I Print: QR code

Showing posts with label QR code. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

The Magic Number Nine

While working out at 9 Rounds this morning, it occurred to me that this circuit workout is very much like sales and marketing. Just like a single exercise only works one part of the body (such as arms or legs), a single marketing message doesn't work on all customers and prospects. Staying in shape is hard work, but with a smart plan, reaching customers and prospects doesn't have to make you break a sweat.

Some say it takes 9 touches to get an action from a customer or prospect. Here are a few touches you may want to consider adding to your marketing mix. I know we at BPI Media Group are including these:

1. Personalizing your direct mail (Click here for stats on the growth of this trend.)

2. Including a landing page to track and gather more data from respondents.

3. Pairing an email with direct mail.

4. Versioning your message based on segments of your market or list.

5. Sending out a "lumpy" mailer instead of a flat.

6. Adding a QR code to your mailer, catalog or in-store display.

7. Highlighting your call to action (donate, register, purchase, etc).

8. Updating your website or improving your SEO, so when customers or prospects visit your site, it is an easily-navigated and pleasant experience.

9. Trying augmented reality or NFC if it makes sense with your product or service.

Just like mixing up my workout each time with nine different exercises (jumping rope, crunches, punches, kicks, push ups, etc), I am working on getting in better shape. Now, I'll apply these nine suggestions above when reaching out to prospects and existing customers to see if I can get in a more "fit" sales condition. Let me know how this works for you!

Until next time...Elizabeth

I'm new to twitter, so please check it out & follow along if you'd like. BPI Media Group on Facebook

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Get Your Materials Trade-Show Ready!

It was a full day of client meetings in Atlanta today, and the main topic of conversation was pre and post-trade show planning. Here are a few ideas on ways BPI Media Group can help you be prepared for your upcoming trade shows and then follow up with prospects after the show is over.

Utilize Digital Printing: Using BPI's digital printing technology, you can print just enough materials for the trade show instead of printing large quantities to get a price break. Digital printing also allows you to personalize, version or customize the pieces to be show specific adding relevance to your print collateral.

Include Landing Pages: We recommend using a landing page on any pre-show marketing that you do to gauge the interest of the show attendees. This also allows you to have better communication with prospects because you have pres-show insight into their interests, concerns, etc. You can also schedule 1:1 meetings with these customers or prospects in advance to make sure you give them time and attention to convert them into long-time customers. Landing pages are also a great idea for post-show follow up as well. This helps you gauge the responses from the show and get valuable feedback after the show to help in future planning. Having a dashboard to access the visits/responses to the landing page is a big plus as this gives you real-time results to help track your ROI with the ROI calculator on the dashboard.

Try Using a QR Code: This is a great idea if you're attending a conference where you're encouraged to be "green." encourage show attendees to scan the QR code at your booth, on your badge, or elsewhere to go to information, a video, landing page, etc to learn more about your company. You can even capture their data to follow up later for those who scan the QR code. This is also a great way to engage your show staff with customers and prospects in your booth by teaching them how to scan a QR code, download a free app and go through the short process with them.

Follow Up: While there are various ways you can follow up with leads from a trade show, never forget that direct mail is a time-proven method. Your direct mail piece can include calls to action using the above- mentioned vehicles of landing pages and/or QR codes. Timeing is everything for the follow up, so you'll want to be ready to send out any follow up pieces or packets in the mail promptly following the close of the show to stay top of mind with any prospects.

If you have any questions or need help planning your pre or post-show marketing, please feel free to reach out, and I'll be glad to assist you in any way to help make your trade shows be as successful as possible.

Until next time...Elizabeth

I'm new to twitter, so please check it out & follow along if you'd like. BPI Media Group on Facebook

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Leads, Leads, Leads...Quality Over Quantity

One of the biggest "issues" I hear about from marketers is regarding lead generation. One of the biggest "issues" I hear about from fellow sales people is regarding lead generation.

Here are some great tips for helping both sales AND marketing increase lead quality. Yes, quality; not quantity. Read on to learn more and ways BPI Media Group's various solutions can help along the way of helping to find leads, reach out to them, lure them in and communicate with them 1:1.

1. Agree. When sales and marketing agree upon what is meant by a lead (and a qualified lead at that), then you're well on your way to a happier team and the potential for more revenue for your company. (For more reading on sales and marketing alignment, click here.) Once you identify the demographic(s) of who an "ideal" lead might be, then you're well on your way to this agreement. BPI's data mining solution can definitely help you in identifying the categories of folks who are your best buyers, potential buyers and rule out those who just plain aren't interested. Read more.

2. Dig Deeper. Once you've agreed upon and identified what constitutes a qualified lead or an ideal customer/prospect, you'll gain an understanding of the demographic profile of this group, subgroup, etc. This provides you with a benchmark by which you can score and measure other potential leads. Data mining can also be highly beneficial in this area as well. You can monitor your leads and new customers to see how trends in the demographics may change and restructure your marketing message accordingly.

3. Observe and Record. Once you've launched a campaign to your qualified prospects, you'll need to closely monitor the behavior of these leads to see exactly to what they're responding. Was it an email for this segment? Was it a coupon for this segment? Was it direct mail for this segment or maybe even a QR code? This will help you better market to these types of prospects on future or ongoing campaigns. For more details about executing these types of campaigns, drop me a note, and I'd love to discuss in depth to create a plan that's right for you, your sales team and your prospects.

4. Track. While you're nurturing your lead with campaigns, collateral and possibly even calls from your sales team, don't forget the importance of tracking the results. BPI's only dashboard is beyond perfect for this. If you do an integrated campaign (combine print and web), you'll have access to your own dashboard for every campaign where you have record of your prospects' activities and can pass on those warm leads to the appropriate sales region or rep automatically. To see more about how this works, click here. I can also share some case studies with you if you'd like...just ask!

5. Respond. When using the real-time dashboard, you will see how quickly you get an email notifying you of a prospect's activity. Strike while the iron is hot and reach out to that lead while the getting is good!

6. Follow Up. This is an extension of #1 above. Marketing needs to follow up with sales to make sure they're reaching out to those "hot" leads, and sales needs to follow up with marketing to let them know what's working. This can usually be done through a CRM (we love salesforce!) where leads and sales activity are recorded. BPI's integrated campaigns and dashboard sync seamlessly with salesforce to make this even easier for both departments.

For more reading on "6 Surefire Ways to Increase Your Lead Quality", click here. This is just the tip of the iceberg, and BPI Media Group would love to hear from you and explore how our solutions of marketing, printing, design, campaign execution, mail and data management can help you not only generate qualified leads but also convert them to repeat customers.

Until next time...Elizabeth

I'm new to twitter, so please check it out & follow along if you'd like. BPI Media Group on Facebook

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Bring on 2012!

As the holidays are almost behind us, the focus shifts back to work and getting a jump start on sales for 2012. If you're like BPI Media Group, I'll bet your sales team is having a meeting within the next couple of weeks to map out the plan and "vamp" up for the new year. Our sales team is meeting on Thursday, so I will make my trek to Boaz, AL this morning. On the drive over, I'll be making some stops along the way to pass out some of our new calendar notepads.

I will be using my calendar for 2012 to plan more meetings, more campaigns and hopefully, more sales. I hope your marketing team will do the same, and will not only "pencil me in" for a quick meeting, but feel free to include BPI as a part of your team to help plan a long-term marketing plan for sales growth in 2012. We have the technology and equipment to leverage your concept and campaign into action:

data asset management (in case you need a list to market toward)
printing (offset or digital with variable messaging)
mailing and fulfillment (to get the message in front of your customers and prospects)
landing page and QR code integration (to help you track the response rate)

I look forward to seeing many of you in the next few weeks and share our new calendar pads with you as we start the new year off together. May the New Year bring you, your family and your company much happiness and success!

Until next time...Elizabeth

I'm new to twitter, so please check it out & follow along if you'd like.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

QR Codes: Who Reads Them Anyway?

Debating on whether or not to use QR codes in your marketing mix for 2012? This week, I'll share some info on the most "reachable" target audience is and why they like newer technologies in their marketing messages. To kick things off, check out BPI Media Group's Christmas card that will be hitting your mailbox soon:

Snap the QR code with your smartphone's reader app and enjoy! (PS-You may have to zoom in to enlarge on your screen before scanning.)

So, besides being cool and looking like a "techie" on your smartphone when you scan one, why should you use them in your marketing mix? In a report published by Direct Marketing IQ, offers and calls to action are the #1 reason prospects will scan QR codes. Click here to read more about engaging prospects using QR Codes.

One of the best arguments I've read for why and when to use QR codes comes from an article the the December 2011 issue of Deliver Magazine in an article titled "Making Sense of the Millennials." This article, found on pg 24, highlights the consumers and prospects who are most likely to scan and use a QR code. Who are they? It's those born between 1985 and 2004 (aka, Gen Y, Echo Boomers, Net Generation, Millennials). Check out these stats and details about the oh-so-desirable Millennials and some surprising info about why we need to send them mail (yes, I said mail!):

80% sleep with their cell phone (or at least on their night stand.
75% of the mail they receive is deemed valuable (why? because they don't receive as much mail as older generations.
73% of them have used coupons received via direct mail.
Email marketing is considering spam among many in this age group.
Social media is the preferred method of reaching them (and how they share the message with others thus broadening your brand and your message!).
They expect to be marketed to via social media, QR codes and integrated campaigns (i.e., PURL's).
They believe direct mail adds credibility to other channels of marketing messages they may have also received (an email, text message or PURL).
They're not as reluctant to refer others or provide a wealth of information.
They are open to trying these new methods in hopes of a better user experience or reward.

One very important factor to remember in all of this is to keep your message relevant.Relevancy and personalization are key--how does your message/service/offer directly apply to this prospect?

If you're still on the fence about QR codes, here's some additional reading for your research:

QR Mania: Mobile Codes In Magazines Rise 228%

The 7 BIG Direct Mail Trends in 2011

QR Codes & Mobile Marketing

Use QR Codes so You Don't Get Thrown Away After Tradeshows

2011 Direct mail trends: formats, QR codes, personalization, more...

3 Great B2B Uses of QR Codes

Don't just take my word for it, let's plan to discuss further and BPI can help you with a plan where you can track the results of your QR code use. Oh, and if you want to make the QR codes unique to each recipient--piece of cake using our Nexpress digital press! With our Christmas card (example above), we'll be able to tell:

views (%) from mobile vs desktop
views (%) by country, city, state (depending on IP, which isn't ultra reliable on mobile devices)
views (%) by mobile operating system (iOS vs Android)
views (%) by date

Link the QR code to a landing page, and you can gather even more data, do a survey, offer a coupon, etc. I look forward to talking about how to help your marketing message reach not only the Millennial generation but all prospects and customers! Until next time...Elizabeth

I'm new to twitter, so please check it out & follow along if you'd like.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Create & Integrate!

What gets your attention and makes you respond? Is it a postcard, an email, a text or a website? Think about that for a minute before answering...

According to an October 2010 InfoTrends study, Capturing the Cross Media Direct Marketing Opportunity, the survey revealed that marketers are using an average of 2.7 media channels for a typical integrated campaign. 53.1% of marketers use 3-5 marketing touches per campaign. So, if you're not using cross-media marketing to optimize the variety of channels, let BPI Media Group help you get started.

Here are a few tips & stats about cross-media and how it can be used to improve your ROI (we even have a ROI calculator you can use at the onset of each campaign!) and become TOM (top of mind) with your customers. Click here for an overview of how integrated campaigns work.

-Qualify your leads. You can do this through data mining or data analytics based on your current customer lists to analyze patterns in buying behavior of your customers. (Ask me about data mining...gems of information out there & this will be the topic of an upcoming blog!)
-Map out a campaign plan. Your campaign should incorporate the following:

realistic objectives
graphics that will capture the attention of your audience
messaging that is relevant and meaningful
an inspiring offer (whether it's a discount, coupon or FREE swag)
integration of multiple channels (Tie your print to email and online messaging, consider using a campaign that allows for SMS messaging if it's a logical fit for your business model or add a QR code to your direct mailer. Click here for some stats on mobile phone subscribers in the US--amazing!)
multiple touches (don't just send 1 or 2 postcards/emails and wish for the best--persistence pays off!)
and multiple ways to respond (examples: online, email, sms text, QR code via smartphone, phone and yes, even mail)

-Include personalized messaging. Research shows you'll see a lift in response just by incorporating variable data (name, image, messaging) on your direct marketing pieces.
-Add a gurl or purl (general or personal url/landing page) to create a way of gathering info about your customer or prospect. This provides a chance to respond online, which is preferred by most.

(Example of a gurl: www.bpitreasuremap.com and example of a purl: www.ElizabethStewart.bpitreasuremap.com)
Don't be afraid to check out these landing pages, fill out your info & see what pops up in your inbox!

-Most importantly, track your responses (measure your ROI!) and follow up. BPI's dashboard provides you with a way to see all the information captured from respondents.

In a recent InfoTrends & DMA report, response rates were measured by using a variety of marketing channels:
Print, email, web: 8.8%
Print and email: 8.3%
Print and web landing page: 7.7%
Direct mail alone: 3.4%
Email alone: 1.7%

A well-executed cross-media campaign is a great way to lift your response. If you need help with design, planning or even email marketing, please reach out to me. BPI has a fantastic email marketing program which also allows you to view the dashboard in real time to see how, when, where the email is being opened. Remember, failure is likely due to immeasurable results and unreal objectives. Don't let your next campaign be a flop; instead be captivating, relevant and timely.

Our success is measured by the success of our clients. As the lyrics of a Bob Marley song inspire so many, "Stir it up..." This goes for your marketing too!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

C'mon...Add Some Depth to Your Print!

Ever notice how once you see or hear about something, it is suddenly everywhere you look? That's the case with QR (two-dimensional or quick-response) codes. While scurrying about for BPI client visits, they seem to pop up on billboards. While flipping through a magazine in a lobby while waiting for a meeting, they dot the pages of print advertising. Check your mailbox, and you'll see them popping up in sale papers too.

Go ahead, scan this QR code. I dare ya! You'll just need a QR code reader on your phone such as ScanLife, BeeTagg or QuickMark.

QR codes made their big US debut last year in Black Friday ads offering promotions, coupons, etc. Look for them to return this year with even more of a presence. This is especially true since we are a mobile society who can't part with our blackberries, iPhones or Androids, but this is the beauty of it--we don't have to. 37% of U.S. smartphone users have made a purchase on their phones in the last 6 months (Source: Compete, Inc.). This has caused a boost in the number of mobile sites created where a site can be easily navigated on a smartphone rather than on their image-heavy counterpart viewed on a desk or laptop.
We've had customers incorporate QR codes on their actual products to show product details, on a flyer to promote or register for an event, on posters linking to a video, and even one customer who is planning to do a walking tour of a cemetery by including QR codes on markers to give a new meaning to a virtual tour. Way cool stuff!
So, why add a QR code to your direct mail piece or catalog? You can track it and know where sales are generated! For a quick view of how that works, check out BPI Media Group's Sales Tool. This type of integrated campaign can easily be used to track your ROI and meshed with social media outlets. Think about it: communicate with your customers the way you communicate--mobily & socially.

Two-dimensional codes aren't the only dimension to print. Check your mailbox for BPI's latest postcard featuring this cool lizard.

Check it out, the postcard is printed on our digital press, a Kodak Nexpress, using dimensional coating. Try incorporating this effect on your next direct mail piece. I've got really simple instructions for you graphic designers-just ask me for that. This coating will be sure to gain attention because everyone wants to "feel" it. After all, isn't response what we're all after?

So, the next time you think dimensionally, you don't necessary need the goofy 3-D glasses, you just need to think outside the box and include these cool aspects of print in your marketing campaign. Both of these dimensional options are budget friendly and do one thing: get your company noticed. Give me a buzz or drop me an email, and I'll be glad to chat with you more about ways to incorporate dimension into your printing.