When was the last time your print marketing strategy was freshened up? When was the last time you looked at your creative approach, value proposition, and media mix with fresh eyes? If it’s been a while, maybe now is the time. Here are three areas to consider.
- Does each tactic prove its worth?
Technology is cool, but don't throw new things into the mix just for the sake of doing it. Test, evaluate, and incorporate new components in ways that create results.
Say you make your first contact with a customized postcard, direct mail letter, or self-mailer that drives the reader to a personalized URL. Offer the option of connecting to the site by either entering a web address or scanning a QR Code. Track your metrics to see which channel recipients do and do not respond to.
No matter which response mechanisms you use, be sure to look at more than top-line numbers. You might think that a response rate is “low” until you discover that it gets the most responses from a segment of your target audience that is particularly important to you.
- Demographics are important — go further. It may be tempting to base your marketing efforts on the most readily available information, such as gender, age, and income. For the best results, however, take it a step further. Seek to understand what your prospects care about.Today’s consumer wants to be an individual, not a segment.
- Track and measure your results. Which elements of the campaign do you track? How do you determine a “response rate”? Is it a click or a scan? Is it the completion of a form or a purchase? Connect your marketing goals with clear metrics, so you know which of your marketing efforts are working and which are not.
Marketing is about results, and consumers often respond to different tools and tactics at different times. Track, test, and measure so you can keep up.