Do Mass Mailings Offer a Good ROI?

Reposted from my Mint Condition Blog of July 30:

You’ve had your launch party, your anniversary event or your networking fair. You’ve collected dozens if not hundreds of names and addresses. Now, what are you to do with these? Tradition dictates that you send a mass mailing. But are you going to get the maximum return on a mailing? After all, your marketing budget has been slashed.

A recent Profit Impact of Marketing Strategies (PIMS) study found that companies who kept up their marketing budgets during a recession gained, on average, an additional 1.3% of market share during the recovery period. Given that, how can you assure the best ROI on your marketing mailing?

Asses Your Options
Is a mass mailing the right option for you? We know that our business culture is in the midst of a dramatic shift and is becoming much more consumer driven. The local option has most often become the more appealing option. Are you giving the personal touch that customers are looking for? Are your clients local enough to maximize face time with them? Perhaps rather than mail, you want to actually stop in and talk to your client face to face.

Let’s say your business is internet driven. In such a case, an email blast might be the best option to effectively reach your customers. They clearly are comfortable with contacting you via technological means, why not stay within their comfort zone?

Or maybe your client base or event was so big that you can’t possibly visit each customer personally. A postal mailing might actually be your best option.

But how to best approach any of these mediums?

Make It Relevant
The most essential tip across the board is to make sure that you are speaking TO your customers… not just speaking.

Present information that is relevant to the market—information that is relevant to your customers.
How many mailings or emails do you get that don’t really tell you anything? And where do those mailings end up? In the circular file to be sure.

In addition to keeping abreast of your market’s climate, it’s important to keep abreast of your target market’s climate as well. This way you can confidently address the current pain and how your company helps relieve that pain. This is certain to speak to your customer base.

If it’s Email Make it Legal
Many reputable small businesses do not educate themselves on Anti Spam Laws. This can get you in trouble with the FTC. Two provisions in the law are often overlooked by unknowledgeable email “blast” senders:

• Opt-out methods must be provided. A response mechanism must be provided for the receiver to opt-out of any future commercial messages from the sender. In addition, opt-out requests must be processed for at least 30 days after the initial commercial email was sent, and senders have 10 business days after an opt-out request to stop sending messages to that address. Messages cannot be sent to the opt-out requestor on behalf of the sender by any other entity.
• Commercial email must be identified as an advertisement and it must include the sender's business name and valid postal address. The receiver must be clearly informed that the message is an advertisement or solicitation, he must be told he can opt-out of future mailings, and a valid physical postal address must be included in the message.

Additionally, it is best practice to use BCC if you’re doing your own small mailing. Otherwise each email on the list is viewable by other recipients and can unfortunately (worst case) lead to your customers being spammed by other businesses irrelevant to them.

Make it TransPromotional
It has been said that 80% of business is repeat business. So, build upon documents you are already sending your customers. Whether it’s a quote, monthly statement, invoice or confirmation, tailor a solution or special offer to meet that client’s needs.

If they’ve ordered 400 rolls of recycled paper towels for their office, offer them compostable plastic cups at a reduced price on their next order. Whatever your business, TransPromotional Marketing is an easy way to reach a customer you are already in contact with.

Additionally, if your customers pay their bills online, you can include this in their payment confirmation email.

Make it Memorable
This may be a bit blunt, but you aren’t a design expert. Leave this to the professionals. Understandably many companies are on tight budgets these days and it’s easy to think that your design work can be done by your office manager, your wife or your teenage son. Chances are, unless they are design professional, you’re going to get inferior design work and it will reduce your company’s perceived value.

If you’re hoping for maximum ROI, you’ve got to make the investment. Go local. Go freelance. Go big budget. Go small budget. But be sure to get a competent designer who understands how to present your best face to the world.

Make it Measurable
Create a way for the customer to touch you back. By bringing the card in, the customer receives a 20% discount on spa services. Offer two for one dinner entrees when they present the mailing within the next three months. Have a giveaway which requires that they email you back by a certain date.

This allows you to measure which customers are responding to your contact and how to tailor your list for the next round of mail.

Don’t Overdo It
Know when enough is enough. Although you want to stay at the top of mind for your customers, if you slam them with too much information, it just gets annoying. Find a comfortable pace at which to send your info and keep it up. Stay consistent, but don’t pester.

If you’re unsure of how your pieces are being received, ask your best customers to answer a survey. Find out from them what they think is good information, how often they would like to see it, or if it’s even being read.

You Need Professional Help
Enlist the help of a Marketing/Creative Services firm. Most local shops will work per project at a reasonable rate. This is a great way to increase your perceived value, and thus, your market share with a nominal investment.

Jennifer "Mintie" Scanland is the CEO and Creative Director of Mint Condition Creative Solutions, a freelance-based creative services firm. For more information visit http://www.mintconditioncreative.com

Mintie, On Being and Nothingness

On Being and Nothingness

Living in Chicago, you kind of forget how small you are.

Sounds kind of weird to say when you live in a city of 3 million+ people. But it really is in seclusion that you remembr how small we really are.

When I was a child, we would drive out into cornfields and watch the night sky. Meteorite watching, planet hunting and shuttle spotting. I’m talking 40-50 miles south of Chicago in the mid 70s. The city was not nearly as bright as it is now... but it was there, and so very close. But meteorites appeared aplenty and I could always tell you which planets were making a guest appearance on a given night. This was one of my major quests as a child and instilled the first answer to the question “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Astronaut was the main goal in those days.

My world travels have taken me to all points of the globe, but none very removed from a major city. The closest I’ve come to being in the desert was Las Vegas, which is much too bright to view the night sky. The light of cruise ships didn’t help stargazing even in the Caribbean. And Rome or Paris, being so brightly, lit were not good planet viewing venues

Nay, it is being 160 miles (~100 as the crow flies) from Chicago, on a major body of water. Major, being a great lake... Lake Michigan to be precise. And on the edge of the woods.

A friend invited me to his family’s cottage near Grand Haven, Michigan, where conveniences are well within reach... but far enough away to be nearly *remote*. And being on the lakefront added to the reclusiveness of it all. Of course we filled the cottage with lively inhabitants. Many of whom, we’ve known for years. So the waking hours were filled with laughter, conversation and revelry.

But at the end of one particularly lovely day. One in which we walked up the beach into town to partake in local events, sightsee, buy trinkets, relax and generally be tourists, many of the weekend’s guests shuffled off to bed early... er... “early”, exhausted from the fresh air and activity.

As I bogarted images off digital cameras and downloaded videos from the weekend to create a keepsake DVD, I found myself the lone creature skulking about the house at this hour. I dimmed all the lights in the house and bundled up to face the chilly May breeze and staged a small sit-in on the cottage’s back porch.

In this midst of this solitude it reminded me of how small I really am.

The only sound is the breeze in the trees... the crashing of the waves... and my own heartbeat. Smell of fresh lake water... spring foliage... and the wood of neighboring cottages.

As my eyes adjusted to the darkness I was struck by how vast the lake is. Yes, it’s a lake, not an ocean. And although you *may* see a dim light from Milwaukee across the lake, it really does seem as if you are peering into an abyss.

But the most spectacular... and, I am sorry to say, most *forgotten* sight were the stars. They weren’t a “is that an airplane?”... or “what is that bright spot? oh, it must be a planet” type sightings. They truly were there hanging just above my head... DOZENS of them!

This is not a “camping in the outback” type epiphany... but an “I’ve been amongst the bright lights of the city and forgot about stars” realization. Twinkling. Bright. Steady. Constant.

There they were. In patterns for me to try to decipher. Or just to admire. Hanging above my head. As they have always been. And will always be.

Finding Value in Social Media Marketing

FINDING VALUE IN SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

No doubt you’ve heard of MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and the variety of other social media sites available at our current moment in time.

Twitter, arguably, is the flavor of the week with it’s recent outing on Oprah as well as Ashton Kutcher’s campaign to reach 1 million followers before CNN reached the same goal.
The question lies in the value of these sites.

It can be agreed that for social communication, if you are only following friends and only friends are following you, then yes, you’re going to get that all important question answered by your friends, which is “What are they doing right now?” In addition, they might post a news story or photos of the new baby or other information that might interest you as well.

SOCIAL MARKETING

The recent trend, however, has turned towards marketing on the social media sites. As a marketing professional, my clients, friends and even my mom have asked me about the value in marketing on Twitter. I have my own thoughts on the subject. My own theories. My own predictions. But I was interested to hear from individuals trying to market their small [or large] sized business on social media.

I was recently asked to host @Firgs’ (of Design by Firgs) chat on Twitter. This is a chat which I frequently participate in and it covers topics on graphic design, web development, technology, social media and marketing, etc. all of which Mint Condition is involved in. I find it an interesting and useful networking forum where I can share opinions with other creative professionals on a given topic. So, the question I posted as the host of the chat is “What is the value of marketing on Twitter?”

The results were clear. Most of the creative professionals I talked to don’t use Twitter as a marketing tool. Most use it as info gathering, i.e., retweets, articles, etc. It just doesn’t seem to be a great ROI (your investment being your time). For example, if you charge a client $75 per hour for your time and you’re spending four hours a day on Twitter marketing your business, are you getting a return on investment of that time?

I think in most cases, the answer is NO… and here’s why.

THE DEGRADATION OF TWITTER

First, it appears that Twitter has become a popularity contest. To be able to say “I have 20,000 followers reading my tweets on whatever mundane tasks I’m performing during my normal life” is something of a bragging rite. Therefore, the value of these tweets certainly comes into question… if they were ever interesting to begin with.

Second, if you’re following people en masse, solely to get them to follow you, you risk losing those followers by posting something that is not relevant to them, because you have not targeted directly to them. In addition, if people are following you only because they follow everyone who is following them, chances are they are not reading all of the tweets that come across their deck… so they’re not reading yours.

The ultimate goal is to find your target market. Get the right followers following you so they can benefit from information about your service or product. Your business model tells you who your target market is. Find them, offer them something relevant and the response surely will follow.
Third, the majority of mass followers are mass marketers. Your marketing tweets are falling on the deaf ears of other marketers and in most cases they are mass marketers. There is nothing more annoying than being tweetspammed by some tweep posting 12 tweets in a row with info ranging from a fat burning pill, to the latest hair growth product. These people immediately get unfollowed on my Twitter.

VALUE

Finally, and certainly not the least of these is VALUE. Make your tweets valuable. Just because it’s free doesn’t mean it has to be fodder. Tweet as if it’s a paid ad. Make it not only relevant, but valuable.

Use your experience and insight to craft a meaningful article for publication and point your followers to it. Blog relevantly and intelligently. Position yourself as an expert so your product or service becomes a highly sought after commodity. Create something valuable to contribute to the world (perhaps a chat like @Firgs does). Because in the end, it’s value which will prevail.

UNGRACEFUL DEMISE

Unfortunately, our world (and especially our cyber world) is full of uneducated, irresponsible marketers trying to find a quick, easy and cheap way to get people to spend their money on valueless products. Because of this, my prediction is that Twitter will die an ungraceful death in a ball of tweetspammers hawking miracle products to each other.



Jennifer “Mintie” Scanland is the Creative Director and CEO of Mint Condition Creative Solutions in Chicago. You can follow @MintCondCreativ on Twitter.

Mint Condition Celebrates Earth Day

This Earth Day, 2009 is a very special day for Mint Condition Creative Solutions. As many of you know, our fundraiser ends this Friday, which will cover our start up costs and officially signal the opening of our doors for business.

A long time coming, Mint Condition is the culmination of my career in graphic design and event planning and marketing in Chicago. It comes at a point in my life where I have gained much experience, not only in design, but in business management and practices.

It also comes at a time when I am more in tuned to our environment, global issues and crises and the negative impact we, as consumptive humans can have on our planet and its inhabitants.

Because I’ve grown into this awareness, it is important that Mint Condition not only be an environmentally aware company, but an environmentally ACTIVE company. In fact, it’s written into our Mission Statement:

Mint Condition Creative Solutions strives to be an environmentally active company that provides customers with a one-stop shop for all of their visual communication services. Mint Condition Creative will listen to our customers' needs, anticipate their wants and deliver exceptional creative solutions and unparalleled customer service whilst striving to make a positive impact on our environment.

Sure, it’s one thing to say it and yet another to do it. This week, we are “retrofitting” our home office in an effort to further lower our carbon footprint.

In addition to employing environmentally conscious service providers and printers, Mint Conditon’s home office personnel start our commitment by:

• Using recycled papers and vegetable inks as well as refurbished high capacity ink cartridges,
• Reusing printer paper for in-office prints as well as recycling all waste paper,
• Working solely with the MacBook Pro family of computers, the world’s greenest family of notebooks,
• Traveling via public transportation (CTA, Metra), bicycling and walking to all appointments when possible. If not, Mint Condition uses the care-share service Zipcar for long distance travel or large delivery
• Pending an affiliation in the Chicago Sustainable Business Alliance,
• Offsetting our electricity usage with Wind Power RECs via Renewable Choice,
• Supporting environmentally conscious and local businesses, and
• Giving back to the community and the world.

Let’s all make an effort to think about the impact we have on our world in every action we take today and every day.

Well, I think I'm in Love!

Valentino...
he's the man of the moment, isn't he? I knew he was going on a PR blitz when he outfitted nearly EVERYONE at the Oscars this year. So, what does he roll out for spring?

My favorite of his bags... perfected.
HISTOIRE FRAMED TOTE

The previous bag was the same gorgeous leather (pearlized or patent) with the same pockets up front and the luxuriously tactile braided handles. I carried one during one of my trips to Vegas last year... I couldn't get enough of that handle. Hard to explain. I'm just a tactile girl.

The downside to the original Histoire is, if you're a city girl, the top flap closure was a bit obtrusive. Whilst carrying your cell phone in one hand and a Latte in the other, if you have to reach for anything in the bag to facilitate in your commute, shopping excursion, lunch, or wherever you're going... it's much to difficult to fumble around with a top flap.

City girls need top loading (And CLOSING... this is directed at Signora Prada!) handbags.

Although I will always adore the aesthetic of the original Histoire... the Sequel (unlike Monsieur St. Laurent's consecutive Muse bags) hits the mark! (ed. note: my Muse bag is still the darling of my closet, alhough Groovee is the bag of the moment!)

Unfortunately, we're in a down economy, and I'm embarking on a new business venture, so I won't be spending $2,400 on this bag.

1.40.4.10

Tomorrow (the 10th) I will be 40. Yes, you read that right... 40.

Every year I get myself a "Birthday Present". Last year it was my YSL bag. This year it needed to be big... like BIG big. I thought about a bracelet or a ring. But I'm not a jewelry girl. I like timeless pieces. Simple Metals. Stainless. White Face. Black Numbers. And maybe one Sapphire. Round. Really Round. And big... like BOY big!

So, I bought myself the Cartier Ballon Bleu watch in the men's size. I've had links removed to fit my wrist. And it will debut on Friday. Lunch with my friend Sarah who is in town from Berlin, Germany... then a spa day (gift from my mom) before I head home to prepare dinner for my closest, dearest and most special friends (those in Chicago anyway).

So, Happy Birthday to me.

Double Header Wednesday

Just a brief update to the happenings on this blog.

I have been sadly remiss in keeping up to date on this blog, and I apologize for that. I'm going to work on being more regular on here.

There have been a few changes in my day to day activities. I am currently shiftless... but in the embryonic stage of finally opening my own design firm. Stay tuned for details on that. Our temporary website is www.mintconditioncreative.com and I expect to be up and running by mid summer.

Also, since I have more time on my hands, the VIDEO bug has hit me. In fact, tomorrow, I expect to shoot a fair amount of footage for an upcoming mini documentary project that I'm working on. So, watch this space for more info on that. And I've been helping out (disguised as helping out... but more like learning from) a friend who is currently filming a full length MS Related documentary called ON THAT DAY

Until I have updates on my mini documentaries, you can have a look at a quickie little video I edited. Film footage is mine, obviously, and the photographs are mine as well.



You'll note that I just posted a FASHION blog. And since this is my birthday week, I'm working on a MUSING.

Thanks for stopping by... and stay tuned for more fun and excitement

The Old Woman Who Lived in Her Shoes

I fear my days of very high heels are behind me. If that truly is the case, I have about 200 pair of 8s if anyone wants to take a look.

Basically, these days, I reserve them for very special occasions.

So, this weekend is my birthday, and my couturier friend is making one of his designs for me... a scandalously short black and white dress (which I will be wearing leggings under, because scandalously short is VERY age inappropriate for me!) And at my last fitting, I brought along shoes, so he could help me decide on them (and a bag)

So, I'll be wearing these shoes to my birthday party Saturday night.











Aren't they Fabulous!!!

Then, tonight I'm snooping around the internet cuz I can't sleep, and I run across these:

How CRAZY amazing are those?!?
Ok... yes, they are limited edition Louboutins, and you can only get them in Paris... but I would imagine they are something crazy like $5 grand or something. But oh, wouldn't they be the bees knees?!?

My fascination with the Loubs continues... (even tho I can no longer wear the two pair I own, but can't bear to part with them)
And forever... I will live in my shoes... even if it's just sitting around the house in them whilst I blog about them!