Envelopes—Your “Get Opened” Tool.

Posted May 26, 2010 by Larry Bauer
Categories: Direct Marketing
Tags: direct mail, envelopes

Marketers have a lot of direct mail formats available—postcards, self-mailers, dimensional mailers and, of course, the good old envelope. Many factors from budget and objective to the nature of the offer and audience enter into format decisions. So let’s begin our discussion with when you should recommend an envelope package.

Four Reasons to Choose Envelope Packages.

The first and most obvious is that envelopes provide an ideal solution when the offer requires more space for multiple components such as a cover letter, brochure, buckslip and reply envelope. After all, something has to keep the components from falling on the ground.

Second, envelopes better accommodate the fact that people buy in different ways. The letter-brochure combo provides alternate ways of presenting information—one more verbal and fact oriented, the other more visual.

Third, real people send things to real people in envelopes. Recipients feel more catered to when they receive an envelope package—especially a personalized one—and that’s essential in today’s marketplace.

Fourth, envelopes tend to look less promotional than postcards and self-mailers, so they have the ability to lift a mailing above the marketing fray with a classier presentation.

Then There’s the Offer Thing.

Some types of offers just beg for an envelope. After analyzing lots of tests and studies, most direct marketing authorities consider envelopes more effective for these types of offers:

• Financial products—loans, credit cards, securities, insurance
• Magazine and newspaper subscriptions
• Continuity/membership clubs
• Charitable solicitations
• Professional services
• High-ticket consumer goods
• Technology products
• Telephone services

But perhaps the most important and often overlooked reason to use an envelope is that it can contain a letter. A real, honest-to-goodness personal letter. Oh, I know we don’t write so many of them anymore, but that’s not because they don’t work.

If fact, letters are incredibly powerful either as a standalone component or as part of a package. Many direct mail authorities still believe that a letter is the most important single element in a direct mail package. And many tests show that letters can hold their own or even exceed the performance of postcards and self-mailers.

Consider recommending a letter when your client’s message needs to:

• Come from one person by name.
• Be addressed to an individual by name.
• Requires added credibility or confidentiality.

And the more personalized you can help your client make the content, the higher the letter’s impact will be.

Sealing It Up.

Well, I suppose I digressed a bit from envelopes. But perhaps it highlights the most important point of all. Nothing really stands alone in marketing. We talk about integrated media while sometimes forgetting the integrated relationship of components within a single element like a direct mail package.

Now about that envelope….

By Larry Bauer

Want Expert Advice?

Bauer Associates helps printers of all sizes develop and execute effective marketing strategies. For more information, email Print Strategist Larry Bauer

You can connect with Larry Bauer on LinkedIn. Or follow him on Twitter. Or join Print Strategist on LinkedIn.

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Do’s and Don’ts of Envelopes.

Posted May 26, 2010 by Larry Bauer
Categories: Direct Marketing
Tags: direct mail, envelopes

Creating effective envelopes doesn’t necessarily mean spending a lot of money. To the contrary, it means understanding your audience and offer and then creating an appropriate fit. Here are recommendations to ensure that recipients welcome your client’s next envelope package.

Do

• Put the company name on the envelope if you’re confident it will cause a positive reaction from recipients—otherwise leave it off.
• Ensure the envelope is at least ¼” larger than the inserts.
• Match images, graphics and copy appropriately to the audience.
• Use postage stamps if possible, especially for small mailings or anything that requires a personal touch.
• Use metered mail as a second choice, but avoid the dreaded indicia— studies show that Fortune 500 companies route 30% of Standard Mail to the wastebasket immediately.
• Personalize—that can mean anything from variable data messaging to using a legible script font or actual handwriting—tell this to non-profits twice, if necessary.
• Include teaser copy that is compelling, intriguing and invites curiosity.
• Test envelope color, size, style and paper—differences might attract people who pitched a mailing before.
• Consider an enclosure that creates an envelope lump—people can’t resist them, but be aware that it will add to postage costs.
• Play the angles—an angled teaser line or even a slightly angled stamp can make an envelope get noticed.

Don’t

• Use form letter or bill formats—they typically either get tossed or put with the bills.
• Use a window envelope—possible exceptions are if it’s the only way to get killer personalization inside or if it’s a full view that shows a compelling graphic.
• Put the offer on the envelope—especially to a cold list.
• Underestimate the power of envelope tone—official, fun, etc.
• Address your b-to-b mail to generic titles if at all possible—nothing screams mass mail louder than generics.
• Skimp on any element of address accuracy—Cathy with a “C” might tune the mailing out in a heartbeat if she sees her her name spelled with a “K.”
• Dupe recipients into thinking the envelope contains something it doesn’t—tone needs to fit the actual contents.
• Use statements like “Open Immediately”—see above.
• Forget to recommend ordering 5-10% more envelopes than they need—clients can forget they’ll likely suffer some damage in setup.
• Time the mailing to arrive on Monday, the heaviest mail day of the week—aim for Tuesday, the lightest day, or Wednesday, the second lightest.

By Larry Bauer

Missed Getting Your Copy of The Little Book of Marketing Do’s & Don’ts? Not to worry. We printed plenty of copies, and we’d be happy to connect you with one. The Little Book of Marketing Do’s & Don’ts is a collection of the eight most viewed “Do’s & Don’ts” published by our PrintStrategist newsletter to date including:

• Taglines
• Print Advertising
• Referrals
• Trade Shows
• Corporate Brochures
• Direct Mail
• Thought Leadership
• White Papers

Simply email Larry Bauer your postal mailing information and we’ll send you a complementary copy.

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The Art of the Envelope Tease.

Posted May 26, 2010 by Julia Moran Martz
Categories: Direct Marketing
Tags: direct mail, envelopes

One of the biggest mistakes designers can make is ignoring the envelope that contains their client’s direct mail components. Envelopes are the key tool that determines whether your direct mail gets opened or gets ditched.

Design Tips for Creating Intriguing Envelopes for Your Direct Mail Campaign.

• Vary the size: think outside of the standard #10 envelope. Look at oversized envelopes or even undersized. Anything to break out of the normal in-box clutter.
• Use color: consider envelopes that reflect your brand’s primary color or consider anything that isn’t white, yet fits your offer. White envelopes tend to blend in with everything else in the recipient’s mailbox. Consult your designer or printer for interesting textures and colors.
• Print a teaser message on the envelope: the operative word here is ‘teaser.’ There’s no rule that says you need to give it all away up front. Leave a little something to reward them for opening. Keep the message enticing.
• Consider using a translucent or clear envelope: if your budget allows, there are a myriad of clear and translucent options. Choices include vellum, glassine and polybag-type envelopes. But be cautious when sourcing vellum as not all are crack resistant. Consult with your printer for vellum options that minimize cracking. And also don’t assume that polybag-type envelopes are only available in crystal clear. There are many exciting color choices that ignite the imagination. ClearBags has a great online resource to get your creative juices flowing, but do work you’re your printer for larger quantities.
• Consider the design of the interior components up front. Don’t’ just toss them in a clear envelope without thought to what will show through. Again, you may need to redesign the outward facing messages on the interior components if you’re using a clear envelope.
• You may also consider window envelopes as an alternative to solid paper or clear poly envelopes. There are several sizes including booklet envelopes with nearly full-view windows that deliver a similar effect.

Production Considerations.

• If going with a translucent or clear envelope, you’ll have to reconsider how you handle addressing the envelope. Depending on the color and translucency of the material, you may have to use an address label. Or you could design the backside of the inserts to contain the address info.
• Remember what I said about vellum. While insanely cool, you must work with a good printer to spec a stock that is crack resistant.
• Some envelopes don’t come with a sticky seal. Some glassine envelopes, for instance, may require you to use a label to close the flap. This is another opportunity for messaging.
• While an envelope mailer will cost more to produce than a postcard, a well-designed envelope can outperform a postcard if the message is right for a closed-envelope package. The challenges are the budget, of course, and ensuring the envelope is the right vehicle for your direct mail’s desired outcome.
• Spec converted envelopes to save money. The only drawback is that you won’t be able to print across folds or bleed off a cut edge. But a good designer can certainly work within these restrictions to save you money.

Ignore at your own peril the envelope’s ability to tease, entice, intrigue and seduce the recipient. But also remember what mom advised in your youth: don’t give it all away up front and do leave something to the imagination. Envelopes are no different. Enticing someone to open is often a matter of making a promise but only enough to generate excitement. Like wearing just the right dress on your first date. Not too much, not too little.

By Julia Moran Martz

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Upcoming Newsletter Topics.

Posted May 26, 2010 by Julia Moran Martz
Categories: Marketing

Just a few of the topics we’re working on for future newsletters:

• Evaluating illustration vs. photography.
• Dimensional mailers—making your “dream” project a reality.
• Choosing the right personalization strategy.

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Are You Still Selling Your Father’s Postcards, Print Strategist?

Posted April 13, 2010 by Larry Bauer
Categories: Direct Marketing, Marketing
Tags: postcards

Postcards are more popular than ever, though many writers and designers run for cover when they hear the word. Some don’t like condensing the message into such a small space. Others dismiss them as low-end, low-value promotions for companies that can’t afford anything else.

But savvy print strategists know better.

Postcards can be performance powerhouses when done right. In fact, they sometimes do remarkably well even when done poorly. One of the reasons they continue to work is that postcards come “pre-opened.” There’s no decision to make. The offer is right in front of you. Postcards draw immediate attention and give your customers more than a fighting chance to entice prospects even when the sender is unknown.

Perfect for today’s over-messaged marketplace.

Understanding Postcard Basics.

Although our intent is to encourage you to take the form to its highest level, there are four postcard basics that your customers need to get right no matter what technology you integrate into their campaigns:

1. Attention-demanding Headline. They only get a few seconds to gain attention, so headlines must be big and benefit oriented.
2. Involving Visual. Draw in the recipient by making the visual and headline work as a team. Visuals should be as large and involving as possible. Showing a product or service in action is always an effective recommendation.
3. Persuasive Copy. Maintain interest with strong, feature- and benefit-oriented copy. Since the postcard is likely the first in a multi-step approach, copy should entice and qualify.
4. Call to Action. Be sure your customers are telling recipients exactly what action to take and to assume nothing. They should direct the person to “Call toll free today for a free sample and information kit,” or whatever is the appropriate action for the program. Multiple, user-friendly options tend to work best.

Adding Some Technology Juice.

Separate your clients’ postcards from the competition by taking advantage of the technology you offer (or should be offering):

• Encourage Data Mining. From variable data digital printing to inkjet imaging, print technology provides opportunities to personalize and customize postcard mailings. There’s a strong likelihood that your customers have plenty of existing data to elevate the performance of their postcards. Encourage them to start simply, if necessary, and then help them work their way up. But do bring data into the picture. Every personalization step they take will deliver better results. Keep in mind that there’s also worthwhile demographic information to append from outside sources while they’re building their internal database. Offer to provide data services through an outside partner or, if you have one, your in-house team.
• Personalize. Get your clients past the “name thing” quickly. It’s not that using someone’s name isn’t worthwhile—it is—but today’s variable technologies allow marketers to do so much more with photos, graphics and copy if they know anything at all about their target. You can help them create postcards that are variable in every respect with digital presses or do something as simple as offline-inkjet imaging a store location map while you’re doing the addressing. You can also help them create postcards with personalized URLs (pURLs) that connect recipients to a personal landing page where they typically receive an incentive for their effort. Advise your customers to provide offers at the personal landing page that go beyond the original promise, such as an opt-in newsletter or club membership. Besides the personalization effect, the big benefit of pURLs is that they provide a reliable method for tracking postcard recipients who went online as a result of the promotion, whether or not they took advantage of the offer.
• Involve. Postcards can now be more involving than ever. Consider QR Codes, the two-dimensional barcodes that enable smartphone users equipped with the correct reader software to scan the code. This causes the phone’s browser to launch and redirect to the programmed URL. A real estate company, for example, could offer a property on the postcard and the QR code might take the recipient to a video tour of the home. But don’t dismiss involvement devices such as scratch-offs, repositionable notes and other proven techniques that can boost the effectiveness of postcards.

The bottom line is that postcards not only work, but also are evolving tools that can achieve virtually any level of marketing sophistication your customer requires. They provide a great opportunity for Marketing Service Providers to take customers beyond commodity postcards and into more sophisticated solutions.

While you’re at it, why not demonstrate your capabilities through your own postcard campaign?

By Larry Bauer

Want Expert Advice?

Bauer Associates helps printers of all sizes develop and execute effective marketing strategies. For more information, email Print Strategist Larry Bauer

You can connect with Larry Bauer on LinkedIn. Or follow him on Twitter. Or join Print Strategist on LinkedIn.

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Do’s and Don’ts of Postcards.

Posted April 13, 2010 by Larry Bauer
Categories: Direct Marketing, Marketing
Tags: postcards

We once knew a youth soccer coach who was 10-0 in her first season and knew it was the coaching. Then she went 0-10 in her second season and knew it was the players. Consistent success depends upon bringing all the elements together. Here’s how to help your clients trounce the competition with their next postcard campaign.

Do

• Grab attention with a bold headline—postcards have to work fast.
• Focus on one big idea and one main point per card.
• Emphasize what the recipient will get by taking the next step.
• Include all the elements of a direct mail package in short form—letter, brochure and reply.
• Use tracking identifiers to know what’s generating inquiries.
• Include a strong, crystal clear call to action.
• Make the card interactive with QR codes and other devices.
• Use a personal message style over a display ad approach.
• Increase the card size to 6” x 9” if possible—higher response rates and more marketing space usually justify the costs.
• Approach your database work as carefully as you would any other mailing.

Don’t

• Get spooked into ultra-short copy—the billboard notion is a myth.
• Use technical words or jargon—this isn’t the place, if there ever is one.
• Forget to include incentives for taking the next step.
• Think that color and graphics will outperform personalized content—put them together for maximum results.
• Try to make the sale on the postcard—they are multi-step marketing vehicles.
• Use smaller than 8 pt. type anywhere on the postcard.
• Neglect direct mail basics—get your lists, offer and creative right in that order of priority.
• Accept any old paper—your stock selection is a visual element too.
• Think that postcards are just for small companies—check your mailbox.
• Settle for your office printer.

By Larry Bauer

Missed Getting Your Copy of The Little Book of Marketing Do’s & Don’ts? Not to worry. We printed plenty of copies, and we’d be happy to connect you with one. The Little Book of Marketing Do’s & Don’ts is a collection of the eight most viewed “Do’s & Don’ts” published by our PrintStrategist newsletter to date including:

 
• Taglines
• Print Advertising
• Referrals
• Trade Shows
• Corporate Brochures
• Direct Mail
• Thought Leadership
• White Papers 

Simply email Larry Bauer your postal mailing information and we’ll send you a complementary copy.

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Grandiose Generalizations About Postcard Design.

Posted April 13, 2010 by Julia Moran Martz
Categories: Branding, Direct Marketing
Tags: card mailers, design, postcard

Think of a postcard almost like a combination of a billboard on the highway, key messages from a brochure and a call to action from your sell sheet. You’ve got barely seconds to capture your recipient and THEN, you have to give them enough of the details to beguile them. Grab their attention like a billboard but provide follow through like a brochure—that’s the trick.

Design Generalizations for Postcards.

Remember, a generalization is just that and there will always be exceptions. Here’s my list of design tips for smart postcard designers:

• All caps, bold, condensed and italic is likely not the most readable treatment for your hard-working headline. You must find a balance between a visually strong headline and one that’s easily read. Select a typeface that works, and don’t over embellish it. Do all this while staying true to your brand image.
• Images should be unique and compelling IF you have them. Keep in mind that it’s not 100% necessary to have an image with your headline; a headline could be the main visual in and of itself. But if you include an image, choose one that’s not likely to be overly used in your market or have an image shot custom for you.
• Don’t put a strong message on a wimpy card stock. The post office’s guidelines are the minimum and are not what we recommend. The sturdier the better and not so shiny it squeaks or reflects light rather than your message. Think of this postcard as your handshake with prospects when you’re not available. Keep it firm and not too squeaky.
• Consider a straight perforation across one end for any coupon detachment if you can’t afford a fancy die to cut the shape you want. Often, a single straight perf will be a tad cheaper. You just need to design it into your card creatively.
• Skip the paragraphs of prose on your card and go for short-and-sweet messages. And keep the quantity of those to the bare minimum. Filling your card with FREE FREE FREE and loads of platitudinous drivel will make your key message and call to action hard to find quickly. All you do is end up in the trash sooner.
• Respect the reader. Despite what some advertisers in the 70’s would have us believe, customers are smart and getting smarter. They learn from each other and share information online and off. So make your message/point/deal intelligent and easy to pass on in other media.
• Don’t even think about clichés. They don’t position you as better or unique—just as someone who doesn’t have an original thought.
• I know Larry said in his Do’s and Don’ts list to not use type smaller than 8 point. I’m going to go one better and advise you to keep it 10 points or larger. Remember, folks are reading often at arms length in their entryway when they get home from a long day at work. Lighting in entryways is often insufficient for small text

Postcard Anatomy 101.

Front: Capture with a compelling headline and/or visual. Don’t over do it, just get them to stop and read or take the card to their desk.

Back: Follow through with the details (But not too many. This is not the place for your legal counsel to practice writing warranties.)

Prioritize your copy by what gets read first. In roughly this order, humans see visual, read headline, captions, offer and then details. So no skimping on captions and offer copy. Get it right and make it work hard for its space.

Use white space to direct the reader to what you want them to read first and second. Don’t worry about third. They may not get that far.

Postcard Gallery.

One Hit Wonders.

The above tri-fold card was designed as a single-hit, pre-show mailer, just weeks prior to a key trade show. It included a teaser image to get them to open, and then followed through with booth number and incentive to visit during the show.

Three Times or More is a Charm.

You can also create a series of more than the standard three cards and schedule it to run for several months. Also don’t feel pressured into doing what everyone else does: try a different colored paper stock, try illustrations instead of photography, mix it up and be different to stand out from the crowd.

And one last thing: DO schedule overlapping smaller quantity mailings of your cards so you have time to follow up between each. You are planning on following up via phone after mailing aren’t you?

By Julia Moran Martz

Explore posts in the same categories: Branding, Direct MarketingThis entry was posted on April 13, 2010 at 6:49 pm and is filed under Branding, Direct Marketing. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post’s comments.

Tags: card mailers, design, postcard

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Lessons for PrintStrategists from the Trenches of Social Media.

Posted February 28, 2010 by Larry Bauer
Categories: eMarketing
Tags: blogs, enewsletter, linkedin, thought leadership

My design partner, Julia, had already plunged into social media with her successful SnarkyVegan blog. I, on the other hand, was a rookie and a skeptic at that. But as we strategized about ways to establish thought leadership for our businesses, we decided that enewsletters, which would roll into blogs, would be a good starting point. The results were PrintStrategist and MondoBeat: Ideas to Improve Your Marketing Rhythm.

To say the least, one thing led to another. Strong receptions to the enewsletters/blogs began to pique our interest. Soon we were announcing new posts at our Twitter sites, and I began to wonder if there was any potential in our mostly dormant LinkedIn accounts.

So Julia and I got busy completing our profiles, linking feeds from our blogs, posting slide presentations, connecting with colleagues and participating in groups. Along the way, I was invited to manage my college’s alumni group as well as Print 2.0. So I got to see “groups” from both the participant and manger perspectives.

Then recently Julia and I co-founded the PrintStrategist LinkedIn group. The objective was to form a diverse group of professionals from all sides of the table who shared a common goal of effectively using print. Within a few weeks, membership reached nearly 140, and it literally grows each day.

What We Learned.

Clearly social media is evolving and participants are evolving along with it. Here are three key findings from our experience:

1. Synergy Counts.

The more options we integrated into our social media goal of raising our thought leadership perceptions, the better we did. More people started to follow us on Twitter, and we connected with more and more professionals on LinkedIn. Both are significant drivers of readers to the blogs, and LinkedIn is now our number one source of hits and page views.

After a year of participation, here are PrintStrategist’s social media stats:

• 2,390—blog page views
• 478—targeted enewsletter subscribers
• 329—Twitter followers
• 191—LinkedIn connections
• 10—Twitter Lists

Of course everyone always wants to know if you were able to monetize social media. That was not our goal—thought leadership was—but we did receive several inquiries about our services and made presentations as a result of our social media experiences.

Additionally:

• Our customers are virtually all loyal readers of our enewsletters/blogs.
• We found a capable subcontractor through a renewed contact made on LinkedIn and used the individual on a project.
• The enewsletters/blogs grew to the point that we are now considering offering sole sponsorship opportunities for each issue (you’ll eventually be able to judge that success for yourself).
• We are now more knowledgeable, empathetic social media advisors to our clients—you know the old adage about the best doctor being the one who just got out of the hospital.

2. Participation Counts.

If you want to benefit from social media, you have to be willing to participate on a consistent, frequent basis. You also need to be willing to learn the rules of social media so that your participation helps, not hurts your business. And you need to set your internal social media goals and appoint someone to coordinate your social media team.

In addition to getting some professional advice, we recommend taking one of the many good social media classes available. Some even offer social media certifications. The more skillfully you employ social media, the better the results.

3. Participation Takes Time.

Don’t get caught up in the notion that social media is free. It will definitely cost you time, a valuable commodity in today’s downsized companies. We easily spend an hour to an hour-and-a-half per day on social media, and that excludes writing our enewsletter/blog posts. You may be able to—and probably should—share some of the responsibilities, but don’t start if you’re not willing to commit the time. As a point of reference, many large companies now have one or more people on staff who do nothing but monitor social media.

Finally, remember that social media is for relationship and thought leadership building. It should be part of your marketing plan, but continue to leave the heavy lifting to postal mail, email, print advertising and other marketing media better suited to directly generating sales and ROI.

By Larry Bauer

Want Expert Advice?

Bauer Associates helps printers of all sizes develop effective social media programs from strategy development through program deployment. For more information, email Print Strategist Larry Bauer.

You can connect with Larry Bauer on LinkedIn. Or follow him on Twitter. Or join Print Strategist on LinkedIn.

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Do’s and Don’ts of Social Media.

Posted February 28, 2010 by Larry Bauer
Categories: eMarketing
Tags: eMarketing, social media

Social media participation requires your time, but it needs to be quality time. Otherwise, you can cause more harm than good. Use these tips to create relationships and thought leadership that will help build your printing business.

Do

• Set a social media strategy—outline what you want to accomplish and how it is going to happen.
• Get some formal training—you need to know everything from the tools available to social media etiquette.
• Appoint someone to direct and monitor your efforts.
• Learn how your respected competitors are tapping social media—research them in the major search engines.
• Create blogs, enewsletters and other articles on your sites to bolster the number of keywords and increase your search rankings.
• Keep taking your social media to higher levels—provide richer content, etc.
• Remember that social media is about earning attention.
• Help, teach, guide and be tolerant with people new to social media—keep learning yourself.
• Get in sync with your audience.
• Be transparent, genuine and real about you and your company.
• Spend at least as much time listening as you do broadcasting.
• Help your customers find ways to combine social media with print—maybe you’re printing menus for a restaurant and you help them get set up to Tweet daily specials on Twitter.

Don’t

• View social media as simply a place to hype your wares—unlearn some of your traditional marketing habits.
• Underestimate the power of video in social media.
• Be naïve about the time commitment to do social media right.
• Forget that cheaters never win—trying to game the system will eventually get you busted.
• Neglect to measure—it’s the only way to know if you’re achieving your goals.
• Get upset about losing followers unless they’re the people you really want to target—then figure out why you’re losing them and adjust.
• Be thin skinned or take everything that happens in your social media experience personally.
• Think you will ever know everything about social media—it turns on a dime.
• Participate on an inconsistent basis—frequency definitely matters in building a following.
• Fail to add value—people won’t spend their time if they don’t receive something worthwhile in return.
• Disrespect the community—treat others the way you want to be treated.
• Forget to enjoy your social media experience.

Join the Print Strategist Group on LinkedIn. Print Strategist on LinkedIn is a group of professionals who value the power of print communications and share a common interest in advancing print’s effective use. Professionals involved in all aspects of print—marketing, design, production, manufacturing, distribution and related areas—are welcome. The only requirement is a desire to learn and share in a truly collaborative environment.

By Larry Bauer

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Hashtags as Leadership Tools in Twitter.

Posted February 28, 2010 by Julia Moran Martz
Categories: eMarketing
Tags: hashtags, leadership, social media, thought leadership

We all know that starting and maintaining relevant conversations with customers and prospects are key to using thought leadership to enable sales, support and brand building. Before electronic social media tools, corporate socializing occurred on the golf course, while sharing beers at the local watering hole after work—even rented suites at the Indy500 and other events enabled you to prove your mettle with VIP clients and prospects.

Many of the ways we used to participate in social business conversations also translate well to social media tools. Discovering existing conversations about your brand or product niche is as easy as eaves dropping by searching for keywords in Twitter or using Google Blog Search. Creating and leading such conversations requires a concerted effort by you and your company.

Leading the Conversation.

Tags are a type of metadata used to identify specific topics online by assigning keywords to a specific piece of information, making that information easy to find. Hashtags are a specific type of tagging used in social media that you employ to create topically oriented conversations and to follow others’ conversations on Twitter or identi.ca.

It’s a way of grouping relevant messages into conversations, similar to but much broader than corralling VIPs in an event room or networking on the golf course. Imagine no conventional boundaries, and the fact that you’re potentially conversing with 500 or even 5,000 people in a given day, week, month.

By using hashtags (and tags in general), you can establish yourself as the thought leader for a given topic by starting the conversation, interacting intelligently with others and continuing to provide information/advice/support.

If you’re going to use hashtags for leading and managing conversations about your brand, be sure to follow these tips:

• Write a great hashtag. Hashtags like #news are not helpful. Be more effective by using tags like #BrandNameNews, #BrandLaunch or #BrandHelp and be considerate of length. Remember that it does get counted in Twitter users’ 140-character limit. AND beware of acronyms as there could be multiple unrelated conversations potentially using the same acronym.
• Use = promotion. Use the hashtag religiously and appropriately whenever speaking online about the specific topic. AND use it interactively when conversing with others in social media tools.
• Don’t spam. Don’t pick up unrelated hashtags and appropriate them as your own. Inserting hashtags about a recent earthquake is NOT ok if your tweet has nothing to do with the earthquake. This is a proven method of upsetting Twitter users and they will make their displeasure known.
• Promote it in other analog and digital marketing tools. Land Rover developed a very successful hashtag campaign in April 2009 by using a myriad of print and online promotions to promote the hashtag on Twitter. There is a lot to learn from Land Rover’s experience, and I would encourage you to not simply copy their strategy but to view it only as a starting point.
• Develop communication guidelines for social media in general and apply them here. Include such things as a communications tone and consider any concerns that legal may have. Make sure anyone you’ve tasked with participating in social media on behalf of your brand is trained and knowledgeable.

Dealing with Loss of Control.

When putting your own hashtag out for use in the twitterverse, you must be prepared for negative use of the tag. Remember, just because the tag originated with you doesn’t mean you own it. It’s part of the larger conversation that you can participate in but never control. The effect is akin to having conversations with people at a party where some know and love you, some know and hate you and many don’t know you at all.

This is why it’s critical to understand and ensure your brand’s integrity and value. Likewise, it’s important to have the ability to lead the conversation as a valued participant. If your brand is suffering from poor quality products/service/support, no amount of twittering or tagging will save you. But you can use social media tools as part of your plan to turn your brand around so long as you are taking steps to improve the problems.

If you have quality, support or deliverability issues that you’re taking steps to resolve, plan on mitigating negative use of the hashtag by:

• Fixing your problems. Start resolving the problems that affect your brand’s quality before taking on social media. You don’t have to finish resolving your issues, but you should be well on the path to recovery before initiating that first social media conversation. You may even want to use your resolve to repair the damage as your first hashtag topic.
• Increasing your response time and quality. Comcast is THE benchmark for response times and problem resolution via Twitter. Forget their phone support, you’ll never get through. But use Twitter and they’ve got a tech on top of the problem within five or 10 minutes.
• Creating a human voice. Again, Comcast wins hands down. They’ve got real live technical humans monitoring Twitter conversations about their product and service. These folks are also trained to interact with customers AND solve the problem.
• Maintaining transparency. If there’s a problem, own up to it publicly. Take a lesson from Toyota’s recent PR fiasco and own up early, take steps to resolve the problem and communicate those steps without corporate speak. You must sound authentically human. Don’t skimp on this part or you’ll get nailed to the Twitter wall quickly.

And by all means, pay attention when online. Use the opportunity to converse with large numbers of customers to both help and guide them as well as learn if there are problems or areas for improvement. If your brand is loved and respected universally, you won’t have much of a problem. However, there are always instigators in any venue. You should be prepared to encounter them with knowledge, grace and honesty.

By Julia Moran Martz

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Upcoming Newsletter Topics.

Posted February 28, 2010 by Julia Moran Martz
Categories: Marketing

Just a few of the topics we’re working on for future newsletters:

• Using envelopes as your “get opened” tool.
• Postcards get you and your clients more for less.
• Choosing the right personalization strategy.

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Webinars as Lead-generating Tools for Print Strategists.

Posted January 26, 2010 by Larry Bauer
Categories: Marketing, eMarketing
Tags: leadership, thought leadership, webinar

For those less electronically initiated, a webinar is an online virtual event that typically includes a small number of presenters delivering a slide presentation to a dispersed audience over the Internet. Participants view the webinar from their computer desktops and hear the audio through their speakers or over a telephone line.

Using an outside webinar delivery platform makes sense for most companies. Many of these systems offer interactive capabilities such as:

• Live chat.
• Question and answer boxes.
• Audience polls and surveys.
• Virtual white boards.
• Desktop application sharing.
• And a number of other options.

They also generally offer customizable registration materials as well as tracking, automated reminders and post-production reports. Providers typically support popular programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Some can provide event management services for an additional fee.

So How Much Do Webinar Services Cost?

Actual delivery costs vary, but most license agreements are fairly modest. For example, GoToWebinar, one of the more popular delivery systems, offers flat-fee pricing that allows you to conduct unlimited webinars for one rate. You can purchase a standard, single-user license online for $99 per month or $948 per year. There are no additional licensing costs for attendees to join.

Pick a Strong Webinar Delivery Platform Provider.

The last thing you want is unreliable technology and support when you’re doing a webinar. You look bad and people abandon the event. We really don’t have favorites, and you may uncover a great provider on your own, but we suggest at least looking into these proven companies:

• GoToMeeting
• Live Meeting
• Webex

Are Webinars Better Than In-person Events?

They are two different animals, each with its own set of pluses and minuses. The big advantage of webinars, especially with strained budgets, is the low cost to reach an audience anywhere in the world. In many ways, the cost structure helps to level playing fields among small and large printing companies, just as digital communications alternatives do in many other marketing activities.

Webinars are also:

• Convenient and cost-effective for participants who don’t have to travel—distance becomes a non-factor.
• Convenient for presenters who can be at multiple locations and likewise avoid travel.
• Capable of bringing valuable information quickly to market.
• Efficient at speeding the sales cycle with proper follow up.

Some of the drawbacks include:

• More competition than for in-person seminar events.
• Less interaction with participants.
• Limited flexibility to change presentation order and flow.
• Restrictions on managing questions.
• Technology dependence to the ultimate degree.

In both types of events, you need to have a relatively large universe of qualified prospects. But the general guideline for webinars is that approximately 5 percent of those invited will register and half of those will not attend. Some, however, will view the on-demand, archived version later.

Do Decision Makers Like Webinars?

Studies and my personal experience say they do. According to a white paper by Ridge Business Development LLC, The Benefits and Pitfalls of Webinars, people like the idea of learning about products and services without having to deal with a salesperson.

The white paper also points to a recent survey by Gartner indicating that 86 percent of respondents will view as many or more webinars this year as last. And a survey by PR Canada similarly indicates that only 7 percent found webinars a waste of time, while 86 percent found them convenient and 66 percent found them time effective.

In my consulting practice, I’ve helped printers in a wide range of size and market categories stage successful webinars of their own as well as sponsor events through trade publications. Attendance of 100 or more is not unusual, and smaller companies with close client relationships often do as well as very large national printers.

What If We’re Not Ready to Stage a Webinar Ourselves?

Many trade publications and associations offer webinar sponsorship opportunities that enable you to test the medium with varying degrees of participation. For example, you might strictly serve as the sponsor. But you also might be able to suggest topics, give input on selection of the featured presenter, provide qualifying and polling questions and perhaps even deliver part of the presentation if you choose.

You’ll typically get a banner ad at the registration site, inclusion in all of the promotional efforts and, of course, mentioned as the sponsor during the webinar. Additionally, you’ll virtually always get access to the registrant list for follow up.

This all comes at a price, of course, and $10,000 to $30,000 isn’t unusual. For example, if you wanted to reach the catalog marketplace, the published open rate for a Multichannel Merchant webinar sponsorship is $18,800. But a strong publication or association might also draw participants that you wouldn’t attract on your own, and it greatly reduces your time investment. Plus, it’s a good way to get started.

By Larry Bauer

Want Expert Advice?

Bauer Associates helps printers of all sizes develop effective webinar programs from topic selection to content development and event promotion. Or, we can effectively negotiate and manage webinar sponsorship opportunities with trade publications or associations. For more information, email Print Strategist Larry Bauer .

You can connect with Larry Bauer