How Marketing Influencers Have Changed

In their publication "Top 12 Digital Predictions for 2012", Milward Brown's Global Futures Group described how marketing influencers have changed; "In the past, key influencers have been limited to traditional advertising, consumer promotions (i.e. coupons, sampling,etc.); trade promotions (i.e. price reductions, displays,etc.); and word-of-mouth from family and close friends. With the advent of social media, our influencers have changed, broadening in both reach and scope. Microsoft's Bing search engine can pull in a user's friends' Facebook likes and display them with search results. Even total strangers can now impact the choices we make by leaving online comments and reviews." Social media offers an entirely new way for businesses and organizations to form a relationship with customers and to leverage customer loyalty to attract prospects. As explained by author Robert Cialdini in his book "Influence:Psychology of Persuasion", the idea of tapping into the wisdom of the crowd is based on a principle of social influence. Instead of making a decision (such as what brand to purchase or where to eat dinner) based on the rational measures of traditional economics, we instead turn to outside influences. Cialdini calls this social proof, defined as "one means we use to determine which is correct is to find out what other people think is correct."

Tips for making Social Media and Direct Mail work together

Here are a few tips for making social media and direct mail work together; 1. Create a Facebook page for your company and update it regularly with products or services, or an event. Mail a post card with a QR code to the page. 2. Create a forum on Facebook and encourage participation via direct mail. 3. Monitor Twitter conversations on your product or services. Use the topics in a direct mail piece. 4. Post videos on YouTube demonstrating your product or providing an explanation or instruction. 5. Make your direct mail piece interactive by adding a QR code. The code can lead to a mobile web site, a YouTube video or a short survey form that offers a reward for completion. 6. Include social media icons such as Facebook or Twitter logos on your direct mail piece. This gives your target audience more options for learning about your company, especially if they are interested in customer reviews. 7. Post links to a general, nonpersonalized landing page containing something desirable(information, an offer) on social media sites. Measure how respondents are getting to the landing page to determine the most valuable source. 8. Make it easy for visitors to share with others. People like to share valuable information with others. Provide a "like" button for Facebook, a "mention" button for Twitter, and request a "check-in" on Facebook. Call on us to help you integrate social media marketing with direct mail. We have been providing direct mail services to our customers for 32 years, and we are good at what we do. For more information or to set an appointment call Dan at 303-320-4855

Using Direct Mail to Enhance Social Media

Use of social media has exploded in the last seven years. In February 2005, the Pew Research Center conducted the first of six surveys as part of the Internet and American Life Project. In 2005, only 2% of adults who use the Internet were using a social media site. That number increased to 16% in 2006, 29% in 2008, 46% in 2009, 61% in 2010 and 65% in 2011. Who are these users? According to a Morgan Stanley report issued in December 2009, 67% of 18-34 year olds use a social networking site--and so do 67% of the 45-54 year old population and 55% of those 55+. In 2007, social networking represented about 1 out of every 12 minutes spent online, while today it accounts for 1 out of every 6 minutes spent online. If you can only afford to use one marketing channel, we believe it should be direct mail. Here is why; 1. The marketing message gets to the customer or prospect. You are reaching out, not waiting for someone to find you. 2. You control the message. At a social media site, anyone can say anything, even if it isn't true. 3. You are competing with fewer messages. These days there is relatively little competition for your customer's or prospect's attention in a mail box. 4. Mail is a physical media. The brain responds differently to physical and digital media. According to a 2009 study by Millward Brown research company, physical media like a direct mail piece eaves a "deeper footprint" in the brain, involves more emotional processing, and produce more brain responses connected with internal feelings.