Last month Jim made some suggestions on how to get your feet wet in social marketing. I suggest you give them a try if they are relevant to your business. But, I also want to remind you not to "put all your eggs in one basket." Some companies are drastically cutting back on their direct mail efforts as they begin to delve into the world of social media. Others are starting to classify email marketing as "old school."

It is important for you to continue to communicate with your clients and prospects across a variety of channels, including direct mail, email, and from time to time that old dinosaur called the telephone. They key to success is smarter implementation of your traditional marketing campaigns by:

• cleansing your mailing list by removing bad addresses and duplicates.
• designing a mail piece that will stand out from others. The mailbox is one place where you are facing less competition for people's attention.
• engaging in regular relevant conversations via email with your clients and prospects. Share content that will help them in business or their personal lives.

Let us help you re-assess your traditional marketing efforts and get them sizzling again.

Sincerely,
Tom Forbes
President, ForbesAMG
Phone: 973-601-8110
Tom@ForbesAMG.com

• The overwhelming majority of U.S. internet users research online to find local products and services, according to the User View Wave VII from BIA/Kelsey and ConStat. The most common online tool used for local research was search. Nearly one-half of respondents used internet yellow pages and 42% checked comparison-shopping sites before heading to local businesses, reported eMarketer. Read More

• There is a fundamental shift happening in the way that people consume content. Less than 60% of people read email messages exclusively on a computer screen, according to the Email Experience Council. And as hundreds of millions of people interact and share content across social media sites, organizations are increasingly working to understand how to optimize engagement in the social and mobile realm, reported DMnews. Read More

• Pull marketing tactics such as search, blog and social media generate cheaper leads than more traditional outbound efforts, according to data from inbound online marketing platform HubSpot. The 2010 State of Inbound Marketing report indicates that spending on lead generation is 60% less among companies that devote at least one-half of their budget to inbound marketing, compared with companies spending at least one-half of lead generation dollars on outbound tactics, reported eMarketer. Read More

• The U.S. Postal Service's board of governors approved the agency's request on March 24 to move to a five-day home delivery schedule. The USPS will present the plan to the Postal Regulatory Commission oversight board on March 30, reported DMnews. Read More

• The U.S. Postal Service recently announced changes to the format and handling of postage statements, effective in March 2010. The format of the statements will be changing to reflect the conversion of Bulk Mail Centers (BMCs) to Network Distribution Centers (NDCs). The handling of the statements will change for hard copy statements vs. electronic statements, and these handling differences will depend on whether or not the acceptance unit is connected to the PostalOne! system, according to Presort.com. Read More

• Direct marketers are beginning to see green shoots of economic recovery, but the media mix continues to shift and experts predict direct mail will never regain its dominance, reported DMnews. Read More

CASE STUDIES
The 110-year-old American Ceramic Society (ACS) has been publishing magazines since 1953, but it only committed itself to digital communications, including email and ecommerce, in 2007. Since then, though, the non-for-profit organization has expanded it reach to more than 60,000 subscribers in 100-plus countries. What's more, sales of its books, magazines, and DVDS have soared by more than 200%, to "well over $5 million," according to Charlie Spahr, CEO/president of the Ceramic Publications Co., the ACS's wholly owned division responsible for the organization's print and digital products. That growth, he adds, is all due to the company's email marketing. ACS's Ceramic Arts Daily enewsletter mails six days a week. The newsletter supports the CeramicArtsDaily.org website by spotlighting one feature from the site each day, according to Direct Magazine. Read More

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