I have been working on a direct mail campaign for our team in many areas and we are finding that the yellow page listings and business list CDROMS contain so many closed companies that we are spending too much on the mailings which are opened a little less because of the anthrax scare. Even customized lists are of little value. No one is keeping these lists fresh and deleting the ole data. Book of Lists are outdated as soon as they come out, CDROMS rip people off by disallowing lots of search downloads, yellow pages forget it. Phone numbers are wrong, addresses are wrong as a matter of fact most business parks are 30% unoccupied, downtowns about 15% and industrial areas about 28% nationwide, so with all these jobs and companies gone, there is no one keeping track of the data. Yet we are told the recession is over? Whatever. Are we judging by the stock market? Because it is not real either.
The NASDAQ de-listed any company that might bring the market down over the last year and a half, except right after 9-11. It is a gambling casino anyway and the market always leads the real economy by 6 months. So if the market is just now going back up from its 9-11 average then we still have 6 months to get back to where we were then, which was terrible, remember all the lay offs before 9-11, starting back this time last year? Companies sell us lists all the time, the lists are wrong and rather than change the lists and update, they sell us old data and say we do not have the staff to fix the data more than once a year. Yet it needs to be changed every three months to even be + - 15% real. Yet if your Direct mail nets you only 1% we are really hurting. Direct Mail also termed junk mail is what pays for over 75% of the US Mail budget.
So if we lose the direct mail marketing technique we also raise our postal rates by that same percentage. Less mail means even higher prices. Big problems, since this is a major us infrastructure we need to keep civilization strong in America. If we replace the mail with e-mail then we will get tons of junk e-mail. Then important e-mails will be buried in 300 e-mails a day. Why doesn't the FTC look into the list makers and their advertising, they are way off when they tell you that their data bases are updated and are (+) (-) 2%. Small businesses are being hurt and that hurts America, since 2/3 rds of Americans are employed by small business and not by government.
"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs
The world of marketing has changed. With increasingly better educated... Read More
©2004 Jeffrey DobkinThere are two types of lists, determined by... Read More
When you want to win and woo new clients with... Read More
Do you want to successfully market your business franchise online?... Read More
Here is an example of a business-to-business sales letter mailed... Read More
I read an article recently about how many mainstream retail... Read More
This is a pretty tough global economy and it is... Read More
Almost every small business marketer knows that they should gather... Read More
The distance between marketing consultants and the real world can... Read More
Having a downline can be golden. A downline is a... Read More
Who would have thought that a three month newbie and... Read More
The good news is that there are thousands of people... Read More
SMS is good for:? Short lead times and immediacy ?... Read More
The United States Post Office in the past had some... Read More
But more importantly, watch what they do. If you do... Read More
Do you own a business and need ideas on how... Read More
Things have to change. Cross selling is not going to... Read More
Marketing expert and author, Geoffrey Moore, has a useful fill-in-the-blank... Read More
In direct mail, the offer is the incentive or reward... Read More
If you are in the mobile car wash business and... Read More
A specific group of people you will focus on selling... Read More
Why cutting your prices is like cutting your own... Read More
For any business to be successful whether on or offline... Read More
The internet of course brings a huge arena of marketing... Read More
Mobile businesses are quite unique in the way they must... Read More
Starting a new online business, developing a new product, launching... Read More
1. Know your purpose: What do you want your direct... Read More
In early 1992, President George H.W. Bush was riding high.... Read More
We all know the saying, "Failing to plan (prepare) is... Read More
How Colors Effect Our Emotions?One of the most interesting things... Read More
Postcards are an effective way for many business owners and... Read More
Want a big boost in response and quick sales from... Read More
You are an expert. You have lots of content -... Read More
Some people have little difficulty attracting and maintaining clients who... Read More
Being a master of your craft, skill, or talent doesn't... Read More
Have you ever left a seminar thinking: "I could have... Read More
The small time promoter has to work hard and on... Read More
How Toyota Captured the #1 Market Share . . .... Read More
There is a simple but almost mystical law which governs... Read More
You can use great design and copy to get a... Read More
Think about all those Cracker Jacks you ate as a... Read More
Want a big boost in response and quick sales from... Read More
Is your business publishing a print or e-newsletter? An informative... Read More
Customer endorsements are an inexpensive and easy sales tool, particularly... Read More
Most companies ask themselves this question: "How much will this... Read More
I want to share with you a story. This story... Read More
An accountant once told me that he never met anyone... Read More
Is your marketing plan dull, flat, and downright boring? Is... Read More
Coupons have proven themselves to be highly effective sales tools... Read More
A brochure can be a great promotional tool, whether it... Read More
It's almost a given that when I speak to a... Read More
What Really Makes Your Postcard Mailing Successful? The biggest single... Read More
Make a vow to keep up your marketing schedule in... Read More
At first glance, nothing seems more chaotic than a trade... Read More
You may not realize it, but you already have a... Read More
You know who you are and what you want and... Read More
Postcards can drive a huge amount of traffic to your... Read More
Research shows that the gay and lesbian market is worth... Read More
Grant Businesses have a love-hate relationship with the Yellow Page... Read More
A marketing tag line is the one or two line... Read More
In a world that is spinning out of control; with... Read More
Yesterday I was sitting on a train going into London... Read More
It's quite apparent that Americans are living... Read More
Direct mail is a cost-effective way to make sales and... Read More
There aren't many things in life that you would get... Read More
Most professional copywriters would say that headlines account for 80%... Read More
Marketing |