SMA September 2006 Newsletter

Winning DIRECT MAIL Solutions for Multiple Decision-Makers

     What if your solution requires the recommendation of one manager - but the approval of a more senior executive? Consider the highly effective "Executive Wrap" Direct Mail Series that subtly pushes each decision-maker to move the process along with the other:

      Package #1: Executive-to-Executive Business Communication

Very businesslike closed-face envelope with no envelope headline.
Envelope's return address includes an executive's name and title
Personalized letter appears on "from the desk of" executive stationery, and is a highly personal communication from one executive to another. Letter's purpose is to deliver the high-level benefit to the final decision-maker, and alert him/her to the second mailing being delivered to the second individual at the company.

      Package #2: Promotional "Big Mailer" to Manager

Strong benefit is introduced on 9x12 envelope
Personal letter advises manager, "As I advised (the senior executive at the company), I've enclosed more information on . . ."
Big brochure gives manager enough benefit and feature information to make a recommendation back to the senior executive

      Package #3: Follow-Up Mailing to Executive

Businesslike closed-face envelope with no envelope headline, return address from executive
Personalized letter on "from the desk of" executive stationery advises executive that his/her manager received the package, but hasn't yet scheduled a meeting.

SDDMA.org Quick Case: How to Re-Navigate a Web Site

Forrester Research found that poor navigation is frequently to blame for cart abandonment. When visitors can't easily find information on shipping, return policy, customer service, etc., they just leave for another more-easily-navigable site.

We recently took a look at www.SDDMA.org, the web site for the San Diego Direct Marketing Association. When we first viewed the site, we couldn't even FIND the navigation bar. And it seemed that the main reasons for visiting the site - finding out about upcoming events, and finding out about membership - couldn't easily be found. But the SDDMA wasn't up for a major re-design.

Our quick solution:

We suggested making the navigation bar larger, so the eye could more easily locate it. (sddma's is strangely in the upper right corner - not where our web-trained eyes usually look for it ) The larger wording not only makes the nav bar easier to see, it also required shrinking the large graphic at the top (which wasn't doing much for the site).
- If you've got your navigation bar placed in an out-of-the-way location, be sure you make it PROMINENT to draw the eye there.
We suggested listing the upcoming speakers in the left column, to get their blockbuster lineup right on the front page so it couldn't be missed. Previously, the left column included a very long testimonial that was stiffly written, making it difficult to read and not adding much benefit. (And the sddma site uses pull-down menus from the nav bar - which always score poorly with users. So we got around the confusing "Events" pull-down options by putting the Events right on the home page.)
Finally, we added a new first subhead in the main column about Joining the SDDMA. That puts membership information - including a bulleted list of benefits, and a link to the membership form - in a PROMINENT location above the fold on the home page. (The nav bar uses the confusing "Get Involved" heading, which most people wouldn't equate with membership.)

The 3-step quick fix above puts the most critically-searched-for items right on the home page - and the fix was fast. Long term, sddma will need to revisit the nav bar headings, get rid of the pull-down menus, and re-design the layout of the site itself.

Many web sites are navigated poorly - because the navigation was developed based on a "we need a section on . . ." process. Usability experts know a much better solution is to re-navigate based on how the site is used.

Considering re-navigating your site? Our proven "12 Steps to Response-Boosting Navigation^SM" can turn your re-navigation project into a simple task with almost immediate results improvement! Contact us at 858-45-6-5894 or dmservices@SMAresource.com.

DATABASE-IN-ACTION: Is Your Email Newsletter Doing Its Job?

Do you have each "click here to read more" link in your email newsletter coded for tracking back to the recipient in your database? By doing a little pre-broadcast coding, you should be able to identify which articles each recipient clicked on in your newsletter. How does this work - and why should you do it?

Best practices in e-newsletters suggest using the following format:

List each article headline ABOVE your masthead. With the proliferation of email preview panes, you want your HEADLINES to show through that preview pane - rather than just your masthead (or worse, a blank space if the recipient has graphics turned off - a common practice now for anyone using MS Outlook). Your article headlines are what will drive recipients to either open your email message or scroll through your message right from the preview pane.
Below the masthead, list each article's headline followed by a few sentences or maybe a paragraph from each article, with a "read more" link. Code each link by article, so you know which article was clicked, and code for tracking back to each individual recipient.

What can you do with this information?

Customize future newsletters by recipient, based on topics clicked on.
Follow-up with direct mail efforts to those recipients interested in a particular solution.
Have your telemarketers follow-up to those who've clicked on a particular article. (Note: telemarketers should USE this knowledge of what article they clicked on, but not ADVISE THE RECIPIENT of that knowledge. They might start by saying, "I was thinking about your situation, and thought you might be interested in our results with . . .".)
Try a different approach for those recipients with no clicks after 2 or 3 newsletter issues.
Profile your opt-out names, looking at their past click behavior. Did they opt-out because they never read any of your articles?

Most marketers find that from 25% to 40% of names on your email list don't click on any of your newsletter articles. Identify the names that haven't clicked over the last 3 issues:

What was the original source of the names?
Do you have a lot of AOL or Gmail names? (see related article)
Do you have a lot of names from any other ISP? (Your emails may be blocked by these ISPs.)
Are some of these names CUSTOMERS?

Consider:

Sending text messages instead of HTML to your inactives, as text messages have a better chance of being delivered - and being intact when they're opened.
Ask recipients to add your company name to their address book at the top of your next email. If your emails are going to their "spam" folder, this may help get your emails noticed.

Are you Under-Utilizing Your "Thank You" Pages and Confirmation Emails?

When visitors to your site register and click "submit", do they get a "thank you" screen with little else? Do you have an auto-responder email that also merely says "thank you for registering"? What about other automatic emails you send - maybe order confirmations, shipping confirmations, etc. - are you using those high-readership communications effectively?

Every "thank you" web page and transactional email message generates extremely high readership. After they've registered or ordered on your web site, you've gotten the desired action. Why not take advantage of that "prime real estate" to motivate the next step?

For prospects, consider links on the "thank you" page to your:
- Special Offers page or Best-Selling Products page or Upcoming Events page
- Product Information pages
- Case Studies pages
  
  If you send a "thank you for registering" email (and you SHOULD!), consider including a promotional offer to drive the first sale. Or if they've registered for your email newsletter, include links to your latest white papers or case studies, and information on your next seminar or webinar.
For customers, consider links on the "thank you" or order confirmation page and within the email to your:
- FAQs page
- Customer Support page
- Accessories page
  
  And include a special offer to drive the next sale.

What are San Diego Direct Marketers saying about the
"Testing Your Way to Direct Mail Success" Guide?

"You should buy this guide and study it to get a jump start on learning the 'how to' of direct mail testing. In my opinion, this how-to handbook is a steal at any price. Karen practically gives away the tools industry veterans learn over the span of their careers."
Ruben Leon, Spectrum Data

The next Guide in the series - Direct Marketing Dashboard: the Financials of DM - will be published in October.
Order the "Testing" Guide now, and receive an e-coupon for $10 off the "Dashboard" or any future Guide. (Active SMA clients will receive free access to the "Dashboard".)

Copyright Strategic Marketing & Advertising, Inc. September 2006. All rights reserved.
You may reprint or copy or distribute "SMA Resource September 2006 Newsletter" with this copyright notice included.

USPS Direct Mail Certificate Classes to Resume in 2007

You can earn a USPS Certificate in Direct Mail Marketing, by boosting your direct mail knowledge in 6 morning classes. The San Diego Postal Customer Council will again offer the classes in 2007. (If you didn't get to complete all 6 classes in 2005 or 2006, you can take the classes you missed and still earn your Certificate.)

Karen Marchetti will again be presenting 4 classes, including:

Offers that Sell on 3/14
Copywriting Workshop (expanded to a 2 ½-hour session) on 4/18
Creative Review (format, package elements, design, and entire package review) on 5/16
How to Test Your Way to Success (Testing, Tracking, Financial Analysis) on 6/13

For registration information, visit www.sdpcc.org.

OFFERS That Sell!!!
March 14, 2007 10:00 am - 12:00 noon

What's the fastest way to improve response? Change the element that drives it -- the Offer. Is your Offer an afterthought? In direct mail, the Offer is one of the 3 critical elements for success (along with List and Creative). In this information-packed session, you'll learn:

How to craft a Direct Sell Offer versus a Lead Generation Offer
How the specific words you use will affect response - either positively or negatively
How to design your Offer(s) to correspond with the logical steps in your sales process
What you need to know to NEVER be surprised about the quality of your leads again
How to actively manage the Lead Quality/Quantity Tradeoff
How to banish the ho-hum "more information" non-Offer
How to make every offer sound irresistible

Plus, over 100 Offer ideas!

COPYWRITING Workshop I
April 18, 2007 9:30 am to 12:00 noon

Copy in direct mail must SELL! How can you ensure your copy gets the job done? Discover a simple 7-step process for planning a more effective creative message. Then you'll put it into practice, as you write and edit various direct mail pieces during this workshop. Before you leave this session, you will know how to:

Develop a creative outline that makes writing your actual direct mail a breeze!
Craft headlines that will get your direct mail opened
Incorporate the key elements of the sales process into all of your copy
Use one of the 7 emotional drivers to craft your message
Write sales letters that really sell
Edit your copy to boost response
Recognize good direct mail copy when you see it!

Bring your latest direct mail efforts to this workshop. You'll discover how to improve your copy to make a tremendous difference in your response

CREATIVE Review
May 16, 2007 10:00 am to 12:00 noon

How do you put an effective direct mail package together? What package format should you use? What pieces should you include inside your envelope - and should you use an envelope? How do you get your package opened - or past the "gatekeeper"? And what makes one direct mail package get 3 times the response of another?

Learn how to review your entire direct mail package from the eyes of your prospect. You'll discover:

Everything you always wanted to know about direct mail formats, including: the best-responding envelope sizes - to self-mailers - to "lumpy" and dimensional packages
The simple process for determining exactly what pieces should go into your package
2 key roles of direct response design - and when design can actually depress response!
7 proven steps to effective design of any direct mail package
How your package is viewed by your prospect - along with a half-dozen ways to easily boost its response

Attendees' packages will be discussed during this session (like having a personal consultation with the instructor)!

TESTING Your Way to Direct Mail Success!
June 13, 2007 10:00 am to 12:00 noon

Testing is the key to maximizing every dollar of your direct mail investment. It's how you can steadily boost your response rate -- and your profit! Each time you mail, you should be learning something - by comparing Lists, Offers, headlines, emotional appeals, and more. Find out:

What to test first - and why
How to construct a test - and how to read results
How to test more than one element at a time
How many should you mail for valid results
How to set up tracking
How to analyze what really happened in your test

You'll learn how to run the critical "DM Math" calculations including: breakeven analysis, response analysis, return on investment (ROI), test of statistical significance - and more. If you're using direct mail as a significant part of your marketing effort, you should ALWAYS BE TESTING! Find out how to do it right - and test your way to success!

	Package #1: Executive-to-Executive Business Communication Very businesslike closed-face envelope with no envelope headline. Envelope's return address includes an executive's name and title Personalized letter appears on "from the desk of" executive stationery, and is a highly personal communication from one executive to another. Letter's purpose is to deliver the high-level benefit to the final decision-maker, and alert him/her to the second mailing being delivered to the second individual at the company.
	Package #2: Promotional "Big Mailer" to Manager Strong benefit is introduced on 9x12 envelope Personal letter advises manager, "As I advised (the senior executive at the company), I've enclosed more information on . . ." Big brochure gives manager enough benefit and feature information to make a recommendation back to the senior executive
	Package #3: Follow-Up Mailing to Executive Businesslike closed-face envelope with no envelope headline, return address from executive Personalized letter on "from the desk of" executive stationery advises executive that his/her manager received the package, but hasn't yet scheduled a meeting.