Innovation and Integration Take Center Stage at Next Week’s IFIC Forum

By Greg Albright, Co-Founder and CCO of Production Solutions

Next week marks the return of one of the most sought-after and valuable direct marketing events in our industry.  Formerly DMAW’s Innovative Formats and Inventive Techniques Forum (IFIT), the forum is back after a two-year hiatus as the Innovative Formats and Integrated Campaigns Forum (IFIC).  I, along with a team of like-open-minded direct marketing volunteers (among them, DMAW’s current President, Mike DeFlavia), launched this forum 13 years ago to help connect decision makers with innovative suppliers in a one-day innovation showcase.  The best part of the forum is that each attendee leaves with a portfolio of package samples and successful campaign outlines which are meant to kick start the creative planning and dialogue upon their returning to work.

I’m excited that the forum is back and better than ever this year with a new, and necessary, focus on integration.  The marketplace is thirsty for new ideas and has recognized that integration is necessary to evolve and stay relevant. Still, we know that direct mail is a big driver in direct marketing, especially in the fundraising arena. IFIC provides the best of both worlds: innovations on the direct mail side, as well as real, tangible ways to embrace integrated campaigns across several channels, including email, mobile, web, social and DRTV.

IFIC will feature 13 direct mail innovators and integrators, showcasing leading-edge formats as well as state-of-the-art integrated campaigns.  Each will distribute samples and has 15 minutes to present.  In a comfortable, no pressure environment presenters will be available for questions.

IFIC is not only a showcase of the best our industry has to offer, but also our industry at its best.  The forum was four months in the making and an all-volunteer effort by a diverse committee of more than a dozen members from both digital and traditional direct marketing agencies and production management firms. We can all benefit from their commitment to keeping our industry relevant and integration top of mind. IFIC is another example of industry engagement leading to industry evolution.  This is what it’s all about.

See you there! For more information about IFIC and to register, click here.

___________________________________________________________________________

Greg Albright is Co-Founder and CCO of Production Solutions, one of the largest marketing production management firms in the country.  He received the DMAW Award for Distinguished Achievement in DM in 2012, and is the author of The Right Hook, a weekly blog that showcases the best integrated marketing practices of rising and already-shining industry professionals, as well as great advice about enjoying a rewarding career by putting volunteerism front and center.

The Hidden Benefits of Volunteering within the Direct Marketing Industry

By Greg Albright, CCO and Co-Founder, Production Solutions

When DMAW Board Member and Social Committee Chair, Mikaela King approached me to write a guest blog post on volunteerism, I was honored to write on something so near and dear to me.

A week before the 2012 Best of Direct reception, I was inspired by a funny story that industry leader, Tracy Lea told me about yours truly prior to being honored with the 2012 Award for Distinguished Achievement in Direct Marketing.   Evidently, I have this now-popular signature move where, evidently, I put my right arm around someone’s shoulder as I encourage a colleague to take an active role in an important industry function or cause.  Tracy coined it “Greg’s Right Hook.”  Clearly, I’ve “right-hooked” so many people in my direct marketing career that I’m famous (or is it notorious?) for this method of recruiting volunteers.

Reflecting on that further, I must admit that volunteering has done as much or more for my career, my business and my quality of life, as it has for the organizations I have been involved with.

Sure, there’s the feel-good factor, the pay-it-back or pay-it-forward factor, and solid client relations have been built over banquet tables and not-so-silent auction events.  Those are all extremely important things, but there’s more to it than that.  Volunteerism may the single most powerful career development and personal brand building tool available to direct marketers today.

Besides being able to learn from others’ experiences and getting to branch out and work side-by-side with industry colleagues, I’ve identified the top 5 “hidden” benefits of volunteering within the direct marketing industry based on my personal experiences these past 30 years in the industry.

1). You get to work with new people that you may never have had the opportunity to know before: you can never learn too much from too many people.

2). You get to learn from others’ experiences: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

3). You get to develop your personal brand: shine on!

4). You get to “preview” potential employees: watch them in action and see if they are a good fit for your own team before making an offer.

5). You get to “test drive” potential employers: whether you are looking for a career move now or in the future, what a great way to kick the proverbial tires.

When you read the list, some may come across sounding self-serving at first blush, but if you understand the “why’s” behind my reasoning, you will probably nod your head in surprised agreement, and will hopefully start volunteering tomorrow!  And, trust me DMAW won’t turn you away when you step up to the plate.  We are always looking for talent and enthusiasm, energy and ingenuity.  I started out on one committee three decades ago, and now, I’m writing blogs about my successful volunteering efforts and recruitment skills.  You have to start somewhere…why not with the DMAW?

___________________________________________________________________________

Greg was so inspired by his DMAW Award for Distinguished Achievement in DM and the important role that volunteerism has played in his life, he recently launched The Right Hook blog with the hope that he will inspire industry professionals by sharing his secrets to a rewarding career through industry engagement.  The Right Hook highlights the power of entrepreneurial curiosity, passion for innovation, and Greg’s deep belief that working together leads to success for everyone.

DMAW Recap: Direct Marketing 101 Workshop

by Heather Bien

Last week over 20 direct marketing professionals came together for Direct Marketing 101 Workshop (DM101). While backgrounds ranged from direct marketing agency professionals to nonprofit employees managing direct marketing within their own organization, most attendees came in with 1-3 years of direct marketing experience and were eager to hear from Washington area experts in the field.

The morning started with a lesson in Creative from Steve Fleshman of DR2. Attendees learned the tricks of the trade in making your mailing stand out from the countless other direct marketing pieces that people receive on any given day. Did you know that lots of enclosures increase the amount of time a potential donor spends with a mailing package? Or that a letter signer lower down the “food chain” at an organization actually lifts response? And a lift note can increase response rates by 10%!

Next, Nancy Guy Freeman walked us through Direct Mail Production. Her decades of experience helped attendees understand the most cost effective ways to work with a printer and mailhouse. Ms. Freeman was followed by Lisa Riordan of Infogroup Nonprofit. Ms. Riordan emphasized the importance of data processing as standardizing, correcting, validating, and enhancing. Clean data increases efficiency and brings down costs so merge-purge optimization is central to any well run direct marketing program.

Kevin Litten of EU Services began the afternoon with a lesson in mailshop options that attendees may not have considered before, such as postcard acknowledgement programs, self-mailers for
Following Mr. Litten was Kelly Leech of Carol Enters List Company. Ms. Leech set out to convince us that sharing names and lists is not a bad thing! List brokers are experts on determining which lists are best to share among which nonprofits and can use their market knowledge to think outside the box and provide an organization with the best results for acquisition.instant impact, low cost marketing materials, and invitation style mailers. Mr. Litten also walked us through a few postage tricks of the trade such as using miscellaneous stamps on in house mailings to give them a more personal feel, postage “indicias” which puts the logo of an organization in a postage meter, and intelligent mail bar codes.

Tracy Lea explained the ins and outs of a successful telemarketing campaign. Telemarketing can and should be used for successful reinstatement, stewardship, and relationship building. A no on the phone should lead to a letter thanking the potential donor for their time – this tactic typically sees higher response rates through the mail than a letter alone. Telemarketing is an essential part of fundraising as multi-channel donors have a higher lifetime value than just mail or email donors.

Barb Perell of Avalon Consulting wrapped up the day with an overview of Online Fundraising. Again, the multi-channel donor came into play as she explained the importance of coordinating communications across all fundraising channels. It’s also essential to make sure emails are segmented to certain donors through the use of data, are to the point, and are part of a larger email campaign plan. Don’t just send out an eblast one time – create an entire email marketing plan and remember to use catchy subject lines, photos, and time them according to when your donors tend to open email (use data!)

All attendees, regardless of their previous background and experience, left DM101 with a greater understanding of direct marketing and new ideas and fresh concepts to take back to their own organization. DM201 is May 15 and it is sure to be an even deeper dive into the world of direct marketing – don’t forget to register today!

The DM101 workshop was made possible through several wonderful sponsors: Colortree Group, Metropolitan Companies, Inc., Bigeye Direct, National Mail Graphics Corporation, and RWT Production, LLC.

___________________________________________________________________________

Heather Bien is the Manager of the Annual Fund at Washington National Cathedral where she has worked since December 2010. She can be reached at hbien@cathedral.org.

Drunk Donating: The Greatest Test of All

Just when you thought you’d heard it all in marketing, the DMAW Monthly Lunch and Learn series brings the discourse to a new level.

Cathy Finney of The Wilderness Society and Heather Marsh of A.B. Data brought their combined more than 25 years of experience in direct marketing to a full room of DMAW members and non-members alike, representing nonprofit organizations, associations and marketing professionals.

Email Marketing – Tips, Tricks, and Results, showcased practical and proven tools for creating and sustaining an email marketing strategy.  As with all marketing endeavors, the work begins with a plan.  Cathy pointed out that The Wilderness Society’s plan is a mix of messages:  advocacy, stewardship and solicitation.

Heather advised attendees to create a production schedule.  The schedule should include when an email is scheduled to be sent, message topic, deadlines for drafting, editing and testing emails—as well as accounting for approvals.  Determine what works best for your organization.  Negotiate a balanced strategy between communications and development:  what works for one department may not work for another.

The divide between communications and development forms the basis of silos at many organizations.  To combat this, organizations ought to create a structure that promotes constituent-centric strategies.  Bring together all stakeholders to determine who manages the website, handles digital marketing and fundraising, and create shared goals.  By managing schedules and communications, sharing cohesive tracking documents and meeting regularly, organizations can effectively break out of the silos.

This segued to the presentation’s theme:  TEST!  Heather emphasized the golden rule of testing:  do not test that which is not actionable and does not produce statistically significant results.  She advises using a minimum of 100 responses (i.e. clicks; opens; donations) as a reasonable test results threshold.

Among the myriad of “testable” features:  From line; Subject line; day and/or time email is sent; and the use of symbols (i.e. unique characters).  A goal of testing these features is to improve open rates.  Most frequently asked question:  what is the best time to send an email?  For years, Heather responded that the best time was when you will elicit a response.  A 2012 GetResponse report stated open and click-through rates are highest between 8-9 am then differ where open rates peak again between 3-4 pm while click-through rates peak between 3-8 pm.  Now, we don’t want every organization sending emails at the same time so be sure to test.

Obama For America made sure to do this when they sent an email late at night, asking for a donation—welcoming the era of “drunk donating”.  Cathy and Heather cautioned that this is not one-size-fits-all marketing.

Another means of testing is to be an activist, donor or prospect.  Seed your email address and track the results.  Test messages using different devices:  phone, tablet and computer.  Test how an email appears in different browsers and email services.  Monitor your competitors and industry leaders.

By varying the buttons, copy and pictures or graphics, you can test click through rates.  Most clicks are a result of calls to action.  Be sure all emails support your brand and message.  Segment contact lists by low dollar, mid-high dollar, prospects, activists, sustainers, and lapsed donors.

In addition to organic growth, you can grow your file by using search engine marketing, Google Grants, e-appends, petition networks such as Care2, remarketing and ad buys like Facebook ads.

___________________________________________________________________________

Goldie Heidi Gider is the Director of Advancement at the National Women’s Health Network, a membership-based organization supported by 8,000 individuals and organizations nationwide.  She can be reached at HGider@nwhn.org.

Maximizing Social Media ROI

In a world where SEO, or any form of online marketing for that matter is incomplete without social media support and social signals, understanding how to make the best use of social media has become extremely important.

This means not only should you be aware of how to make social media strategies work, but also know what strategies will work the best and get you maximum ROI.

Establishing the right metrics can help improve your marketing strategy and guide you in developing the right kind of content that can help grow your business.

The Importance Of Social Media ROI

Knowing how your social campaigns are faring also helps you calculate and maximize your ROI to make sure the money you spend on social media marketing and SEO isn’t going to waste.

Social media ROI is indeed among the most popular topics in the marketing world these days primarily because social media has made a huge impact in recent years. First, it changed the way people interact with each other.

Now, it has changed business interaction as well. It has, in fact, become one of the most important tools for online marketing. This makes it even more important for you to learn how you can properly maximize your business’ social media ROI. Here are some tips based on the trends and developments of 2012 that are expected to continue having a major impact this year:

 To fully benefit from social media marketing, you should learn how to maximize your social media ROI. Image source

1.       Humanize Social Media

Sure, you’re using social media. But, are you sure you’re using it right? Some businesses use social media platforms in the same way they use their company website. This is a mistake you should be careful to avoid. The reason why it’s called “social” media in the first place is that it is a venue where people interact. Naturally, your target market will want to deal with other people on their social media accounts, not with businesses or worse, faceless entities.

This is why it is important for you to do more than post links, articles, and videos on your social media pages. You need to interact directly with your audience as well. Answer their questions, participate in their discussions, and ask questions of your own. That’s what humanizing social media means.

2.       Go Mobile

As people become busier, they’re grabbing every opportunity to do things on-the-go. They check their e-mails, voice mails, and social media accounts as their make their way to work, to meetings, or to social events of any kind. This is why smart phones and tablets have become very popular. And this is exactly why it pays for you to bring your social media campaigns to the mobile world.

Take full advantage of social media marketing by optimizing for mobile screens, making sure your social media profiles are compatible with mobile platforms, advertising on mobile applications, and learning how to catch the interest of mobile users.

When you design your social media campaigns, be sure to take mobile platforms into account. Image source

3.       Be Transparent

It can be very easy and tempting to deceive people online. This is exactly why social media users appreciate honesty and transparency more than anything when they deal with other users. You have to make sure that all the information contained in your social accounts as well as in your company website is accurate and realistic.

In case you make mistakes—as anybody is bound to do at one point or another—don’t be afraid to admit it, apologize, and take measures to correct your mistake. This humanizes the business even more and increases the likelihood of people trusting your brand. Needless to say, gaining the trust of your target market is essential to attaining success.

4.       Engage!

The main purpose of leveraging social media in online marketing is to engage your target customers. If you fail to do so, you may as well stick to traditional marketing, as your social media campaign isn’t likely to do you any good. Not only do you have to engage your current audience, but also casual visitors who could possibly be converted into loyal customers.

Engaging gives you the opportunity to learn what your audience’s interests are. This, in turn, will help you ensure that the products and services you offer can directly address their needs so as to promote loyalty and encourage word-of-mouth advertising.

Audience engagement is an essential factor for social media success. Image source

5.       Avoid Information Overload

When people search for information online, they usually appreciate having the goods handed to them without being coated in a lot of rhetoric or flowery words. Add value to your social media posts by being clear, direct, and concise. Bear in mind that people are always on-the-go these days and they’ll appreciate getting the information they want as quickly as possible. You should also make sure that you respond promptly to queries from your audience to make them feel more valued. Limited but relevant information is a lot better than a barrage of information your audience will still have to sift through.

In the final analysis, the best way for you to maximize your social media ROI is to bear in mind that social media is a platform that necessarily involves a two-way process. You can’t just set up accounts and then expect it to automatically deliver results.

You have to build a community with your audience and then work towards the growth you expect with the community that you’re able to build. When you draw up your social media master plan for 2013, be sure to keep the above tips in mind. They should serve as your guide in your journey towards social media success.

___________________________________________________________________________

Emma-Julie Fox writes for Pitstop Media, a search marketing company located in Vancouver, BC. Pitstop Media’s SEO services have been helping businesses across North America increase their search visibility.

DMAW EdVent Recap: Post-Election Evening: Big Data = Big Dollars – How Did They Do It?

by Danielle Hart

On Thursday, February 21^st, both left and right side direct marketing experts convened to hear two of the biggest names in political fundraising speak about their success with raising over a billion dollars during the past election. The DMAW presented Mike Conlow, the Deputy Chief Technology Officer for the Obama for America campaign and Patrick Ruffini, Republican Political Strategist and President of Engage to provide the audience with their insight.

The panel discussion opened with the question “What was the major turning point in November’s election?”

Mike started the dialog by emphasizing how important the decision to invest in technology (analytics & data) early in the campaign was to the success of the Obama for America (OFA) campaign. The OFA campaign staffed over 200 people and invested early to overcome any problems they encountered before the campaign. Mike revealed that in the beginning of the campaign, the OFA staff tweeting was frowned upon, but by the end of the campaign the staff was given example messages that they had the choice to tweet in their own words.

Patrick, representing the Republican side of the story indicated that technology was the difference between the outcomes of the two campaigns and that there was no tweeting policy for the Republican Party.

The two were then asked “What do you think will be the next technological advancement?”

Patrick was passionate in his response that the amount of social information will contribute to the success of future political campaigns. He predicts that the social graph will marry the political graph and the information people post on Facebook and other social media channels will allow campaigns to micro-target people based on their behavior.

Mike added that he believes the information about the competition’s marketing efforts will become more available and that Google might be the one to sell some of this information. He also predicts advancement in the ability to better target TV ads towards specific audiences.

The discussion concluded with the question “What is the most important tip to take away from this panel?”

Both panelists agreed on how important our networks are in today’s society. Whether it’s a cold call, a Facebook message, or a knock on the door, if it’s from someone you know, you will be much more receptive to the message. Leveraging this concept for campaigns and putting your message in the hands of someone that can influence your target audience will drive success for any campaign.

Throughout the discussion, both Mike and Patrick laughed at the lighthearted comments of opposing political party affiliations. After the discussion, the two fessed up that it was their first time meeting in person and they had only had Twitter interactions before the event. In the end, despite the political party Direct Marketers affiliate with, we can all agree that the lessons learned from Mike and Patrick will help us in future direct response campaigns.

___________________________________________________________________________

Danielle Hart doubles as an Online Fundraising Account Manager at The Engage Group and a Postal Logistics Account Manager at MailSmart Logistics. She can be reached at Danielle@engageyourcause.com or found on her personal website at www.daniellehart.com

Going Up for the Rebound

by Alexia Bailey

Anirban Basu
Chairman and CEO
Sage Policy Group, Inc.

For marketers, data is essential, and not just data on our prospects and customers.  We need to have an understanding of the overall economy and the forces that influence buying decisions.  Anirban Basu, Chairman and CEO of Sage Policy Group, Inc., gave a lively and information-packed presentation at Wednesday night’s DMAW annual meeting.  Though I can’t hope to reproduce the rich data, or his sense of humor, here’s an overview of the session.

The good news is that things are getting better, albeit not as fast as we’d all like.  The global economy has been growing for four years now, though growth has slowed to 3.2%.  Developing countries will have the most growth, with US projected growth at about 2%.

In terms of the 2012 S&P performance, the financial sector had the strongest growth, up 23.5%, but the second biggest gains were in consumer discretionary spending, at 19.9% growth.  So, there is money out there to be spent or donated.

Despite our habit of expanding debt, we haven’t really been punished by the markets.  And at this point, literally none of the states are in recession.  Most are recovering, with about 2% growth.  And three states are even expanding – Texas, Alaska, and North Dakota.  What do they have in common?  Oil.  Nationwide, energy and natural resources are the biggest drivers of growth, and Basu says that by 2020, the US will be the #1 oil producer, and China the #1 consumer.

Contrary to some of the discussion we heard during the presidential campaign, America is actually a nation of producers, rebounding since June 2009, including the resurgence in the auto industry.  At least, until Q4 of 2012 broke the spell with -0.1% growth.  Basu attributes this to factors like defense spending cuts, adjustments to inventories, and the “wait and see” attitudes of consumers, and businesses that depend on them, to the fiscal cliff and other crises.  But, again, the markets had a big yawn at the news of the Q4 numbers, with a less-than-expected impact.

Next we looked at the job market, which has steadily grown over the last few months.  Professional and business services are up the most, then health services, then supply chain, then leisure & hospitality.  Much like the strong performance of consumer discretionary spending – those Coach bags – this category shows there is money out there, and people willing to spend it.

A funny thing about consumer confidence:  It was down in January, but consumer spending went up anyway.  It seems we take our anxiety and anger and channel it into retail therapy, keeping restaurants, malls, outlet stores, and car lots busy.  But even here lie contradictions – wholesalers like Costco are up (9.8%), indicating bargain shopping, but so is the luxury goods category (7%).  Record low interest rates are boosting both car and housing sales, as consumers sense it’s smart to buy now rather than risk a rate increase.

Overall, leading economic indicators are trending in the right direction.  Basu predicts that the first half of 2013 will continue to be soft, with spending power down, but that the Fed will continue to support the markets with low interest rates.   And if the problem in Q4 of 2012 was indeed about “wait and see,” the second half of 2013 could actually be better than anybody thinks.  Remember, consumer confidence is a “lousy leading indicator.”

So what’s a marketer to do?  It’s up to us to keep the consumer engaged, to support the economy!

____________________________________________________________________________

Alexia Bailey is Senior Sales Executive at Relevate, a leading provider of comprehensive data marketing solutions. She can be reached at abailey@relevategroup.com.