Use Direct Mail to Increase Holiday Sales

Posted on August 10, 2019March 20, 2022 by CJDoherty

Are you ready for holiday shopping?

In case you missed it, Christmas in July has come and gone! …which got me thinking about Holiday 2019. It’s not too late to plan your 2019 season, but you need to act quickly. If you already have a direct mail program, that’s fantastic but challenge the status quo. There is always room for improvement. If you’re not mailing already, consider adding direct mail as part of your strategy. Even the mighty Amazon mailed a Toy Catalog last year. If you didn’t see the mail piece, it was brilliant but nothing extravagant. It wasn’t your traditional mail-order catalog. You couldn’t even purchase from it directly. Instead it was intended to spark your imagination. It led you back to Amazon.com to further explore the categories and then to make a purchase. Drive holiday shoppers to your website with direct mail, just like Amazon!

Let’s face it, your email inbox is overflowing. So is everyone else’s. It’s certainly not effective at prospecting during the holiday season. Everyone is bombarding their files non-stop. In fact, I’ve abandoned more than one email address because of too much spam! On-line display advertising and PPC programs like GoogleAdwords rates are increasing making it a challenge to make the numbers work. You’re forced to pay the higher premium or scale back your advertising.

E-Commerce Holiday Shopping — Direct mail drives holiday shoppers!

“Let’s face it, your email inbox is overflowing. So is everyone else’s. It’s certainly not effective at prospecting during the holiday season.”

Drive Holiday Shoppers to your website with direct mail

I can say from personal experience that Amazon’s mail piece worked! My family purchased more from Amazon in Holiday 2018 than in years prior. I have heard the same story repeated many times. So, if you’re looking for ways to make Holiday 2019 great, give direct mail a try!

It doesn’t need to be a catalog. In fact, in most cases that wouldn’t be the right vehicle. It worked for Amazon but they’re huge. There are many cost-effective designs that can lead past customers and prospects to your website or retail location. For example, a postcard or self-mailer with a new apparel and a special offer can get customers to jump online and order. Plus, customers who are mailed typically spend more than digital advertising only. We can help walk you through the options and help you make the right choice for your business.

Direct mail has been around a long time because it works. Period. So, if direct mail isn’t in your toolbox, let’s start a conversation. Come December, you’ll be glad you did. I hope 2019 is your BIGGEST HOLIDAY SEASON EVER!!!

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(440) 740-3122

Chris@NorthStarDirectMarketing.com

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Back to Basics

Posted on November 2, 2018March 20, 2022 by CJDoherty

Back to Basics with Direct Mail Marketing

Transforming Businesses

Back to Basics! Direct Mail Marketing and the 4 P’s of marketing.

If you’ve ever taken a marketing class, you’ve likely heard of the 4 P’s of marketing; Product, Promotion, Price and Place. Whether you’re selling online or brick and mortar, you’re already doing these four things. Even if you don’t realize it. It’s common to start a business and never look back. I sell or offer X product/service. That’s what I do. Customers buy from me. End of story.

How can you grow? How can you increase the bottom line? There are many ways, but one is to focus on the 4 P’s of Marketing. Use direct mail marketing to get back to basics.

Product – Can you augment what you offer? Expand your line? Offer a complementary product or service?

Price – Even the best, most unique product won’t sell if whoever wants it can’t afford it. If it’s priced too low, you’re leaving money on the table.

Promotion – Is there another way to get the word out? Have you challenged your marketing channels?

Place – This one is defining. It’s hard to pick-up and move. So, what can you do?

At North Star Direct Marketing, we help you address all of your marketing “P” needs.

Product – Let’s look at your current line-up. Are there logical line extensions? How can we look beyond your current offering? We’ll begin by looking at the data and build from there.

Price – How are you priced compared to the competition? Let’s take a look? Can we add value to your offering to justify a premium? Can we bundle products to increase the average order value and units per order? What about up-selling or cross-selling?

Promotion – Are there channels that you haven’t explored yet? Direct mail, catalog, letters, post cards, self-mailers and shared mail are all viable sales and lead drivers. Do you have a promotion strategy in place? Let North Star Direct Marketing devise a strategy that works for you.

Place – If you have a website, you are everywhere. You just need a little help directing the right audience to your “door”.

Allow the power of targeted print advertising to drive a new audience to your website. North Star Direct Marketing can build a targeted direct marketing program tailored exclusively to your business.

… find your North Star

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(440) 740-3122

Chris.Doherty@NorthStarDirectMarketing.com

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Catalog Marketing Helps Ecommerce

Posted on November 2, 2018March 20, 2022 by CJDoherty

How Catalog Marketing helps ecommerce companies

Every brand is unique. Catalog Marketing helps ecommerce companies tell their story.

For centuries catalogs have been used by companies to sell their products and service directly to consumers. In fact, the first catalog, according to Medium.com, was published in 1498! Now that’s some serious history! Catalogs have traditionally been the workhorse of direct marketing.

Yes, the catalog has seen it’s fair share of marketing. However, as we move into a full-blown digital world, the catalog has begun to make a resurgence. Why? The answer is simple. Ecommerce companies need to find ways to re-engage current customers and find new prospects. Sure, all the web savvy companies do online targeting, re-targeting, co-targeting and email. They do display ads like Google Adwords and social like Facebook and Instagram. Of course, they may not be very good at it (but that’s a topic for another discussion.) The problem with a pure digital strategy is that the internet is a very crowded place. Very crowded! Think of your own browsing behavior. You may start out with Google search looking for replacement windows for your home (and get auto glass companies in your results because the companies aren’t using Adwords correctly ☹), and then find yourself messaging someone on Facebook a few minutes later or checking the weather from your local news station. Catalog marketing helps E-Commerce companies cut through the clutter and tell their unique story.

We are online a lot! According to some research….

According to Pew Research, nearly a quarter of Americans are online constantly (as in all day long)! So obviously a marketer needs to do all of those digital strategies well to compete. However, since everyone else is also there, it’s a very crowded place. Try this experiment. Search for something you’re interested. Let’s say you’re looking for a new pair of shoes. Do some searches. Visit a few sites. Then log into Facebook. Scroll down your page. What do you see? Ads for shoes? Not only the sites you visited but a few others you may have never heard from. That’s exciting isn’t it? You may even see some apparel ads too!

This type of digital strategy works. In fact, it works very well. But now you’re getting bombarded with digital ads for shoes. Was the company you bought shoes from last time in the mix? What if they marketed to you before you did your search? Wouldn’t that have been better for the shoe company? What if the company you purchased from last time contacted you before you searched online? It’s possible they would have received your undivided attention. That would have been ideal scenario if you were the shoe company. Instead, they had to share you with all the other online shoe sellers.

I’m certainly not advocating you cut back online advertising. It’s a proven medium. If you’re doing business online, you can’t afford not to use all the digital strategies at your disposal. However, you can augment and enhance your digital strategy with print. If you have an assortment of products, Catalog marketing is a logical extension of your website.

Catalog Marketing yields big results

That’s where Direct Marketing, and in this case Catalog Marketing, shines! Catalog marketing helps ecommerce companies by targeting customers with what they want where there is little to no competition; their mailbox. (Their physical mailbox!) Catalog marketing helps ecommerce companies grow!

Direct Mail helps drive e-commerce sales.

Even as we move into a full-blown digital world, the catalog has begun to make a resurgence. Why?

We are bombarded with digital messages. It’s very challenging to stand out from the crowd. That’s where catalog marketing shines. Send your customers a marketing piece with what they want and send it to them where there is little to no competition; their mailbox. (Their physical mailbox!) Catalog marketing helps ecommerce companies grow.

Building a successful catalog marketing program is easier said than done. Catalogs are expensive. You must merchandise them, design them, print and mail them! That’s a lot of steps. What if you have multiple merchandise lines? Who buys what, when? Can you prospect to new customers? Where do you find the names to mail? Do they receive the same offer as repeat customers or the same offer? How can you test multiple creative versions or offers? The list goes on and on. Count on North Star Direct Marketing to build a catalog marketing program

Even if you have the answers to all these questions and have been in the industry for a long time, it’s good to have someone review your strategy from time to time. Make sure you’re not leaving any money on the table or over-contacting your file. We can do an audit and make recommendations based on your goals.

Catalog Marketing Helps pure play Ecommerce Companies find New Customers

Catalog marketing helps e-commerce companies by engaging current customers AND prospecting to new customers. You can build statistical models profiling your current buyer and grow your business.

If you are a pure play ecommerce site, with little or no direct mail experience, then you really need an expert to help you through the process. While the catalog has been around a long time, it can be a daunting process to start one from scratch even for the savvy e-commerce marketer. Let us find your North Star and light your path to a profitable catalog program!

Contact Us

(440) 740-3122

Chris.Doherty@NorthStarDirectMarketing.com