A Few Database Marketing Tips For Family Business Owners

Direct Mail, E-Mail & Social Networks – Database marketing can be more powerful now than ever.

Direct Marketing for Plastic Surgeons

Not only can you send valuable information and special offers via traditional mailers, you can use a well-structured database to conduct E-Mail campaigns and integrate your Social Media leads automatically. I know this may sound like old news to some, but you would be surprised as to how many companies don’t take full advantage of a well orchestrated direct marketing strategy.

  1. The Software: Make sure you have a good up-to-date software program that is easy to use, customizable & exportable. A few programs that work very well are ACT, ZOHO & SalesForce.com.
  2. The Contacts: There are many ways to obtain lists for both mailing and e-mailing. Don’t try to market everyone… be very specific in who you target. To start, build your database around the most likely candidates that can benefit from your products right now and add to it over time. Make sure all the information is up-to-date.
  3. The Strategy: Decide on a strategic objective for each campaign – How often are you going to mail/e-mail? Is your goal to capture sales leads, drive traffic to your website or social media sites, get subscribers to your blog, etc? Don’t try to have multiple objectives… it will dilute your efforts in your campaign.
  4. The Message: Remember, the message isn’t about you… It’s never about you, it’s always about how you can benefit them… your audience. What are you offering of value? Don’t always sell… add value with a clear call to action.
  5. The Follow-Up: What does your follow-up strategy look like? Don’t just send out a few mailers or emails and expect everyone to respond ASAP. You need to decide on how your sales & marketing team will follow up.
  6. The Update: After you launch your campaign and made your follow-ups, it is very important to track your feedback and results. You want to make sure you are constantly fine-tuning your campaigns and updating your database with current information.

Now, this was just a quick overview as you know, but there are many ways to create a direct marketing strategy for your family business that will get you the consistent and measurable results you desire. You just need to work backward from the end (desired results).

 

Let me know if you have any questions or need more info… post in the comment section below.