Convert Your Mailing List into a Useful Customer Database

I  see a lot of data on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Its become very clear that many companies have a mailing list but only some have a useful marketing database. Now, I realize there are instances where we are only supplied with a portion of information a company may have. However, given the amount of data that is turned over to us and the clean up that regularly needs to be performed, I do believe I see an accurate sample.

It has become clear that companies with a true marketing database always produce a more relevant communication piece than companies who simply haphazardly gather tidbits of data. In the end, some companies market, the rest just mail. 

Put yourself in your recipients shoes... would you rather receive a direct mail piece that speaks to you, containing information, offers, promotions, and products or services you like (or even love)?  Or a generic one-size-fits-all message geared at the heard? Today, widely available tools make collecting, maintaining and efficiently utilizing customer data painless and cost effective for any size business. Crafting a straight forward marketing message targeting customers reaps huge pay-offs. 

It is our experience, based on tracking metrics and analyzation, that direct mail campaigns from companies who spend the extra effort to maintain a database outperforms those who do not.

If you don't currently maintain a customer database there is good news, is its never too late to start! Start by thinking about your clients or customers. You want to be able to identify your relationship with them

Customer Database Basics 

Questions to help you create and maintain a useful customer database to maximize marketing communication and improve direct mail response rates.

Start by thinking about your clients or customers. You want to be able to identify your relationship with each of them. Use the following questions to begin brainstorming what pieces of data you may want to include in your customer database. 

• Who is your customer? 
• Why do this customer do business with you?
• What types of products or services does this customer buy from you? Why? 
• What vertical market is this customer in?
• What markets does this customer service?
• What type of customer are they? High profit or high volume? Are they quick pay? 

These are just a few data points which most businesses can easily identify and collect, converting a simple mailing list into a powerful marketing communication tool.  You can now identify and segment your customers into groups and create messages that speak to the most important or relevant issue for them.

Designing a Company Logo: Guidelines for Creating a Custom Business Logo

Tips to guarantee you receive high-quality digital files of your company logo from the designer, and maintain file quality internally.

Your organization has probably already invested or will soon invest a substantial amount of money and time developing a corporate logo and identity. Yet, oddly enough, many companies and organizations never actually "get" a quality digital file of the logo to use for marketing collateral or other needs.

As designers, we face this situation often, and it is perplexing. If a client can't provide high-quality artwork for a project, we need to re-create it. Spending time re-creating a logo is a waste of time and costs you money. It’s never too late for your organization to get and keep high-quality digital files of your business logo.

Why is a high quality digital file of a custom logo important?

Knowing what to ask your logo designer for and how to maintain high-quality digital files will help your company:

• Reduce project time – Speed things up! Eliminate unnecessary time spent re-creating artwork by providing high-quality digital artwork with a project.

• Cut costs – Once is enough...Stop paying over and over for something that’s already been done.

• Maintain brand consistency – Ever played telephone? The need to re-create your logo for every project can cause its appearance to morph over time due to design inconsistencies.

What is the best file format for a logo?

There are two types of file formats best suited for logo artwork.

1. Vector Based File -

A vector file is the best file type for reproduction of a logo because it can be enlarged to virtually any size, and still retains crisp, high-resolution quality with no distortion.

Two common types of vector files are:

• Encapsulated PostScript or EPS file - EPS files will have the extension:

.eps

.epsf

.epsi

• Adobe Illustrator or AI File – AI files will have the extension:

.ai

2. Pixel or Bitmap Based File -

If your logo has photographic images in it, or you can't get a vector file, the next-best file format for a logo is a pixel-based file. Since these formats are pixel-based images, get a large file size to ensure the best reproduction quality.

Two common types of pixel-based files are:

• Adobe Photoshop or PSD file - PSD files will have the extension:

.psd

• Tagged Image or TIFF file - TIFF files will have the extension:

.tif

.tiff

What are other tips to make the most of a logo?

• Transparent Background – It's best to get your logo on a transparent background; this allows it to be dropped onto a colored background without having a white "box" appearing around the logo.

• Reverse Version – Ask your designer to create a reverse version of your logo; this allows it to reproduce well on a dark or black background.

• Keep it Safe – Give copies of the digital file to key employees who may work with outside suppliers to produce printed and electronic marketing materials, signage, or advertising.

A high quality digital file of your company logo will guarantee your organization works more efficiently, saving time and money.

Remember: Better quality artwork yields a more professional image.

Direct Marketing – When and How Often?

Clients often ask, “How often should I send direct marketing?” The question they really should be asking is: “What will it take for the right people to respond?”

Generally, it takes 7 “touches” for your message to resonate in the mind of your customers. That “touch” can happen in the form of word-of-mouth, multi-media, advertising or in-person contact. Direct mail is one of the best ways to be sure that the right marketing communication gets to the right person. 

For retail marketing and quick sales, “showering” potential customers can work. Multiple direct mail and email marketing bursts, sent a couple of days apart, can generate buzz, create a sense of urgency and build fast sales. Personalizing your messages – based on your individual customer’s preferences and past sales history – will make your offer more valuable to each customer. Backed up with POP, social media and advertising, this concentrated approach can succeed for short-term promotions.

For most B2B marketing and large ticket sales the marketing goal is to put your company FIRST in each customer’s mind. Since the “ripe” time for a customer’s purchase is often unpredictable, a steady, consistent stream of direct marketing would be the best approach. For instance, sending a direct mailing every 3 or 5 weeks allows your direct mail piece to arrive at different points in each customer’s monthly work cycle. Personalizing direct mail messages – based on what you know about a customer’s individual needs and industry demands – will make your message more significant.  

When designing subsequent direct marketing offers, stay committed to the theme but allow offers and graphics to be tweaked based on campaign performance and client responses. Engaging in a regular schedule of direct marketing communication will pay off; clients who do so generally see an 8-10% increase in response rate over the course of the year.

Regardless of individual marketing challenges, presenting useful information and attractive offers will always resonate with customers for both short-term and long-term marketing promotions and campaigns.