Posted on Tue, Jul 13, 2010
By Lon Chapman, Executive Vice President
In online marketing, there is always a new shiny object to grab our attention. And because of this, we are fooled into thinking that the rules of marketing must be equally as dynamic. We want them so badly to be dynamic; the same-old, same-old rules just seem so, well, old-fashioned.
But marketing is marketing. And the rules really haven’t changed since the stone age of marketing. That’s because though the tools of marketing may evolve, human behavior endures.
The fact is, direct marketing tenets are far more elastic than most of the medium that they govern.
So what motivates people to give to your organization online is not that different from what makes them give over the phone or in the mail – or in direct solicitations.
At the risk of sounding like the “old folks” I derided as being “so yesterday” when I first entered the direct marketing world more than a handful of years ago, this blog topic was first published as a newsletter article I wrote about direct mail marketing in a pre-Google/Twitter/Facebook world.
Back then (and still today), everyone was looking for that magic teaser that would make our donors want rip open the envelope to see what was inside, and ultimately give.
The guiding principle was and still is an economy of words – getting your message across in as few words as possible.
When I revisited this topic, I was not really surprised to find that the rules are as applicable today as they were when I first wrote this article. In fact, in some ways they are even more so because these days donors are responding as much to consumerist values as they are to philanthropic motivations when deciding to whom to give.
Simply put, donors are looking for the biggest bang for their buck.
The following six words all are “value” words. They supplement and complement your argument to give. But be warned that by themselves they are NOT a reason to give, they are simply motivational. However, combined with your argument to give, they can be magic. They will tip the decision process on whether to read your email – or open the envelope – in your favor.
FREE Yes, the “F-word”. The impact of this one word to getting response cannot be underscored enough. It is every marketer’s friend, commercial and non-profit alike. Embrace it.
NEW There is something enticing about that which is new. It says to a donor: “This is not the same old stuff you have seen before.”
SIMPLE Process driven aspects of the appeal whether it be filling out a survey or contribution page seem less laborious.
FAST The internet was built on immediate gratification. Plus, everyone says they are way too busy … except when it comes to watching YouTube.
URGENT It’s a toss-up between “urgent” and “important” as to which is more impactful. Regardless, “urgency” is a primal copywriting “hook” for a reason.
YOU This is probably the most important of all the words – even more so than FREE – for its sheer versatility and impact. As marketers we can never forget that our job is to make the connection between the consumer/donor and the product. Without the “you”, there is no connection.
As important as these words are, there are definitely more. Which do you think are the most important ones?
Posted on Tue, Jun 22, 2010
By Suzanne Kirkendall, Production Manager
Regardless of the state of the economy, direct marketers and their clients are always looking to save a buck. The production process is the most costly part of the direct mail process, and as a result offers the most opportunities to save money!
1. Try downsizing. Take a look at your current packages and consult your production team about alternate sizes for components – newsletters, calendars, brochures or other inserts, for example. Sometimes even a minor change in size may provide cost savings if it means running more efficiently on press equipment – a better fit on the press means less paper and less waste.
2. Change paper stock to help offset rising paper prices. Consider reducing paper weights – Instead of the usual 60# paper stock, try 55# paper for your letters, or for a two page letter or insert use 50#. For some inserts, you can even try a lower paper grade. Small changes can lower cost without lowering quality.
3. Use existing dies. Is a custom die cut necessary for a window envelope or address labels, or can you design around an existing die that you’ve used before, or a printer already has in inventory? You can save hundreds this way in die cut charges.
4. Gang run your printing. You can significantly lower your print costs if you can gang run whenever possible. For example, you may be printing for a large prospect mailing and you plan to use same or different versions of some components in subsequent appeals. Gang printing these components can save on costly set up charges and lower costs on your overall budget.
Are you printing OEs and BREs for an ongoing acknowledgement or renewal program, but can’t print for 6 months or a year? Often you can work out a lower negotiated price with a printer if you can commit to an annual volume.
5. Piggyback. For print jobs that might be cost prohibitive to smaller organization, piggyback with another of your production vendor’s clients print run and share the savings. Because of our large annual print volumes at AH&A we can offer savings to all of our clients.
6. Commingle. Maximize your postage discounts! One of the best ways to reduce you postage costs is through commingling. If you are not currently commingling your mail, it is simply the process of combining several mail streams from multiple mailers into one mailstream, which can result in big postage savings. If you’re not sure about your savings potential, a postage cost savings comparison can be provided by your mailshop.
7. UAAC or PCOA. Don’t waste money on undeliverable mail. NCOA (National Change of Address) is based on information submitted to the Post Office. But did you know that up to 40% of moves are not reported? The address you may have on file that has been processed through NCOA, may be valid, but the addressee my not reside at that location due to death, divorce, etc. Running your file against UAA (undeliverable-as-addressed) national databases such as UAAC or PCOA, you can suppress those UAA mailing records saving printing, mailing and postage for undeliverable mail! Charges apply only to matches found, and the savings far outweighs the cost per suppression.
As great as these suggestions are, there are still even more ways to save money on production costs! What are YOUR favorite cost cutting tips?