don’t hand out bags of worthless swag: instead, give value.
Technology should change the way small businesses approach marketing. However, this doesn’t discount older tactics that still prove viable. When used in conjunction with a comprehensive marketing campaign, direct mail can be employed to introduce yourself to prospects. In fact, it’s an exponentially better approach than buying spam email lists and bombarding the unsuspecting with digital junk.
Spamming can get you banned from inboxes, but there is no risk to sending a well-crafted direct mail campaign. These often work best when complemented by a phone call and personalized email to the prospect. By the end of the campaign, you’ve connected in at least three ways. But printed media also has value beyond mailing.
In brainstorming with an insurance broker client, the need for educational resources emerged. When attending conferences, giving out promotional products is a way to leave something with a prospect. But what do you give them? Conference attendees don’t want to carry bags of swag that have no practical value. It’ll probably end up in the trash. However, a quality, printed magazine had already proven to be a desirable takeaway at previous conventions. Direction was given to resurrect the magazine, although on a smaller scale. The result is RiskWise, an 18-page, print-on-demand educational resource for the nonprofit world. Using photography, engaging design and expert content, it lays out multiple ways faith-based organizations can avoid risk and expand their influence. In other words, it’s a keeper.