Marketing Communications for Small Business....

“Hale, hale, the mail’s still here: use it.”

Contrary to some pundit’s obits, The United States Postal Service is not dead. Okay, maybe ailing, but it’s not terminal.   Direct mail is still a cost effective, measurable tool for marketing communications.

In the October 2010 issue of Deliver for Marketers, John Jantsch, author of  Duct Tape Marketing, The World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide” says, “Even though there’s a lot of hype about everybody being online today, there are still certain people you’re not going to reach unless you’re using highly target direct mail.”

Right on, John! The gloomies are wrong. Email marketing isn’t going to kill direct mail; it’s going to change how and when it’s used. TV didn’t kill radio or movies. They are all still around and for some marketers a very important part of their marketing communications program.

An annoying email can not be as effective as a colorful little postcard in your mailbox with an announcement or an offer. For example,   Bellview Wineries, in Hammonton, NJ, let’s us know when special festivals are coming up and when new wines will be available. Our vet sends cute little postcards to remind us that Sadie, our little Patterdale Terrier is due for some shots. This week, all the politicians are sending us giant post cards to tell us how wonderful they are and that their competitors are totally incompetent.

The stuff from the politicians is intrusive, but it’s still placed in our hands with their messages. Our vet and winery have Web sites, but their mail brings welcome messages that we would not have gone looking for on the Internet.

Tip for the Little Guy:  Direct mail formats are flexible. They can be inexpensive, targeted and timely. They should be part of your marketing communications mix. The United States Postal Service may be losing money, but they can help you make some.

Hey, you couldn’t ask for a better partner. And stop calling it junk mail. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.

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Marketing communicators can get juice from handouts

Recently, with my daughter and college-bound granddaughter, I attended a workshop session titled “Financing Your College Education.” The presenter, from Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, did an excellent job of scaring the hell out of a lot of folks in the room. But he did provide hope and good advice for jumping through the many hoops of applying for financial aid and how to dig into the cubbyholes to ferret out the numerous programs available.

And yet, we came home without any handouts that could have supported his presentation and served as a follow-up reference with the Web addresses of the many agencies and sources he discussed.  We didn’t forget the handouts; he didn’t provide any.

Now that was a missed opportunity to promote himself and Stockton while helping all those who attended. Sure, you’re supposed to take notes. But isn’t it more effective to give folks your take-home message in an easily digested form like Cliff Notes?

A presenter is in a unique position as a marketing communicator. He has the spotlight and the attention of an audience that wants to know what he has to say. It’s a wonderful opportunity to sell himself and his business or institution.  I’m not talking about a blatant sales pitch. I’m talking about capitalizing on the permission you have…the permission to make an impression about you and the product, person, place or idea that you’re promoting.

In this age of cheap and easy desktop publishing, there’s no excuse for not providing your audience with handouts. But don’t give them out before your presentation or some smarties will breeze through them and get way ahead of you-- and your charisma and ability to communicate.

Tip for the little guy:  The handout—don’t leave home without it. Marketing communicators must be opportunists. Seize every opportunity to juice all communications tools.

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Colleges set poor example of trade show marketing at National College Fair

Trade shows and exhibits can be powerful marketing communications tools. That’s why I was so disappointed when I attended the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) College Fair in Atlantic City Oct. 21, 2010. One word can describe the 256 exhibits: dull. The booths, the displays, the signage—all dull. The only bright spots were the bright youngsters working their 10’ x 10’s while collecting mailing addresses and hyping their institutions.

Only a few exhibitors went beyond the standard booth ID sign at the top back of their booth and added a little extra signage. A table across the front of every booth blocked the chance of anyone stepping in and out of the aisle traffic for a chat.

Every booth presented an opportunity for a powerful first impression, a chance to run videos and/or slide shows, a chance for eye-popping graphics, a chance for a drawing (if allowed) to capture names for a follow-up mailing. They missed the opportunity.

I would guess that most prospects were visitors that came looking for a particular college. They should have gone home with more than a plastic bag full of literature. They could have asked for that on the Web. They should have gone home with a powerful impression of the colleges they contacted.

I assume all the exhibitors invested their money in the hope they would attract new students. They were presented with busloads of youngsters who came for news and information. They had the right audience, but they did little to get them to snuggle up for more details. If there’s anything college-bound kids don’t need, it’s more dull. Duh?

Tip for the little guy: If you’re going to invest time and money in a trade show or exhibit, squeeze all the juice from them that you can. Getting belly-to-belly with an audience interested in what you have to offer is a great way to get the conversation started, to qualify prospects and provide a reason to follow up with them soon and often.

But the most important tip: Don’t be dull. You don’t need dancing girls, but animation helps. When you’re at a show, check out the exhibits with the crowds. They usually have something running or a demo in progress. Well, yes; handsome guys and pretty ladies can help, too.

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