I’ve been lucky enough to straddle the world’s move from analog to digital (which makes me old, kids). My data-driven career started in direct mail and then, like the rest of the world, moved to the internet in the ’90s.
And I’ve noticed something important…
We’ve forgotten how to be responsive. And it could be costing you business.
From my experience, our loss of customer responsiveness began with “broadcast” advertising with mediums such as television, radio, newspaper, and magazines. Despite the promises of “1:1” marketing, digital marketing exponentially accelerated with the rise of Google, Facebook, and Amazon’s dominant market positions. In many cases, digital marketing these days is more like old broadcast marketing.
Imagine being a door-to-door salesperson in the 1950s. You knew right away what customers liked and didn’t like. You knew it in real-time. However, if your company advertised on TV, in the newspaper, or on the radio, the company could reach many more people than you could on your route that day. What likely happened is that advertising enhanced your ability to sell. It enhanced that one-to-one relationship. The company didn’t take you off your route just because it was advertising.
Broadcast advertising works as long as you understand the power in the hands of the broadcaster. They own the customer relationship. If you are a large enterprise, then you can perhaps afford to bargain for better advertising rates. For the rest of us, we continued forward, believing that “digital marketing” is how it had to be now. Move all of my advertising from “old school” and buy search keywords (controlled by Google), advertising on Facebook/Instagram (using black-box algorithms), or sell through Amazon (where you often aren’t even legally allowed to use the buyer details for follow-up).
Source: Ted Goff
Now, let’s put that in modern terms. If you depend on advertising via Google, Facebook, and Amazon and you are not developing high-ROI one-to-one customer relationships, you have a problem. Yes, you likely don’t have a door-to-door salesperson. But, you do have other ways to cultivate profitable long-term customer relationships. It is so much easier to keep a current customer than it is to find a new one.
The top solutions that work one-to-one are email marketing and good ole direct mail.
These are two media messages that arrive where your customer is, sent to them specifically, with their name on the message. It is this personalization (you choose the person to whom you promote, and you promote to them personally) that defines a direct relationship. Above all, direct marketing is responsive marketing in that you know what your customers are saying and buying. They become more than a statistic; they become people.
The typical small or medium-sized business, generally under $50M in sales, must learn to work with Google, Facebook, and Amazon (and broadcast media if they can afford it). As long as your marketing achieves well-reasoned key performance metrics, you should absolutely keep advertising with giants such as Google, Facebook, and Amazon. Broadcast and “big” digital advertising absolutely can work. When it does achieve your performance metrics, absolutely keep doing it and optimize every step.
However, it would help if you did not fall prey to the newest-of-the-new bright and shiny solution offered in the digital marketing world. They are generally a waste of effort and a distraction away from success. Learn how to test new channels and techniques before investing heavily in them. Prove that they work (meet YOUR performance metrics) before devoting a significant portion of your budget.
At the same time, businesses must clarify their message and develop direct consumer relationships. Now. This is an absolute imperative.
First, develop your email list. If you are a larger firm, hire a professional communications firm or branding agency with direct marketing experience. Then listen to them. Their experience will help you. For smaller businesses, no matter how small, I suggest looking at Marketing Made Simple from StoryBrand. It is a repeatable framework for developing an email-based sales funnel that will start your journey.
Next, experiment with direct mail. Really, direct mail. You know, the mail that arrives in an actual mailbox. Send it to your best customers and watch the results. It works. And there are great tools out there that make old direct mail a lot like new digital marketing. Heck, start with Mailchimp, which has built-in digitally printed postcards that can work with your email campaigns.
Lester Wunderman, considered by most to be the father of direct marketing, predicted our current predicament way back in 1971:
“Advertising has always been capable of eliciting a response—but only in the nature of a direct marketing dialogue do we find the potential for responsiveness. And if I read our marketing and social revolution accurately, responsiveness is the only road to a technology which will serve people instead of enslaving them.” – Lester Wunderman, 1971
This was before the modern computer and long before the internet was anything at all.
Responsiveness is produced by talking with customers, not at customers. Good communication is how humans are made to work. I would argue that eCommerce isn’t explosively growing because of COVID-19; Ecommerce is explosively growing for all businesses that interact well with their customers and treat them like people. We forget, but this is like mail-order catalogs when they became possible at scale because of computer databases in the ’70s and ’80s.
Something new will come along too, but the successful technologies will be the ones that connect people with people. The best well-run businesses will communicate directly. Just like right now.
The good news is that you can establish excellent direct customer relationships. There is much reason for optimism. Talk to and listen to your customers. Use tools like email and direct mail that allow you to establish and enhance direct relationships. Don’t be beholden to third parties that take away your voice. Your business and your customers will be stronger as a result. Welcome to the next great age of direct marketing.
“The thing that fascinates me is what is yet to come and what is yet to be and what is yet to be made to happen. And I live in that world.” – Lester Wunderman
Blueprint.Inc is on a mission: to help 10,000 local businesses by 2025 survive and thrive by using our platforms to support and promote them as critical stakeholders in our communities. If we can help you, we’d love to talk!
As COVID-19 regulations continue to decrease and become more lax, many anxious travelers are beginning to think more seriously about leaving home for a much-needed summer vacation. From an increase in road trips to a rise in luxurious getaways, here are seven travel trends you can expect to see this summer.
What to Expect from Summer Travel
Travel Remains Top of Mind
Although travel itself decreased significantly last year, planning for future vacations did not. In fact, according to Vrbo’s 2021 travel trends report, 82% of U.S. families have plans to travel this year. After nearly a year-and-a-half of being cooped up at home, travelers want their next vacation to be extra special, so many people are spending more time planning their perfect getaway this summer. According to Tripadvisor, 74% of global travelers say they are likely to spend more time choosing a destination this year by reading reviews and researching accommodations and activities.
While travel in 2020 seemed to stop altogether, Vrbo’s 2021 travel trends report reveals families across the U.S. have used their increased time at home to plan a vacation in 2021.
A Rise in Road Trips & Drive Times
Despite this increase in travel planning, many people remain hesitant when it comes to flying. Vrbo reports that 59% of families who plan to travel this year are more likely to drive than fly. As more people prepare to travel by road, we also see an increase in the distance travelers are willing to drive. According to a study by Harvest Hosts, a membership program that invites RV owners to stay at unique campsites, nearly 60% of people who are planning a road trip are willing to drive over 500 miles (about 8.5 hours) to get to their destination.
Going Off the Beaten Path & Reconnecting with Nature
So, where is everyone headed this summer? According to a recent report by Airbnb, searches for remote destinations over Memorial Day weekend increased by nearly 40% within the last month. Travelers are opting for open-air getaways with a more outdoorsy feel rather than visiting busy metropolitan areas. Top rural destinations searched on Airbnb for Memorial Day weekend included Southern spots like Jackson County, NC, and Harper Ferry’s, WV.
Similarly, Vrbo reports that destinations near lakes, rivers and streams are also seeing an increase in demand. Popular Southern destinations searched on Vrbo with beautiful waterscapes include Emory, TX; Slade, KY; and Outer Banks, NC. But what about beaches? Those are on the rise, too! According to Expedia’s 2021 travel trends report, 56% of travelers are also looking to escape to the beach.
Outdoorsy destinations with nearby rivers, lakes, streams and beaches are also on the rise this summer.
Longer Trips That Combine Work & Play
Gone are the days of quick weekend getaways, as Vrbo reports that 75% of U.S. travelers are more likely to book summer travel vacations for at least seven nights. Because people aren’t spending as much of their travel budget on airfare, many can afford to extend their vacation by a few days. Similarly, as people lengthen their vacations and continue to work remotely, many travelers are booking “flexcations,” vacations that combine work and relaxation. In fact, according to Vrbo, 52% of U.S. travelers who took a flexcation in 2020 found the experience refreshing, and 62% would take another flexcation in the future. After all, who wouldn’t want to work beach-side?
Similarly, many families are willing to spend more in order to get their dream vacation. According to Expedia’s 2021 travel trends report, people are cutting back on dining out or ordering takeout, purchasing alcohol, and even their streaming services to afford more vacations in 2021. According to Vrbo, 33% of travelers are willing to spend more money on a 2021 vacation than they typically would.
2021 is the year of going all out as many travelers are willing to spend more to experience their dream vacation.
The Need for Travel Insurance
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s to always expect the unexpected. As people begin to plan their future getaways, many are also purchasing travel insurance. This ensures a refund of any prepaid or non-refundable costs for your trip if you’re unable to travel due to an unexpected circumstance. According to a Nasdaq interview with Megan Moncrief, a spokesperson at Squaremouth, the insurance company has never seen the sales of travel insurance reach this height before.
A Focus on Family
Many families in 2020 experienced the cancellation or postponement of important events like weddings and graduations. These canceled celebrations have led to an increase in family-focused getaways in 2021. Vrbo reports that 31% of travelers’ say their main reason for taking a vacation is to spend time with family and loved ones. Similarly, Expedia found that people’s top summer travel companions this year are expected to be their children and those within their “quaranteam.”
After a year of canceled and postponed gatherings with family and loved ones, summer 2021 travel is expected to be more family-focused.
Like most things in the digital age, businesses are growing and changing faster than ever before. From technological advancements to new social media platforms emerging each year, it’s easy to feel the need to constantly change your messaging and marketing strategies. Although it’s necessary to adapt to the ever-changing business world, your brand should remain consistent throughout the years. Brand consistency is key to establishing trust with your clients, creating brand awareness in your marketplace, and ultimately, making key sales. So just how do you stay consistent in the digital age? We’re here to help break it down.
What does brand consistency look like in the digital age?
Before you dive into the intricate ins and outs of brand consistency, it’s important you ask yourself these questions to define your brand:
What is your mission statement?
What does your company believe in?
What problem are you solving?
What makes your business different from another one?
Why should people hire you or buy your products?
When someone interacts with your company, how do you want them to feel?
After you’ve answered these questions, it’s time to take the necessary steps to establish brand consistency that will last. In order to do so, you must consider the following:
Consistency of branding
Are you maintaining your brand through logos, colors, fonts, filters and yes, even business cards?
Did you know before Google was Google, it was BackRub? They only kept BackRub for a year. When you are starting out, it’s easy to have a period of time when you are changing your brand or business name. That’s okay for a very short time. But, you’ll be given very little grace here. Ultimately, it’s in your best interest to pick a name and stick with it as soon as possible.
Along with finding the perfect business name, it’s vital that you create a logo and try not to change it. Regardless of if it’s just your company name is a special font, seeing several different logos for your company is confusing so be sure to stick with one. If you change it, change it everywhere. Also, consider different sizing needs such as square and rectangular. Make sure your logo is in jpeg, ai and eps format so that any publication can work with it. This will save you a lot of headaches in the long run!
While creating your brand, keep in mind that professional-grade photos of your work are a MUST. Find a photography student if funds are low – we once used a 15-year-old student and got incredible photos! When grainy, overblown flash, blurry, or dark photos are posted on your website or social media outlets, your professional credibility is diminished.
Finally, let’s talk about business cards. They still matter! No matter what industry you’re in, you need to consider a card that matches your brand esthetic and will stand out. Your card says something about YOU and the image you’ve worked hard to create for your company. Whether you prefer a traditional business card made of heavy card stock with letterpress or lean towards a more modern approach like wooden or photo cards, your brand will be well represented, and consistent, with a well-designed business card.
Consistency of message
What are your core values? For Blueprint.Inc, we strive to have a positive message, to support women, to champion local businesses, to be smart, fun and respectful and to have a company culture that is flexible enough to let our employees enjoy their life outside of work. Your mission statement, core values, and company culture should be clear, concise, and reflect the image of your brand.
Consistency of communication
How do you communicate with your customer? This includes each touchpoint with your audience including social media, blogs, and email.
It’s undoubtedly hard to get noticed via social media today. But with persistence, consistency, and the help of your online community, social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest can be a great source for new clients, page views, traffic to your website, and much more. Be sure to share your pages with family, friends, current clients, and through local groups – the more exposure to your posts and messaging the better.
Gaining a larger audience on each social media platform is the first step, followed by promoting some of your best posts. Each platform makes it easy to target people within your city. Yes, you have to pay to do this, but it’s a marketing expense. $200 has the opportunity to get you in 50,000+ people’s feeds. That is pretty good! What does $200 buy in other marketing to such a targeted audience? Even a $5 boosted post can bring you in new followers. When creating your content calendar, don’t only post about your own work. Work in desirable content to make your page relevant and note that great photography can help engage your audience and grow your presence in your local community. Having your own photos, not ones everyone else has, will make you look like the expert, not “just” the curator.
Do you have a website? Unlike a blog, your website should be more static with the only things changing being additions to your portfolio and additions to your press section. Do you have a blog? Link to it from your website, but have it be a distinctly different product with similar branding. Make sure to include links to all your social media platforms from your website and from your blog. Overall, your website should reflect you and your brand. At the end of the day, you want to use your page to attract the type of person you want to work with.
Consistency of expectations
Are your customers getting what they expect to get?
The biggest reason you’ll lose customers, and their loyalty, is confusion. Confusion comes from not staying on brand, expanding your brand, and not meeting customer expectations. Avoid confusion by creating a line of open communication with your clients and keeping your messaging as consistent as possible.
Overall, creating lasting brand consistency is something that has to be consciously worked on and reinvented each year. Get your team involved in your creating strong company values and communication. Effort is 100% required when it comes to maintaining brand consistency through the years, but that effort always pays off in the long run.
At Blueprint.Inc, we believe in the power of email and we always have. This is your most direct communication with your customer. Yes, your website matters, your social media matters and your customer service matters. But, only one thing can augment each of those. That one thing is email.
When you have an engaged email list, you have much more than just emails.
Through email, you can:
Connect directly to your customers or potential customers.
Keep your brand top of mind.
Use your email list to create a custom audience on social media platforms for paid promotions and ads.
For anyone unconvinced previously that email is King, the pandemic shutdowns may have changed that thought. Email lets you connect directly with your customer. Directly. Your email will arrive in their inbox. They will see it. It’s up to them if they open it, but it’s there. No other form of marketing is as powerful.
Also, your email list is an asset you own. Subscribers can unsubscribe, yes. But, you do not need to worry about a change in algorithm that will affect your email list like you do with social media and SEO on your website.
So, how do you grow your email list? It’s much harder than it was just 10 years ago, but it’s possible and it’s worth doing right. There are at least a 100 ways to grow an email list, but today we are going over our top 7 ways.
#1 Give something free in order to receive emails. Do so with a pop-up on your site. For example:
If you have an online store, offer 10% off in exchange for a new email subscriber.
If you have a B2B business, offer a free PDF download filled with useful information in exchange for an email.
Compile information you already have into an easier-to-navigate ebook. It’s free in exchange for an email.
Make sure that the content you are offering for free, in exchange for an email, is hyper-relevant to the customer you wish to gain.
#2 Host a giveaway:
One example is to host a giveaway with like-minded brands. If you own a local cosmetics store, team up with a local boutique, a local jewelry store and a local day spa. Together, offer a nice prize and everyone promotes the prize online, via email, on social media and in-store. Pick one winner. It’s likely that everyone who enters the giveaway will like all the brands involved and be a good customer to all.
Another example is to offer something from your own company, perhaps a facial, a beautiful bag, a 5-hour home design consultation, a free oil change for 5 years, free donuts every month for a year … there are so many possibilities. What do you do best? What can you giveaway? Host a giveaway and then promote it through a platform like Viralsweep. Use a paid promotion on Facebook and Instagram to spread the word to a targeted audience.
#3 Use a popup on exit-intent from your website:
When someone is leaving your site, a pop-up to remind them to sign up for your newsletter as they likely enjoyed what they were just reading. Again, offer them something. “Sign up and receive our list of The Top 6 Reasons Your Marketing is Not Working” Don’t just say “Sign up for our newsletter.” No one wants to sign up for a newsletter. People want to sign up for something where they get something they want, immediately.
#4 Create a quiz which require entering an email to receive the results. If you use Mailchimp, Fyrebox is a great Quiz integration for your website.
Which Nashville neighborhood Should You Live in?
Which Atlanta Restaurant Should You Eat at Tonight?
What Countertop is Best for YOUR Kitchen?
Which Dress is Right for YOUR Body?
What Email Platform is Best for Your Business?
What Website Platform is Best for Your Business?
#5 If you have a retail store, always ask for email when checking someone out. ALWAYS!
This seems obvious, but it rarely happens. And, retail clerks often seem apologetic to ask. Simply ask and give them a reason to sign up.
“Can I get your email to send you your receipt so you won’t have to worry keeping up with it?”
“Can I get your email so that we can send you special saving as they come up?”
“Can I get your email so that we can send your our monthly round up of favorite products?”
#6 Consistency:
Be consistent! Depending on your business will determine how often to send emails. But, we suggest at least once a week. At the barest of minimums once a month, but it hurts to put that out there. If once a week is too daunting, really try for every two weeks.
Unsubscribes: don’t worry about them (for the most part). As you send emails, people will unsubscribe. Make sure you are putting out good content and then be okay with unsubscribes. You will have a cleaner list of people who WANT to hear from you!
If your unsubscribes are concerning, there are more sophisticated tactics to help.
A welcome series to new subscribers to let them know who you are before you start sending them your regular emails
Segmenting of your audience for different interests
Look at your emails. Are they ones you would want to receive? Do they look nice? Are they helpful? Be your own critic and continue to optimize what you are doing.
#7 YouTube video with link to a download PDF in it:
If you have YouTube videos, please start adding a call out for a PDF download that is filled with great info to your video. And, a good reminder at the end of the video as well. Then, right where people can see the description of your video, add a link, right there, for that free download. You want to capitalize on the other marketing you are doing and be able to convert it into emails!
Hopefully at least a few of those email list growing tactics spoke to you and you can now implement a plan to start growing your email list today.
If this seems overwhelming, or you simply do not have the time, please let us know. At Blueprint Marketing, one of the things we specialize in is growing email lists and we’d love to work with you. Contact us here!
As a small business owner, it can often feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to check off everything on your to-do list. However, knowing the difference between “being busy” and actually getting things accomplished can be the secret to an efficient business. Here are seven productivity tips you can implement into your daily routine to make the most of every workday.
Follow these seven tips for increased productivity in your small business.
Set SMART Goals
One of the first productivity tips is goal setting. If you don’t set goals, you may lose focus of what it is you’re trying to accomplish. While this is likely not the first time you’re hearing of SMART goals, they’re important when thinking about the future of your business. SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based, and by ensuring every one of your goals meets these characteristics, the more likely you are to achieve them. Start by creating long-term goals for your business. Then break those up into smaller goals — things you can get done every month, week, and day. Not only does this help you track your progress and set targets, but having a plan in place also reduces the amount of time you spend on irrelevant, time-wasting tasks.
Minimize Distractions
Blocking out distractions may seem like an obvious productivity tip, but it’s helpful to have a reminder every now and then. From the constant ping of emails to phone calls and random drop-ins from co-workers, the average workday is filled with distractions. Whether you’re working in the office or from home, consider closing your office doors to discourage people from barging in. You can also put your smartphone on “Do Not Disturb” mode, or turn it off altogether when you’re working on a critical task. By doing these seemingly small things, you’re gaining time back in your workday.
When you have a critical task that is time-sensitive, block out any distractions that may get in the way of completing it.
Prioritize & Delegate Tasks
It’s important to look at what tasks need to be done first to meet the goals you have set for your business. Organize these tasks into a list where the most critical ones are at the top. These should be tasks that require your personal attention and are critical to the success of your business. Additionally, tasks at the top of your list should be completed first thing in the morning before there is time for distractions to arise. If there are tasks on your list that do not require your personal attention, delegate them to other members of your team. This again helps you leverage productivity tips to free up time in your workday for more important and pressing matters.
Hire the Right People
Before you delegate these tasks, however, you want to make sure you have people with the appropriate skills and knowledge supporting you and your business. If you don’t believe your employees are capable of completing certain tasks, you’re less likely to delegate those needs. Therefore, it’s important to take the time to hire the right people — individuals you trust and who possess the right skills to get their job done.
Take the time to hire the right people who are like-minded and dedicated to achieving the goals you have set for your business.
Automate as Many Task as You Can
When making your list of priorities, it’s important to ask yourself if any of the accompanying tasks can be automated. For example, many businesses automate their accounting procedures by sending recurring invoices or payments. Additionally, you can also automate your social media by scheduling posts ahead of time. There are various apps and services that do these tasks for you, again giving you more time for you to focus on more critical tasks.
Create a Streamlined Set of Processes
Unclear, inefficient processes can not only lead to frustration and miscommunication, but they can lead to a loss in revenue as well. It’s important to create a streamlined set of processes for your business and employees as they ensure everyone has a clear understanding of their daily tasks and the expectations that have been set for them. Not only does this leave less room for error, but it also allows more time for you as a business owner to focus on strategic and creative thinking.
Create a streamlined set of processes for your small business to ensure everyone has a clear understanding of how the company works and what is expected of them.
Have a Clear Line of Communication
Similarly, it’s important for your business to have a clear line of communication. In a small business, there is not much room for error, so it’s especially important that everyone is on the same page and is up to date on everything that’s happening within the business. Many organizations use chat platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams to remain in constant communication with one another. Monthly all-company meetings may also be helpful as they allow yourself and your team to sync up and give updates for each department. This helps avoid future mistakes or misunderstandings and improves productivity across your business.
It’s important to find the processes that work best for you and your business. By creating more time to get important tasks done, the more likely you are to generate revenue and run a successful business.
