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 Data that’s outdated, inaccurate, or poorly processed can turn a good direct mail campaign into a wasted opportunity.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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5 New Rules and 5 Proven Principles for Marketing Success
Advertising, B2B Marketing, Creative, CRM, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Social Media Advertising, B2B Marketing, Creative, CRM, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Social Media

5 New Rules and 5 Proven Principles for Marketing Success

In this new, technology-driven world of marketing, do the proven principles of marketing strategy still apply? Or are there new rules for marketing success? Here are five new marketing rules created by the enormous impact of technology plus five time-tested marketing principles -- and the reasons to consider both 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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Targeted Marketing Gone Wrong: No, I Didn’t Just Have a Baby
Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Public Relations Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Public Relations

Targeted Marketing Gone Wrong: No, I Didn’t Just Have a Baby

Shutterfly.com made a big mistake with an email campaign. It's a classic reminder of the most fundamental rule of effective direct marketing: It’s all about the list. Here are some tips from Shutterfly’s example for your smart marketing strategy.

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10 Bad Marketing Habits to Break in the New Year
Advertising, B2B Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy, Social Media, Websites Advertising, B2B Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy, Social Media, Websites

10 Bad Marketing Habits to Break in the New Year

Even the best marketers can find themselves stuck in bad habits – harmful behaviors that limit the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and waste valuable marketing resources.Like breaking any bad habit, the New Year is a good time to make a fresh start. Here are 10 ways you could be hurting your marketing and recommendations for a better approach from a Cleveland, Ohio marketing consultant.

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7 Smart Reasons to Use Catalogs in B2B Product Marketing
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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Association Membership Marketing: 12 Steps for Success
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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11 More Timeless Tips for Smart Marketing
Advertising, B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy, Social Media, Websites Advertising, B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy, Social Media, Websites

11 More Timeless Tips for Smart Marketing

How to be a smarter marketer:11 more timeless tips for creating smart marketing strategies from Cleveland, Ohio marketing consultant Jean Gianfagna -- part 2 of a 2-part post

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Big Ideas in a Blue Box: A B2B Direct Marketer Gets It Right
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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More than Swag: Why Branded Premiums are Smart Marketing
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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11 Ideas for Using White Papers in a B2B Marketing Strategy
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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4 Lessons Big Direct Marketers Can Learn from Small Mailers
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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40 Questions for a Smarter Marketing Strategy
B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Social Media B2B Marketing, Creative, Direct Marketing, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategy, Social Media

40 Questions for a Smarter Marketing Strategy

Are you getting a good return on your investment in marketing? Could it be better?One way to find out is to conduct a top-to-bottom review of your entire marketing plan to determine what’s working and what isn’t. This process is sometimes called a marketing audit. I’m often asked to guide audits as an independent marketing consultant and I recently shared advice on how to do an audit effectively.What specific factors should you assess in a marketing audit? Here are 40 questions I recommend for evaluating the effectiveness of your marketing and developing a smarter marketing strategy.

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