When Bad Data Happens to Good Direct Mail
Advertising, B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy Advertising, B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy

When Bad Data Happens to Good Direct Mail

Customer and prospect data drives direct mail marketing. Data that’s outdated, inaccurate, or poorly processed can turn a good direct mail campaign into a wasted opportunity. Here are two examples of excellent mailings that failed because smart marketers that are usually highly skilled users of the channel relied on the wrong data.

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How to Create a “Drip” Direct Marketing Campaign
B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy

How to Create a “Drip” Direct Marketing Campaign

"Drip" direct marketing can be a smart marketing strategy for business-to-business (B2B) marketers. Here’s why drip marketing works and how to create a drip direct marketing campaign, from Cleveland, Ohio marketing consultant and strategist Jean Gianfagna.

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6 Reasons You Still Need Print in a Smart Marketing Strategy
B2B Marketing, Creative, CRM, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy B2B Marketing, Creative, CRM, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy

6 Reasons You Still Need Print in a Smart Marketing Strategy

Do marketers still need printed promotional materials in a tech-driven world? The answer is yes. Here are six reasons why print still packs a punch in a smart marketing strategy.

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7 Reasons Banks Fail at B2B Direct Marketing
B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy

7 Reasons Banks Fail at B2B Direct Marketing

Banks are spending big money marketing products and services to small businesses via direct mail. Most of these direct marketing campaigns are terrible. Here are seven reasons why so many banks fail at B2B direct marketing and some lessons for your smart marketing strategy.

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B2B Marketing, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy, Websites B2B Marketing, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy, Websites

7 Smart Reasons to Use Catalogs in B2B Product Marketing

Before the web, marketers of business products relied on direct mail catalogs as their primary selling tools. But now everyone shops online. In a web-based world, do B2B product marketers still need print catalogs? Yes: Here are seven reasons why print catalogs continue to play an essential role in a smart marketing strategy for marketers of business products.

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Advertising, B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Social Media, Websites Advertising, B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Social Media, Websites

Association Membership Marketing: 12 Steps for Success

Member acquisition is a constant challenge and a top priority for most trade associations. Who do you target? How do you reach prospective members? And how do you convince them to join your organization?Here’s how the American Advertising Federation-Cleveland (AAF-CLE) developed a successful membership marketing strategy and campaign that exceeded its goals and laid the foundation for future member acquisition.

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B2B Marketing, Creative, CRM, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy B2B Marketing, Creative, CRM, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy

Big Ideas in a Blue Box: A B2B Direct Marketer Gets It Right

Direct mail is a powerful tool in a B2B marketing strategy. Here are 12 lessons for using direct mail effectively in B2B marketing from a campaign by 4imprint, a Wisconsin ad specialties marketer.

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Advertising, B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy Advertising, B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy

More than Swag: Why Branded Premiums are Smart Marketing

Branded premiums and promotional products can be an extremely effective tactic in a smart marketing strategy, especially for business-to-business (B2B) marketers. Here’s why you should be using branded premiums and seven tips for selecting a premium for your business.

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Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy

Don’t Underestimate the Power of “Old School” Direct Mail

Social media and web marketing have pushed direct mail to the back burner for some marketers, but a classic direct mail package, using all the tactics and techniques that have been tested for generations, can still be a powerful marketing tool.Here’s why “old school” direct marketing still packs a punch – and some tips for using it in your smart marketing strategy.

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Advertising, B2B Marketing, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy, Social Media, Websites Advertising, B2B Marketing, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy, Social Media, Websites

10 New Year’s Resolutions for Smart Marketers

At the beginning of a new year, most of us will resolve to live healthier lives and clean out our closets.New Year’s resolutions also can extend to marketing – and many smart marketers use the turning of the calendar page to make some long-overdue changes to their marketing strategies.Here are 10 resolutions to make your marketing more effective in the New Year.

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B2B Marketing, Creative, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Social Media B2B Marketing, Creative, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Social Media

How to Develop a Marketing Plan: 10 Essential Steps

One of the biggest mistakes marketers make is focusing on the tactics of marketing – the new website, direct mail campaign, or Facebook promotion – without first developing a marketing plan.Though a comprehensive marketing strategy for a large company can be a big undertaking, nearly every marketing plan involves these 10 essential steps.

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Advertising, B2B Marketing, CRM, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy, Social Media, Websites Advertising, B2B Marketing, CRM, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy, Social Media, Websites

11 Ideas for Using White Papers in a B2B Marketing Strategy

If you’re a business-to-business (B2B) marketer, white papers can be a powerful way to demonstrate your expertise and differentiate your company from competitors. In part three of a three-part series, here are 11 ideas for using white papers as marketing tactics in a smart B2B marketing strategy.

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B2B Marketing, CRM, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy B2B Marketing, CRM, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy

7 Misconceptions about Marketing that Can Hurt Your Business

A smart marketing strategy is critical to the success of your business. But many companies have misconceptions about marketing that can hamper their ability to successfully promote their products and services in a competitive marketplace. Here are seven marketing misconceptions I often see in my work as a marketing consultant that can limit the effectiveness of your marketing plan and cause you to miss sales opportunities.

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Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy

4 Things My Idea File Taught Me about Great Direct Mail

Most marketing agencies keep an idea file of creative, interesting promotions by other marketers that serve as inspiration for new marketing campaigns.Since we’re moving soon to new offices (a new suite in the same building in Cleveland, Ohio), I decided to take the opportunity to weed out our idea file, especially our massive collection of direct mail.I tossed a lot of old stuff, but I was surprised at how many direct marketing campaigns created five, ten, or even 20 years ago still pack a powerful marketing punch.I wondered: Why do some direct marketing campaigns stand the test of time? What do these campaigns have in common that makes them so effective?Here are four things our old idea file taught me about great direct mail that you can apply to your smart marketing strategy.

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B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy

4 Lessons Big Direct Marketers Can Learn from Small Mailers

The marketing budget for a local, service-based business is a tiny fraction of what a global company spends on marketing. Yet small marketers with limited resources sometimes outshine the big guys when it comes to marketing effectiveness, especially in direct mail.Here’s how a regional painting business in Cleveland, Ohio nailed a prospect direct mail campaign with a simple postcard, while Dell, a huge business-to-business marketer, committed several cardinal sins of direct marketing in a B2B direct mail promotion -- plus four lessons for your smart marketing strategy.

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Advertising, B2B Marketing, CRM, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy Advertising, B2B Marketing, CRM, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy

The 7 Most Important Things to Do with a Sales Lead

Business-to-business (B2B) marketers often use such tactics as direct marketing, e-marketing, advertising, trade shows, and web marketing to generate sales leads.But a smart lead generation marketing strategy goes well beyond the creation of the marketing campaign.If your goal is to build a relationship with a business prospect, increase your sales conversion rate, and maximize the value of your sales resources, you need a careful plan for what happens after the lead comes in.Here are the seven steps you should take with a marketing-generated sales lead to achieve success.

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B2B Marketing, Creative, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Social Media B2B Marketing, Creative, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Social Media

Want Better Marketing Results? Audit Your Marketing Strategy

What’s the best way to maximize the return on your marketing investment? Take a step back from your day-to-day marketing projects and conduct a marketing audit.A marketing audit is a top-to-bottom assessment of your entire marketing program, from branding to tactics. The beginning of a new year or the start of a new budget period is an ideal time to do it.How do you conduct a marketing audit? And how can an audit help you develop a smart marketing strategy? Here are some answers.

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