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In this issue:
• Marketing Article: Tracking Postcard Campaign Results
• Marketing Article: Local versus National Coverage

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Tracking Postcard Campaign Results
by Concept Marketing Group Inc © 2006

You have painstakingly designed your postcards with attention grabbing photos, imagery and headline. You believe you have selected the best mailing list for your target audience. After all this careful planning, how will you know if your campaign is successful?

During the planning phase of the campaign, you defined your goals. For this particular campaign, you wanted to increase the number of orders coming through your web site. You offered a special discount that is valid for 30 days. How will you distinguish between orders coming from the web site that are a result of the postcard campaign versus normal traffic to that webpage?

One solution might be to direct your postcard campaign recipients to special URL/web page such as www.yoursitename.com/offer11. Another way to track this new customer would be to use a promotion or coupon code unique to this mailing. The promo code is used during the checkout process in order to receive the discount offered on the postcard. This code can be used to track the number of orders received as a result of the postcard campaign.

Perhaps your campaign goal is to get people to contact you so they can receive free brochure materials about your latest life insurance plan. An easy and inexpensive way to track results that are coming from phone calls is to use a different 800 number specific to this campaign. The cost is minimal and your monthly statement will show you the number of calls received. Your phone bill statement is much more accurate than asking your customer service team to keep track of how many calls they received as a result of the postcard campaign.

Another method for measuring campaign effectiveness is to stagger the mailing of the postcards. For example, you order 5,000 postcards and for the first campaign you will send 1,000 cards. But you would like to control and gauge how the postcards are received before mailing all 1,000 cards. You decide to send out 250 a week so that your response rate is more manageable and you can make minor changes to the postcards if needed before mailing all 1,000 cards.

Since postcard marketing is only one component of your marketing strategies, it is important to know its effectiveness. As you do each campaign you learn more about your target audience and what resonates with buyers and what doesn’t. Whether you select a promo or coupon code, an 800 number or have a special web site address, knowing the effectiveness of the postcard campaign compared to your other marketing methods is valuable information for your future planning and budgeting.

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Concept Marketing Group, Inc. is a full-service marketing consulting firm with over 29 years of experience in traditional marketing - including 13 years on the Internet. Concept Marketing Group Inc. assists in developing and implementing effective sales and marketing strategies for businesses through targeted, managed, strategic marketing campaigns. Visit our site, www.marketingsource.com, email us at concept@marketingsource.com or call 800-575-5369, for more information.

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Local versus National Coverage
by Concept Marketing Group Inc © 2006

When planning for your Press Release, you decide who would be the most interested in hearing your story as well as where your audience is located. If you are releasing information about a local public event, it would seem obvious that you would want to notify the public through local newspapers, newsletters, radio and television. You would also want to make sure the Press Release includes the actual dates you want the release published. If it is not published in a timely manner, it might be too late.

This scenario addresses your need to publish locally and in a timely manner. However, what if this event was of interest to a number of your customers or others located outside of your immediate area? You would want to give them plenty of time to arrange travel plans, child care, and hotel accommodations as necessary. Here’s an example of how to solve this dilemma.

These easiest and perhaps the most effective way to address local AND national coverage, especially for an event, is to prepare two different Press Releases. The first release you write and distribute is primarily for both local and national media outlets. It needs to be released and picked up by the media at least four to twelve weeks in advance. This allows your national target audience enough time to prepare to attend.

The Press Release is written in the standard format, including an attention grabbing headline and all the details of who, where, why, when and what. Remember, this Press Release must be newsworthy enough for it to be published. At the same time, distribute this Press Release to your local media outlets. By distributing it locally, you give your community ample time to make their plans as well.

The second Press Release would be distributed closer to the actual event date and only to local newspapers, television and radio stations. This release can be in a simpler press release format used specifically for public service announcements. This release is a great reminder to the local community that your event will take place in the next week or few days.

Keep in mind using two different types of Press Releases is an acceptable way to communicate local and national newsworthy events. The standard Press Release format can always be used for both local and national audiences. Don’t be afraid to write different types of Press Releases to meet your publicity needs and target the appropriate audience.

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Concept Marketing Group, Inc. is a full-service marketing consulting firm with over 29 years of experience in traditional marketing - including 13 years on the Internet. Concept Marketing Group Inc. assists in developing and implementing effective sales and marketing strategies for businesses through targeted, managed, strategic marketing campaigns. Visit our site, www.marketingsource.com, email us at concept@marketingsource.com or call 800-575-5369, for more information.