts and cultural organizations in audience development, supplying data and data services to help them acquire new patrons, ticket buyers and supporters, we were happy to see a recent npENGAGE.com post underscoring the key role of quality data targeting in performing arts marketing success. Basically, performing arts marketers must acquire prospects with the potential to become long-term, high-value patrons; retain them; and maximize their dollar contributions. That challenge is not easy when studies show 72% of single-ticket buyers do not return, points out npENGAGE article author Chuck Turner, a senior analytics specialist at the Target Analytics agency for arts and cultural clients. So a cost-effective marketing strategy will rely on data analytics both to target those with the highest relationship potential and to personalize messaging and offers for boosted ROI and loyalty. For revenue generation, analysis should look at the value of patrons in terms of the average of all revenue earned, including things such as gift shop and concession sales and tuition for classes offered, as well as ticket sales and subscriptions, Turner urges. That means targeting likely high-revenue prospects, plus targeting the right members of the audience pool for offers of add-ons and upgrades. For both groups, Turner suggests selecting those with higher average income, and thus higher capacity to spend. When it comes to increasing donations, external list data on both discretionary spending ability and nonprofit donation history can be used to target significant nonprofit donor prospects for acquisition, and that data can be appended to the existing audience database to better target for add-ons and upgrades. Turner points to Target Analytics findings that, on average, up to 40% of nonprofit audiences can be top prospects for significant contributory giving--if you communicate to prospects with a message that resonates with their mission-based interest. With limited resources, performing arts marketers need to be more strategic and proactive in focusing on the most valuable segments. This means tracking lifetime value, defined as the net profit attributed to the entire future relationship discounted to its current value. Again, quality data can help target the right people--those with high lifetime value--with the right message. For both audience database and prospecting mailing lists, Turner stresses selecting targets based on charitable giving and income/discretionary spending ability. Conversely, knowing those unlikely to donate or spend helps minimize investment in unprofitable segments. For more, see http://www.acculistusa.com/how-can-performing-arts-marketing-find-the-best-targets/

2018 USPS Rate Hikes Challenge Marketers

On January 21, the U.S. Postal Service bumped up its rates for almost all mailings by direct marketers and publishers: Marketing Mail (formerly Standard Mail), First Class Mail Retail, First Class Mail Discount and Periodicals. What are some of the strategies to offset the effect on marketing budgets? Before panicking, mail marketers need to check out the whole USPS rate change grid. A 1% to 2% overall increase will be higher or lower depending on the class, weight, zone, density and special services required, and there are actually some savings to be had. For example, while the First Class stamp is going from $0.49 to $0.50 for a 1-ounce letter, a 2% bump, the USPS did not increase the additional ounce rate, so the percentage change gets smaller as items get larger. Meanwhile, metered letters are increasing from $.46 to $.47 in postage, which offers a significant savings of $0.03 per piece for those using a postage meter or PC postage, points out a recent Mailing Systems Technology post. Although most USPS discounts are tied to doing more work, such as barcoding or sorting, this metered rate savings is automatic for just using a system to print postage that costs as little as $20 per month, the article notes. There are other savings to be had via presorting, adds the Mailing Systems Technology article. For example, last year the USPS increased the weight limit for letter rates from 2 ounces to 3.5 ounces. Now, with the rate for a 3-ounce metered letter at $0.89 and a commercial rate of $0.378, there's a potential 58% savings from using presort services. Package changes can help the budget, too. Folding a flat (9x12 or 10x13) package into a 6x9 envelope could mean significant savings with the new rates. A three-ounce flat at $1.42 now could cost as little as $0.378 if it can be put in an envelope and automated through in-house software or presort services. Plus, mailers sending Priority Mail items at retail rates using Click-N-Ship or a postage meter can switch to a PC Postage solution using commercial rates to save 10% overall, or 2% to 40% less based on weight and zone. As data brokers, AccuList USA stresses that these postal cost changes also should push marketers to use data-driven direct mail in more strategic and creative multi-channel campaigns. To maximize mailing ROI, marketers should cut wasted mail by improving targeting, mailing list selection, and data/address quality, as well as apply response-boosting creative tactics, such as personalization and special printing effects. For rate tables and more advice, go to http://www.acculistusa.com/2018-usps-rate-hikes-challenge-direct-marketers/

Making the Direct Mail Case in Multi-channel Plans

As multi-channel marketers polish their 2018 plans, it's a good time to remind them of the continued value of direct mail in this digital era. A recent infographic from direct marketing agency US Presort puts together data from The Data & Marketing Association (DMA), Social Media Examiner, Epsilon, Experian and Marketing Sherpa to make the case for a direct mail commitment in multi-channel plans. The majority of marketers (71%) say they believe in an integrated multi-channel approach. After all, a smart multi-channel strategy can combine the pervasive impact of digital (96% of consumers say they were influenced online in making a purchase decision) with the effectiveness of direct mail (digital can't beat mail's 80% open rate or its consumer trust rating of 76% compared with 61% for Google search, 43% for social and 39% for online ads). So why are so few marketers (just 29%) actually implementing those integrated multi-channel campaigns? One misconception, as the infographic points out, that causes hesitation over integrating direct mail with digital is mail's high perceived cost. Yet while direct mail costs more to produce and distribute, its response rates are also much higher than other channels, so its ROI remains competitive. For example, per the DMA's 2016 data, direct mail response rates averaged 5.3% for house lists and 2.9% for prospect lists, compared with online display ads at 0.9%, e-mail at 0.6% for house files and 0.3% for prospects, social media with 0.6%, and paid search at 0.5%. As a result, median ROI for direct mail, while behind e-mail, is on par with social media at 29% and 30%, respectively, and ahead of other digital channels. Others assume difficulties in digitally connecting and tracking paper promotions. But technology and U.S. Postal Service discounts are making mail easier and cheaper to integrate with digital via mobile device-scanned coupon links, QR codes, PURLs, and landing pages. Plus, direct mail can now be tracked in real time thanks to the U.S. Postal Service Intelligent Mail Barcode. To successfully leverage the power of direct mail in a multi-channel strategy consider a few key steps: Include the USPS Intelligent Mail Barcode on all mail to track delivery and coordinate with other channels; gather measurable response from multiple channels via tactics such as reply cards, 800-number call tracking, as well as mobile-scanned QR codes and PURLs; create campaign-specific landing pages and make sure they are mobile-friendly; integrate e-mail and direct mail messaging and lists, and coordinate e-mail blasts with mail delivery; create Facebook ad campaigns to target the same audience as your direct mail lists; consider IP Direct Mail or Web Direct Mail to target the same mail audience on Google with coordinated ad banners. For more, see http://www.acculistusa.com/making-the-case-for-direct-mail-power-in-multi-channel-marketing/

How Direct Mail Testing Differs by Product Stage

Direct mail success is all about testing -- lists, offer, creative, and, of course, the product/service itself. While there's no single formula, Malcolm Decker's excellent article "How to Test Your Direct Mail" in Target Marketing magazine's resource section offers some useful guidelines. Decker differentiates the weight given the various direct mail testing parameters by a product's life cycle--new product testing; honing success of an existing product; and testing to revive a mature product. For example, his ideal new-product test is mailed to 120,000 names, with the house list providing less than 20% of names mailed, and testing of 15 different lists, three different prices/offers, and three different creative packages. In looking at the relative contributions of testing factors, he notes that even the most well-researched new product can impact results by 30% plus or minus. Mailing lists--ranging from tightly targeted response lists to larger, broader and thus riskier lists--will contribute another plus or minus 30% to success, based on Decker's experience. Then the price/offer will deliver another 30% up or down. And last, the creative factor for a new product can move the testing needle by another plus or minus 10%. Once marketers have a couple of years of mailing results to help determine price elasticity, list universe, creative preference, premium impacts, etc., Decker notes that the 30-30-30-10 relationship of start-up testing has shifted. And once a mature product's marketing choices face the challenges of competition or changing tastes and demographics, the weights of key testing factors shift once more. For more on testing parameters for proven and mature products, see the full blog post at http://www.acculistusa.com/blog/

Targeted Lists Are Key to Dimensional Mail Success

Prospecting with dimensional mail is both attractive because of high response rates and risky because of high costs. So what's the key ingredient of success? Mailing lists that are appropriately and tightly targeted, answers a recent Entrepreneur magazine article on dimensional mail. Here are the facts: The Direct Marketing Association's 2015 "Response Rate Report" shows dimensional prospecting mail earns a median 2.8% response that betters the 1% of a letter envelope and postcard, or even the 2% of an oversized envelope. Dimensional mail works because it's often lumpy, bumpy, unusually shaped and/or weightier, which grabs attention in the mailbox and sparks a curiosity about internal rewards that leads to opens. However, while dimensional mail may earn top response rates, it also has the highest cost per thousand, at an average $1,205 compared with a standard letter envelope package's $583, per the DMA report. This raises the stakes but does not disqualify dimensional mail as an acquisition tool. Overall, dimensional mail for prospecting still comes in at the lowest $43 cost per response, compared with the highest cost per response turned in by catalogs ($112) and oversized mail ($105), per DMA stats. Success in this response-cost balancing act depends on another ingredient: list targeting. In his recent Entrepreneur article, Craig Simpson, owner of Simpson Direct, Inc., explains why dimensional mail works best with "a small, highly targeted group of prospects." It is also "invaluable" with "hard-to-reach niches," especially business-to-business  promotions that need to get past office "gatekeepers," he notes. Read the rest of our post at http://www.acculistusa.com/why-targeted-lists-are-key-to-dimensional-mail-success/

Direct Mail Still Key Insurance Acquisition Tool

In providing targeted lead lists to insurance marketers, we've seen the continued acquisition power of direct mail over the years, so it's nice to find an Insurance Journal article supporting our experience. Speaking to independent property and casualty insurance agents (but with arguments that apply to mailings for other insurance types), author Michelle Peel of IWCO Direct printing, cites four key reasons direct mail should be part of customer acquisition plans. No. 1, statistics show that consumers prefer direct mail for branded promotions, she notes, citing Experian's 2012 Channel Preference Study finding that 73% of Americans prefer direct mail for brand communications. And that preference extends across generations to include millennials, with 57% of younger buyers saying they have made a purchase as a result of a direct mail offer. Direct mail acquisition also continues to have a higher response rate than digital channels such as e-mail, per the latest Direct Marketing Association (DMA) data (1% for mail prospecting compared with 0.1% for e-mail). No. 2, creating the relevant, personalized and timely messaging that makes direct mail succeed is easier than ever with online marketing tools and templates from many insurance providers and, we would add, variable data printing to fill rental list data into custom-targeted, personalized creative. No. 3, the U.S. Postal Service is on the side of direct mailers and continues to develop products such as Every Door Direct Mail for blanket area coverage, as well as print-to-digital technology promotions of Quick Response (QR) code and Augmented Reality (AR) use. No. 4, direct mail drives traffic to online channels, too; Peel cites DMA data that 44% of mail recipients visit the company website, 34% search for the company online, and 26% save the mailer for future reference. Of course, using personalized urls (PURLs), QR codes and AR will further help boost online traffic. See http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/features/2015/03/09/359395.htm

Catalogs Continue As Key Retail Revenue Driver

Print catalogs still top retailers' marketing options in an omnichannel world, notes a recent post by Megan Conley, staff writer for Bigcommerce, an online shopping platform provider. Print catalogs are a big revenue driver for omnichannel operations, she argues, noting that 2014 consumers who received catalogs spent an average of $850 per year on catalog purchases, and that 31% of shoppers have a catalog with them when they make an online purchase, according to retail consultancy Kurt Salmon. In all, about 90 million Americans make purchases from catalogs per Direct Marketing Association data, and the number of catalogs mailed in the U.S. has increased 60% from 2007. That's one reason many major retailers have revived interest in their mailing lists, and Conley cites some well-known names: J.Crew, Patagonia, Restoration Hardware, Anthropologie, Athleta, West Elm, Crate & Barrel, Neiman Marcus, J.C. Penney, Bonobos, Sak’s Fifth Avenue and Chico’s. Catalogs also help identify the best customers and push them to use omnichannel outlets, increasing brand loyalty and awareness, she notes. She quotes Craig Elbert, Bonobos’s vice president of marketing: "We found that the catalog allowed us to tell a fuller narrative about the brand and our products in a way that we were struggling to do online. In all, our catalog customers tend to spend more. And our catalog customers who make purchases at our brick-and-mortar stores are our best customers overall." But many of the new generation of catalogs do look different from predecessors. They have become less product- and sales-oriented in favor of an aesthetic, lifestyle publication look. Susy Korb, chief marketing officer of Anthropologie, recently told the New York Times: "We don’t call it a catalog; we call it a journal. Of course, we’re trying to sell clothes and accessories, but it’s more to inspire and engage." For more, see the business2community re-post: http://www.business2community.com/marketing/direct-marketing-brand-association-and-revenue-why-a-catalog-might-be-your-next-best-marketing-bet-01283212

Messy Marketing? See Stanley Steemer's Cleanup

Stanley Steemer's e-mail and direct mail strategies were sending customers on a messy path through channel silos and poorly targeted messaging, until the company decided to clean up its marketing. Take a look at the national carpet and floor cleaning firm's successful marketing revamp, as reported recently by Direct Marketing News magazine. Stanley Steemer's e-mail and direct mail weren't working together and results were hard to track, the company says of its pre-2014 marketing efforts. The cleaning firm decided to tackle one channel at a time, starting with upgrading e-mail frequency, content, and segmentation. So it went from one promotional e-mail a month to three, with the same offer at the beginning of the month and end of the month and a content-driven e-mail in between. Its e-mail welcome series' design and content were also refreshed. Then Stanley Steemer changed its e-mail segmentation strategy, going from segmenting only by branch or franchise contacts to segmenting by customer engagement (opens and clicks), purchase behavior, and offers, as well as branch or franchise group. By April 2014, it was time to tackle direct mail segmentation and content targeting, too. Now Stanley Steemer sends nine direct mail pieces a year with 10 to 20 different segmented versions per campaign, based on list information and purchase behavior. Results? Stanley Steemer saw a 33% increase in direct mail-generated bookings, and a 200% increase in mail response rates after launching its acquisition strategy. For e-mail, campaigns have delivered a 20% month-over-month increase in online bookings. Just introduced this March, a new e-mail trigger program for incomplete or cancelled orders had delivered a 50% rise in average open rates by April. For more details, read http://www.dmnews.com/email-marketing/stanley-steemer-cleans-up-its-email-and-direct-mail-strategies/article/410071/

Rev Direct Mail's Offline-Online Conversion Power

In the age of paperless digital communications, why bother with old-fashioned direct mail marketing? Well, even digital giant Google uses direct mail in some ad campaigns! The tech leader's strategy acknowledges direct mail's advantages even in a digital world: Direct mail can drive traffic to a website as well as a brick-and-mortar location; direct mail still leads other channels in response rate and cost per lead; and, as other marketers go all-digital, direct mail actually stands out in mailboxes and makes a guaranteed connection that cluttered, filtered e-mail inboxes and online ad spaces cannot claim. Still, direct mail ROI is no slam dunk. For ways to optimize online and offline conversion for direct mail, take a look at a recent DirectMarketingIQ article by Katherine Halek, print strategy adviser with the Texas-based printer Signazon. Here are a few key points: First, and foremost to our mind, use a highly targeted mailing list to reach the customers most likely to respond. Next, have your creative stand out in the mailbox with an eye-catching accessible format (such as a postcard), a larger-size piece, or an unusual design (such as dimensional or shaped mail). Always include a QR code so smartphone users (over 64% of Americans) can scan and go direct to a landing page. But also print a simple, memorable URL for those who don't use QR codes. If possible, time mailings to coincide with real events, such as a sale or show, for extra response impact; the mailer can include a discount coupon or gift offer, for example. A single mailing won't create brand awareness, so make cumulative efforts by mailing more than once and combining mail with followups via other channels. Finally, use mail's unique in-home physicality to make a personal connection, turning database information into personalized salutations, content and offers. For more tips, go to http://www.directmarketingiq.com/article/tips-higher-conversion-direct-mailing/1

Animal Welfare Mail Appeals Can Woo Millennials

As we talk with animal welfare fundraisers about mailing lists and targeting at the Animal Care Expo in New Orleans, we recall a cogent remark by Christine Barnes, senior director of donors services for the Humane Society of the United States. When asked by Fundraising Success Magazine to identify top trends for donor targeting/demographics in 2015, she stressed, "With the millennials entering the giving landscape, we need to adjust our communication styles to adapt." Since the millennials are known to be digital junkies, does that mean dropping direct mail in favor of online appeals, e-mail, social media and, of course, mobile marketing? We argue that would be a big mistake. The millennial cohort may respond at a lower rate to direct mail (14% of 18- to 34-year-olds said direct mail triggered their nonprofit giving compared with 25% of the 55+ crowd, per YouGov stats), but the millennial response to mail fundraising is still higher than their giving via other channels (9% for e-mail, 11% for social). Direct mail should stay in the fundraising mix to capture millennial donations, but the messaging style and content does need to change. Barnes emphasized the need for more visual communications, for more engaging storytelling, and for tighter copywriting that "engages the donor in as few words as possible." A recent NonProfit Hub post listed five ways to create marketing that motivates millennial: 1) engage with millennials on their own terms and ask them to donate in the way they like, so offer many donation channels; 2) leverage their social clout, so feature those social icons and scannable links on mail, too; 3) encourage participation/volunteering to create more loyal donors; 4) accept that millennials are impulsive on-the-go donors, not check writers, so mail can drive online giving, and e-mail should be optimized for mobile; 5) stay in touch beyond the holiday card to let them know the impact of their giving. For details and examples, go to http://www.nonprofithub.org/fundraising/understanding-motivates-millennials-give-npo/

How Direct Mail Beats E-mail in 4 Basic Ways

Despite the predominance of e-mail marketing articles, direct mail is still a key marketing tool, and mailing lists and direct mail support continue as a thriving part of AccuList USA's services. So we naturally welcome mainstream business media support from other champions of direct mail's virtues. For example, Entrepreneur magazine recently published an article by Craig Simpson, owner of Simpson Direct, Inc., titled "Four Reasons to Use Direct Mail Marketing Instead of E-mail Marketing." Simpson points out that direct mail's first advantage comes from e-mail's well-known drawback: inbox overload and the high percentage of e-mails filtered out or deleted unseen. By comparison, an Epsilon study found 77% of consumers sort through their physical mail as soon as received, and USPS data shows 98% check their mail daily. Next, mail is a directly personal experience, touching consumers physically in-hand and in-home, as opposed to an e-mail subject line scrolling on the screen of a multitasking computer or mobile device user. Third, direct mail avoids the growing trust problems of digital marketing. Because of online security hacks and phishing scams, people may avoid even opening an e-mail much less clicking on links or attachments. In contrast, consumers know they can safely open and browse a direct mail piece, where bells and whistles are bonuses not red flags. Finally, direct mail has more tools for standing out in the inbox and inducing an open and response: colored or oversized envelopes, personalized messaging, intriguing dimensional mail, and even physical inclusions such as premiums. "When was the last time you got a pen in an e-mail?" Simpson asks. For the full article, go to http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/242731

Attention-Getting Design Trends Bolster Mail Impact

Attention-grabbing design is one way direct mail marketers can break through the promotional noise that bombards its busy audience. In a recent Target Marketing Magazine article, Paul Bobnak, director of research at Who's Mailing What!, cites three new creative trends that help the direct mail catalogued by his firm to stand out in mailboxes and earn recipient response. First, he notes an upswing in impactful, four-color envelopes, including full bleeds and color on both sides. Second, there is increased use of icons mimicking those from digital screens (desktop, tablet or mobile). It's an especially popular tactic in mail aimed at younger, highly digital audiences, but many mailers now commonly use icons on reply forms and call-to-action devices as prompts to online action or reminders of available response options. The third trend spotted by Bobnak is increasing use of advanced personalization. In a quest for the proven response lift delivered by personalization, mailers are rolling out personalized targeting that goes beyond including the prospect's name to leveraging mailing list data such as geography, buying/donation history, age, gender, etc. in targeted text and imagery. For Bobnak's comments, see http://www.targetmarketingmag.com/article/3-trends-direct-mail-design-2014-top-50-mailers/1

How to Use Direct Mail to Rev Trade Show Marketing

With direct mail accounting for 30% of trade show attendees' ad spending, snail mail is still essential to show marketing even in this increasingly digital world, points out Charles Dugan in a recent Trade Show News Network post. Based on his experience as owner of a trade show display firm, Dugan offers some good tips on direct mail tactics. Starting with the basics, he advises planning at least two campaigns: an early awareness mailing to get planners to put the show on their calendars and then a follow-up mailing closer to the show with exciting materials and attendance incentives. Then cut costs and boost response with targeting, both geographic and demographic. Use available mailing list data to personalize, ranging from gender all the way to ethnicity or specific hobbies. Offer incentives for attendance, with the inclusion of complementary tickets for example. Take advantage of direct mail's unique physicality to make a dimensional package that's fun and enticing, boosting open rates and response. And integrate snail mail with digital, via QR codes for example. QR codes can be used to promote access to exciting website materials, including videos, or something as simple as an online RSVP. For more, see the article at http://www.tsnn.com/news-blogs/why-direct-mail-should-still-be-your-trade-show-marketing-plans

How Direct Mail Can Win Hispanic Market Response

Direct mail is a powerful marketing tool for targeting Hispanic customers, as Hernan Tagliani, president of The Group Advertising and Hispanic communications pro, reminded in a recent article. To bolster his direct mail advocacy, Tagliani cites the Yankelovich Monitor Multicultural Marketing Study findings that 77% of Hispanics won’t discard mail before reading it and 54% of Hispanic adults respond to a direct-mail offer, so Hispanic households are 3.5 times more likely to respond to a direct-mail solicitation than non-Hispanic households. But he also stresses that crafting direct mail to successfully appeal to Hispanics is not simply a matter of sending an English piece to a Spanish-surname list, or translating existing mail copy verbatim into Spanish. He provides five important tips for direct mailers. First, consider the target audience, meaning the decision-maker and his or her likely acculturation level and language dominance -- and that means careful list selection, we would add. Next, make sure to personalize and customize the message whether the direct mail copy is in English, Spanish or bilingual. Get an expert translation if Spanish copy is required to avoid the ineffective, even insulting, impact of a poor literal translation. Customize visuals, too, so that they match and reinforce the multicultural marketing message. And the bottom line for any successful direct mail campaign: Make a compelling offer with a specific response time frame! For more detail, see http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/how-to/marketing/2014/07/direct-mail-geo-targeting-hispanic-buyers.html

Want to Grow Your E-mail List? Turn to Direct Mail

With studies showing the average e-mail list suffers an annual 30% attrition rate, e-mail list growth requires an aggressive lead generation program to do more than just run in place. And direct mail is a great way to rev up that e-mail opt-in acquisition, asserts Cyndie Shaffstall, founder of Spider Trainers, a managed automated e-mail services provider, in a recent Target Marketing blog post. Using direct mail will avoid the risks of e-mail renting, purchasing, borrowing and partnering, risks that run from customer complaints all the way to getting blocked or blacklisted, she points out. Direct-mail lists also are typically less costly than e-mail lists, providing cost savings that can be applied toward mail postage and printing. To execute your mail-to-e-mail conversion campaign, obtain a direct-mail list sans e-mail address but otherwise using list selects for appropriate targeting. The goal is to collect e-mail addresses down the road -- e-mail addresses specifically opted in to your messages. Next craft direct-mail creative that will entice engagement through the use of a high-value offer and drive traffic to a targeted squeeze page and, in many cases, from there to a microsite. The squeeze page and/or microsite will be focused either on introducing the brand or introducing the product, depending on the audience's level of brand recognition. Mail recipients attracted to the squeeze page or microsite will be asked to supply an e-mail address. Visitors may also be asked to respond to a limited number of simple questions for lead scoring. Lead scoring of responses can flag recipients ready for immediate sales follow-up (high scorers), or move respondents into an active nurturing campaign (mid-range scorers), or drop prospects into a drip campaign (low scorers). To maximize e-mail opt-ins, Shaffstall notes two key tactical issues. First, the higher the value of the gift, the higher the conversion rate. Second, the more focused your direct mail list, the more likely it is that the audience will be receptive to your offer. For an example of one company's successful implementation, go to http://www.targetmarketingmag.com/blog/mail-to-email-conversions