One Minute Marketing Ideas

Direct Mail Advertising For Your Lawn Service

Spring is almost here and many of our regular lawn service customers are getting ready to send postcards to their local neighborhoods. Direct Mail is a great method to use for growing your lawn care business. If you are new to direct mail advertising here are a few things you should consider.

1- Divide Your Market Into Groups

Group A: Homes in the neighborhood that already have a lawn service. Within this group are: 

• Customers that are happy with their lawn service
• Customers that are unhappy with their lawn service
• Customers that consider their lawn service “just ok”, or nothing special

Group B: Homes that do not have a lawn service. Within this group are:

• Potential customers that think they can’t afford a lawn service 
• Potential customers that no longer want to mow their own lawn due to age or health
• Potential customers that might need work done occasionally

2 – Create A Special Offer For Each Group

When creating a special offer, be aggressive. It’s hard to get potential customers to change their habits. Whether you are trying to get them to fire their current lawn company and hire yours, or to stop doing the work themselves, you’ve got to give them a strong enough incentive to get them out of their “comfort zone”.

Here is an example of a strong offer that has been used successfully by lawn services. Headline – “NEW CUSTOMER INVITATION: FREE LAWN SERVICE! Details in smaller type – Pay For 2 Cuts At Our Regular Low Price and Your 3rd Cut Is FREE!” 

That works out to be a 33% discount on the first three cuts. After 3 cuts, if they like your work, you’ve probably got a regular customer.

Don’t make the mistake of evaluating the success of your direct mail advertising campaign by considering only the first purchase a customer makes. Look at the lifetime value of a customer. Here is a link to an easy to use calculator that can help you determine the lifetime value of a customer. 

Remember that the purpose of your direct mail postcard is to generate a lead. You’ve still got to make the sale. So be prepared. Answer the phone live if you can and if you must use a recorded message, let the caller know that you will return the call quickly (the quicker the better).

Don’t worry about having the lowest prices and don’t get annoyed if the prospect seems to focus on price. The reason most callers start off with price questions is because they don’t know enough about the lawn service business to ask other questions. So, be prepared to defend your prices by describing the differences between you and your competitors.

When you give a price, look for a reaction from the prospect. Some potential clients may be embarrassed to question your prices. This is a “hidden objection” that you can dispose of by addressing it head on. For example you might say, “if you are shopping for price, you will find that the rates of most of the qualified lawn service companies in town are within a few dollars of each other. We not the highest or the lowest, however our service is way above average. Here’s why…..”

Keep close track of which offers are working best and then fine tune your postcard before mailing again. Direct mail is a process. You’ve got to mail, track response, fine tune and then mail again. After awhile your response rates will become predictable and your business will be growing along the way.

Sign Up For Our “Bulk Mail Boot Camp” – It’s FREE!

Want to learn more about direct mail advertising? Sign up for our new “Bulk Mail Boot Camp” – it’s FREE. The course consists of 5 videos (each is about 3 minutes long), and includes all the basic training you’ll need to launch a successful campaign.

You receive one video per day for 5 days. Here’s what is covered:

• Day 1 – How Much Should You Spend On Your Direct Mail Campaign?
• Day 2 – How To Design Your Postcard
• Day 3 – Creating A Mailing List Using Neighborhood Saturation
• Day 4 – Creating A More Targeted Mailing List
• Day 5 – Response Rates and Results

Several hundred have already “Graduated” from the course since it was introduced in mid February 2010 and the reviews have been very positive. To find out more or to sign up CLICK HERE. 

How Much Would You Pay For A New Customer?

What if there was a store that sold customers? No, not a store that sells to customers, I mean a store where small businesses could go and purchase new customers. And let’s say that store has all types of customers on the shelves, like in real life, difficult customers, cheap customers, average customers and even best customers.

Let’s deal with factor one first. How much would you pay for a new customer? Isn’t the amount you would pay for anything determined by the value of the product or service. The same rule should apply to customers. So before we ask the question, how much are you willing to pay for a new customer, let’s ask how much is a new customer really worth. Here’s one method you can use.

Small Business Example: ABC Dry Cleaners

Work out the numbers for your business and go on a shopping spree! Buy as many new customers as you can. But wait minute, you might have a limited amount of cash on hand. Furthermore, your cash flow may not allow you to wait up to two years to recover the profit. That brings us to factor number two: your budget. The most important thing to consider here is being consistent. You can start with a small budget and expand it as cash flow permits. Determine a budget that you are comfortable with and then stick with it.

Don’t despair, you can get new customers with advertising. But you’ve got to pick an advertising method that is measurable. Direct mail advertising is very measurable and it is cost effective. You can even attract the type of customer your looking for (your definition of the best customer), by using a specialized mailing list.

Keep close track of the results of your mailing. Then compute your cost per customer: Cost of the mailing divided by the number of customers generated. By fine tuning your mailing list,  mail piece design and special offers you can increase the response rate and lower your cost per customer.

Advertising isn’t easy, but if you know the cost to generate a new customer and the value of that customer, you will be well on your way to running successful advertising campaigns.

We recently added an easy to use calculator at our website to determine the lifetime value of a customer. Check it out: CLICK HERE

Vacation Rewards Program: Great Way To Get New Customers

Postcards are an affordable and effective way to reach clients in your neighborhood. Getting postcards mailed on a regular basis is half the battle. But even if you mail to every home in town, your postcard still needs to attract attention and then motivate your prospect to contact you. You need a strong offer to get the best results. How about this headline: FREE VACATION with Any Purchase!

Would a free vacation to Disney World, Las Vegas or San Francisco attract new customers? You bet it would. With our new program, now any size firm can afford to launch a Vacation Rewards Program for their business. A free vacation is a great sales incentive. In addition to attracting new clients, it can be used to build loyalty with existing clients. You can also reward customers who send referrals. It can even be used to motivate inactive customers.

With our Vacation Rewards Program, you can present your customer with a travel certificate for hotel accommodations for up to 2 to 6 nights. The only charges your client will pay are hotel taxes and small housekeeping fee (both are usually less than $29 per room, per night). Participating hotels include selected properties operated by Holiday Inn, Howard Johnson, Quality Inn, Travelodge, Radisson and others. The cost for each voucher is less than $4 although they have an actual value of $600 or more. By the way, there are no black out dates.

Seem too good to be true? Well, this is not a sales gimmick. You clients won’t have to sit through a high pressure time share sales pitch. They will be treated just like any other guest paying full price. So how do we do it? This program is administered by a company that is a professional hotel booking agent. They have been filling unused hotel rooms for over 24 years and can provide a list of satisfied repeat clients as references. Hotel Rooms are subsidized by theme parks and local tourist economies to increase traffic. Everyone wins, your client, the hotel, local attractions, restaurants, but most of all your business will benefit, because you’ll be adding new satisfied customers to your client list.

The program is valid for 12 months from the date your company enrolls. There is a one time fee of just $395 for 100 Vacation Certificates and personalize thank you letters. Complete instructions and promotional ideas are included with the package. You are not involved in the reservation process. All you have to do is present the certificate to your customer. The Certificate has compete booking instructions including a telephone number and website that are available 24/7.

Your clients will love the gift of a free vacation and you can generate more sales without discounting your product or service. Your cost is less than $4 per sale which is probably a lot less than the cost of discounts you may have offered in the past.

If you would like to find out more about this exciting program visit our new website http://vacationrewardsprogram.com

Bulk Mail Strategy: Target Neighborhoods Not Zip Codes

Bulk mail advertising is a proven method for increasing sales for just about any type of business. The goal of all advertising is to deliver results that justify the cost. That’s the tricky part. Advertising is often a “trial and error” process that can be expensive. Here’s a tip that can help improve the results of your bulk mail advertising campaign: Target Neighborhoods NOT Zip Codes.

Carrier route mailings are sometimes referred to as saturation mailings because they include every address within the boundary of the route. The list is complied by the USPS and is updated every two months, so it is very accurate. Carrier route mailing lists are usually presorted in the sequence that the carrier walks his route, and therefore can be mailed at the lowest postage rate available.

Of course a good mailing list is just one of three important elements of a successful bulk mail advertising campaign. The product or service being offered and postcard design are the other two considerations. Each is vital. Try using mail carrier routes and target neighborhoods not entire zip codes and save money on postage in the process!

We have put together a video that summarizes the key points of this article. Feel free to check it out at

Big Promotional Possibilities With Small Cards

In today’s economy, businesses are cautious about spending money on advertising and marketing. Here’s an idea that is both affordable and effective: Small Card Marketing.

So why use small cards instead of a larger flyer?

In this case, smaller is better.  Small Marketing Cards are the same size as a business card (3.5” x  2”). Prospects will tend to hold on to them because they fit into wallets, shirt pockets and purses. Furthermore, their stylish design, quality card stock and glossy UV finish give them a valuable appearance that gets attention and  more retention.

What will fit on Small Marketing Cards?

A lot more than you think. How about a mini menu? By the way, menus aren’t just for restaurants, if you’ve got a price list, it’s a menu. Realtors can use Small Marketing Cards as a mini listing card showing photos and features of a property for sale. They can be used as a “frequent buyer” punch card at the point of sale or a coupon card to attract new customers. The only limit is your imagination. Our marketing team will help you fine tune your ideas.

What about Small Marketing Card distribution?

Point of sale distribution is easy. Just give every customer a Small Marketing Card before they leave your place of business. Other promotions will require a bit more creativity. 

INVENTORY YOUR RESOURCES:

• How many employees and family members are available to hand out Small Marketing Cards?
• How about your business neighbors? Offer them a cross promotion opportunity – they display your Small Marketing Cards on their counter and you display theirs.
• Participate in networking clubs, organizations (i.e. chamber of commerce) and attend business card exchanges.
• Ask the owners of the establishments that you do business with (dry cleaner, florist, sub shop, your favorite pizza place, etc.) to display your Small Marketing Cards. Most will be happy to reward your patronage.
• Include Small Marketing Cards in all your correspondence, billing, shipments and packages that you send out.
• Don’t forget your most enthusiastic distribution person – yourself! Get in the habit of carrying and giving out Small Marketing Cards at every opportunity.

Set A Goal

Set a goal. Even a modest one of just a 100 Small Marketing Cards a week will bring results. Then try to increase that goal each week. Remember, the more Small Marketing Cards you put in circulation the better you’ll do. Be consistent and you’ll see a steady stream of new business.

Increase Results By Running Several Promotions Simultaneously
Small Card Marketing is so inexpensive, you can even afford to run several promotions simultaneously. Run a client Birthday Promotion with Small Marketing Cards and give them out all year long. It will only cost you $16.50 per month. Combine that with a Frequent Buyer Punch Card and a stylish Coupon Card to attract new customers and you’ll have a pretty comprehensive marketing campaign in place for less than $50 a month. By the way, Small Card Marketing is a great way to test promotional ideas before spending a lot more on traditional marketing methods.

Ready To Get Started With Small Card Marketing?

Have questions? Ready to get started?  Fill out the simple form on the home page at www.SmallCardMarketing.com and a member of our marketing team will contact you the next business day.

It Isn’t A New Idea But A “S W O T” Analysis Of Your Business Is Still A Good One

Direct Mail Advertising is an effective way to grow your business. However, all advertising should be part of an overall plan that sets your business apart from the competition and creates a demand for your products or services.

Most business owners do not have the time to contemplate and then write a proper business plan. Furthermore, they usually don’t have the budget to hire a professional to do it for them. Besides, no one knows your business as well as you do, so I recommend that you do it yourself by starting with a “S W O T” Analysis.

A “S W O T” Analysis is a simple yet effective marketing exercise (first introduced in the 1960’s) that can help a business focus on improving sales.

The initials stand for:

• “S” – STRENGTHS
• “W” – WEAKNESSES
• “O” – OPPORTUNITIES
• “T” – THREATS

You don’t need a marketing guru to conduct the analysis, you can do it yourself, if you are willing to be honest. Start with 4 blank sheets of paper and title each with the headings shown above.

Here are some examples to help get you started:

STRENGTHS could be -
Your location, a one of a kind product or service, a reputation built over the years, your staff, etc.

WEAKNESSES could be -
Your location, similar products and prices offered by nearby competitors, not enough parking, a bad reputation

OPPORTUNITIES could be -
A competitor goes out of business, new homes being built in the neighborhood, new products available from a supplier, using the internet to expand sales, etc.

THREATS could be -
New competitor opens nearby, gas prices go up, temporary road construction, etc.

With a completed analysis, you will be better equipped to develop an effective marketing and advertising plans, including a direct mail advertising campaign.

Growing Your Restaurant Business: Advantages Of Direct Mail

Direct Mail Advertising is a great way to grow your restaurant business. Unlike newspapers, radio or tv, direct mail allows you to put your advertising dollars exactly where your potential customers live. You can target geographically by neighborhood or demographically by age, income, ethnicity, etc., or a combination of both.

Direct mail advertising also allows you to control your budget, by the size of your mailings (how many pieces) and the frequency of your mailings.

There are many other advantages of direct mail, here are just a few:

• It’s personal, between you and your prospect
• It’s not as public as other media, your competitors won’t have access to your coupons and special offers as they do in newspapers and other media
• It’s limited to one mail piece per household, which means special offers will not be abused, for example, by prospects buying more than one newspaper and clipping multiple coupons
• Response is easy to track
• You can compare results by neighborhoods and determine your best market area

At this point, you might be asking yourself, if direct mail is so powerful, why isn’t every restaurant in town doing it?

It’s true, direct mail can play a big role in growing your restaurant business, however, it is going to take some effort and a budget. It’s not just a matter of putting your menu or a few coupons together and mailing them out. A successful direct mail advertising campaign is a bit more complicated than that. To gain some insight into the process, I suggest reading my BLOG, which contains ideas and tips on design, mailing lists, strategies and more. It’s designed for busy owners and managers, each posting can be read in a minute or less. Feel free to leave comments and I’ll do my best to answer your questions.

Of course, everyone wants to hit a home run the first time at bat, but prepared for some hits and misses. Every mailing is important and provides an opportunity for you to learn more about your market area. Results will vary, even if no one responds, that is still a result (obviously not what you were hoping for) and the result, that no one or few people responded, can be used to make a course correction.

So, if you have decided to start a direct mail campaign, begin with a mailing that is large enough to establish a base line of results, usually about 2000 to 3000 pieces. Don’t be tempted to save money on printing by ordering large quantities to be used in future mailings. What if your offers fall flat and don’t work. Then you’ll be stuck with the extras or worse, feel obligated to mail them and repeat the results.

Direct mail advertising works. It can work for you. But, unless you are prepared to stick with it, you may be wasting your time and money. It is going to take some trial and error. The good news is, that over time, with experience, direct mail advertising results will become predictable. That’s when you can expand your efforts, and direct mail advertising  won’t be costing you money, it will make you money.

Designing Your Postcard: Try Adding Value Instead Of Discounting

Remember, the purpose of your direct mail advertising campaign is to generate leads.

No, not a "Chick Magnet", use a special offer as the "Magnet" on your postcard to attract new customers!

A good way to do this is to include a “Special Offer”. We call this your “Magnet”. A good magnet will attract new customers.

Try being creative. Many advertisers use the old “10% Off” approach. It may work, but it’s been over used and often the prospect doesn’t believe the discount is real.

Try adding value instead of a discount. Price your product competitively and then add more product or service for the same price. For example, a postcard for a carpet cleaner might say “3 Rooms Cleaned for $99 – Plus 1 Chair Cleaned FREE!” This is a “WIN, WIN OFFER”. He gets his full price for the carpet cleaning and lets the client know that he also offers upholstery cleaning – and after cleaning one chair the rest of the upholstery may look a bit dingy, which could lead to an additional sale.

The value added offer doesn’t always have to be free either. We’ve all been asked to “SUPER SIZE” our order at a fast food restaurant. That extra $1.99 for a larger fountain soda and a few extra french fries really adds up.

So take some time to think about the Magnet on your postcard. If you need some help, just give us a call and we’ll be happy to brain storm with you. Call 866-594-3069 M-F – 9-6 Eastern Time.

Use Direct Mail To Promote Your Website. Don’t Have A Website? Read This!