Tag: Business advice

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Marketing

Print Marketing Is Not Dead

“Rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated.”

That quote — actually a misquote — is often attributed to Mark Twain upon the humorist reading his own obituary in the newspaper. At least that’s how the best versions of the tale go.

The same sentiment can be attributed to print marketing. Despite the exaggerated rumors, print’s not dead. Far from it. In fact, renowned marketing guru Dr. Victor Frankenstein most succinctly summed up the current state of print marketing when he famously declared to colleagues, “It’s alive! ALIVE!” It’s true. Look it up.

While the rise of digital has heralded a new age in marketing, don’t believe the smarmy slicksters and snake-oil salespeople when they tell you it’s time to administer the last rites on print marketing and lower the old girl into the ground. Sure, she’s gotten a bit up there in years, but all those years have provided her with a wealth of experience and trusted reliability. And she’s still got a few feisty tricks up her sleeve. Just consider a few of these stunning statistics from printisbig.com:

  • U.S. advertisers spend $167 per person on direct mail, earning $2.095 in goods sold — a 1,255% return on investment.
  • Direct mail marketing response rates are 37% higher than email marketing rates, and they also result in a 40% increase in online donation rates.
  • 80% of households read or browse their advertising mail, and print is 59% more engaging than online articles.
  • Forestry is the most sustainable of the primary energy and materials industries.

Sill not convinced? OK, aside from facts and figures, let’s talk about some of the psychological aspects of how people interact with print materials.

Print provides a tangible, tactile experience for consumers.

The physicality of a publication, brochure or direct mail piece gives consumers that sensory experience that helps to solidify your message in the mind. Not only do print materials hang tough with the staying power to remain in homes or offices for longer periods of time, they also prompt stronger emotional responses in the reader. In a study conducted by the U.S. Postal Services and Temple University’s Center for Natural Decision Making, print materials bested digital offerings in most categories, including review time, stimulation, memory speed and confidence, desirability, and valuation. This is not to say digital isn’t valuable, but instead, that digital and print used together can be an unbeatable combination to reach customers.

Print provides a trusted credibility.

A report by MarketingSherpa set out to determine which advertising channels consumers trust most and least when making purchases. In a survey of 1,200 consumers, print ads topped the list.

As the survey’s author summarized: “Print ads were the top advertising channel according to our survey, with four out of five Americans (82%) telling us they trusted newspapers and magazine ads. In fact, the five most trusted channels were all traditional channels.

Print holds Attention.

An article from Modern Litho noted that websites are often skimmed in as little as 15 seconds; however, readers become more engaged when it comes to print materials, spending 43 minutes reading a magazine on average. Because print has been shown to hold attention, it allows a much more meaningful experience.

Print marketing provides a quiet, dignified and reputable way of conveying information to an audience.

SaveOn’s team helps countless businesses stitch together the creative marketing plan that has helped to bring their vision to life. See how they can help your business by reaching out today for a consultation.

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Marketing

Doing Good is Good Business

Small acts make big differences.

They have an outward rippling effect the same way a tiny pebble does when tossed into an area of still and silent water. It expands in all directions and reaches well beyond its small and seemingly insignificant point of impact.

The easiest way to think about this is, unfortunately, in the negative. We’ve all had those days where one ugly comment hurled in our direction affects the rest of the day. It drags us down. We dwell on it and repeatedly hit replay on the incident over and over in our head.

The negative is memorable because we tend to carry it with us like awkward and cumbersome baggage that we can’t put down. It becomes a black stain in our mental ledger that too often will metastasize into an immoveable grudge.

In business, it’s been well-documented how one bad review can create those waves of doubt and uncertainty in a potential customer base. Yet, it’s not all doom and gloom; the good news is positive experiences produce similar results — and business owners have many more avenues to spread those happy ripples across the pond than they do the poor ones.

Perhaps the widest avenue for spreading good will is the one that runs outside the storefront. It’s that eight-lane luxurious superhighway known as community altruism, where small acts of kindness can reap big rewards in reputation.

Giving back is an important cornerstone for any organization looking to cement a relationship in the community where it does business. It’s said you have to spend money to make money and providing support to local causes and organization gives your business purpose as well as helps raise your profile and, ultimately, boosts your bottom line.

Build Your Brand

Having your business name attached to worthwhile causes and events bonds your brand to things local residents care about and puts your brand top of mind. The result is positive public relations and name recognition.

As noted in Forbes, “People tend to refer business to people they trust and believe will take good care of their family and friends. By giving, you are letting the world know that you care and that you are sharing your wealth and blessings with others. This is crucial to growth and success.”

Networking Opportunities

One of the most powerful tools a business owner wields are the contacts they make. Common ground is fertile soil to grow connections, and what better way to find like-minded people than at a cause or event you already support?

“Networking allows you access to opportunities you might not be able to find on your own. Your network has the potential to provide you with insight into different fields, information on what potential employers look for and advice on how you can improve professionally,” according to an article from Indeed.com.

Increase Employee Engagement

Offering options for your employees to give back to the causes they care about in the communities where they live increases engagement among your workforce. It also contributes to team building and unity among staff members. Younger generations place a high premium on companies that give back and are dedicated warriors in the arena of philanthropy. This can help employee retention as well as make you more appealing to top-tier candidates. 

All the above reasons help get your name out in front of the eyes of the public. However, there is another reason for community giving that often goes unstated and may be even more valuable: It’s the right thing to do.

You chose to do business in a particular community. Because of that, you should have a personal stake in seeing your community succeed and becoming a better, friendlier and more thoughtful place to live and work. A lot of times, giving back doesn’t even have to take a lot of thought and planning; it can be almost reflexive.

At SaveOn, for example, our collaboration with the Michigan Renaissance Festival in our Detroit market provided us with an abundance of complimentary festival tickets. It was a no-brainer to take those tickets, bundle them up and send them out to local first responders and front-line workers who have been working diligently to protect the community for more than a year. We didn’t have to think about it, and it didn’t cost a thing. It was just good will to good people.

And that may be the most significant point of giving back. You need to invest in the community if you want them to invest in you. It’s a foundation where not only relationships are established and built, but it also serves as an inspiration for others through leading by example and creating a more caring world.

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Marketing

Geofencing Targets Potential Customers in Specific Areas

In his early 20th century work “Mending Wall,” American poet Robert Frost wrote that “good fences make good neighbors.” Due to the technological advancements of the 21st century, that phase can be revised to denote that “good geofences make great customers.”

Deploying the wrong marketing strategy for the desired result can have all the grace and subtlety of a Sherman tank. Sometimes the big and noisy scattershot guns need to remain holstered in favor of the surgical and exacting preciseness of the simple scalpel. Geofencing is a digital marketing tool of such delicate and effective accuracy in aim and intention.

Geofencing is a location-based technology that allows a business to define a geographic boundary and then create a virtual barrier around the location that communicates with mobile devices entering the area. That communication can be anything from a text message to an email alert to an app notification.

According to Business 2 Community, mobile ads with geofencing have double the click-through rate, and 53% of shoppers visited a retailer after receiving a location-based message. With geofencing being compatible with 92% of smartphones and the average user spending five hours a day on a mobile device, the odds of finding success with this marketing technique fall greatly in the favor of the brand sending the message.

Used wisely, geofencing can communicate with potential customers who may already be interested in the service or product you offer. Content can be tailored to specifically to customers in the geofence who are already more inclined to be open to receiving information associated with your brand. For example, a vehicle dealership might geofence an automotive show to highlight the dealership’s ongoing offers, promotions or events. This targets an audience base that is likely already interested in your product.

However, the effect of geofencing can take an even more hyperlocal approach by setting up a perimeter around a competitor. Such a tactic provides customers the ability to immediately comparison shop or, at the very least, raises awareness of an alternative local option, according to GeoMarketing.

Finally, geofencing helps to personalize the customer experience by finding desired group of prospects for your business, delivering ads to them and providing businesses with the ability to track the success of converting prospects into customers.

Geofencing can be extremely helpful for businesses looking to generate new leads, promote exclusive offers, distribute information about upcoming sales or events and so much more. Geofencing enables your business to reach an audience of potential customers based on where they are and have been. Whatever your message might be, geofencing allows you to reach an audience of real-world people who are already in the proximity of your brand and who could eventually become loyal, valued customers with the right information while they are there.

SaveOn takes great pride in providing a well-stocked arsenal of marketing options that fit whatever need you have and reach whatever audience you want. For more information on how we can help your business target the right customers, visit saveon.com.

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Marketing

Help Your Business Start 2021 with a Bang

It’s said that hindsight is 20/20.

But that quippy proverb takes on a whole new meaning now. After the tumultuous year the business community just experienced, it’s likely many business owners are pleased to see the number 2020 in the rearview mirror.

A new year brings new hope and new opportunities. It’s a reset button, a fresh start, a tabula rasa to reexamine your goals, recommit your determination and reinvigorate the idea that the unknown days ahead contain unlimited potential for success.

However, just because the days ahead are unknown doesn’t mean you have to approach them unprepared. There are steps that can be taken to help kickstart success and begin 2021 — ah, that beautiful number that seemed to take so long to get here — with a bang.

The coronavirus pandemic that tested the limits and endurance of the business world isn’t over, but the sun appears to be coming up over the horizon and the dawn of better days are approaching. Here are a few tips to help you put your best foot forward and greet 2021 chin up and head-on:

  • Don’t make your marketing budget an optional expense: Although many businesses continue a day-to-day struggle to keep the doors open, the lights on and make payroll, it’s never a good idea to stop thinking about marketing strategy. The marketing budget may be smaller than in years past, but it is still a vital component for your business to keep your name in front of the right eyes. It’s an investment in you.

In a forbes.com article, PostcardMania founder and CEO Joy Gendusa explained that the company slashed its marketing budget following the 2008 recession to detrimental effect, losing $5 million in revenue by 2009. The lesson: The marketing budget is sacred.

“Where possible, you need to get the word out to prospects and customers alike that your business is alive, kicking and ready to be of service,” Gendusa wrote in the article.

  • Bolster your social media presence: From the mom-and-pop shop to the national chains, a strong social media presence is a critical strategy for success in the 20th century. We live in a world where word of thumb has replaced word of mouth, and social platforms are one of the best ways to stay connected with your current customers and raise your profile and awareness with your future patrons.

With more than 3 billion people worldwide using social media every month, the potential for engagement only keeps growing, according to an article in marketinginsidergroup.com.

“If people don’t know about your business, they can’t become your customers,” the article states. “Social media boosts your visibility among potential customers, letting you reach a wide audience by using a large amount of time and effort. And it’s free to create a business profile on all the major social networks, so you have nothing to lose.”

  • Put your business on the Google Map: Take the time at the start of the year to update your Google My Business profile. Google My Business provides business owners with the ability to have their companies pop up in local search results and appear on Google Maps. Setting up a Google My Business profile is relatively simple and can reap numerous rewards when properly optimized — from improving engagement to boasting your business in local search results.

An article in business2community.com, recommends filling the Q&A section of the profile with frequently asked questions, adding images or video and responding to all reviews.

“A robust Google My Business profile is more important now than ever. If you want to show up when local searchers are trying to find businesses like yours on Google or in Google Maps, a complete and optimized Google My Business profile is the place to start,” the article states.

It’s important to also take stock of the previous year and pinpoint what did and did not work for your business. However, equally important as looking back is looking forward. You invested your life into your business, so do your homework and study up on the trends and predictions being made in the coming year to determine how you can better reach your customers.

SaveOn has been helping business of all stripes extend their reach to target audiences for years. Find out more about what SaveOn can do for you by visiting saveon.com.

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Marketing

9 Promotional Tactics to Maximize Local Business Traffic

worker at cash register

Having a solid consumer product or service is only half the battle of owning a successful business. The other major piece of the puzzle companies try to perfect is getting customers through the door. A recent survey found more than half of Gen Z, millennials and Gen X are actively trying to shop at local establishments.

How do you get local patrons through your doors (or onto your e-commerce site)? Promotion.

Here are nine promotional tactics that can maximize your company’s local traffic.

Social Media Advertising

Social media advertising is a great way to introduce potential local customers to your brand, products and services at a relatively low cost. You can advertise on a number of sites or apps, including:

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Snapchat
  • TikTok

These popular platforms vary in spending minimums and advertising options, but they all have one thing in common: control. You have absolute control over your campaigns. With social media advertising, you can adjust creative, spending audience and more throughout the campaign at no extra cost, as seen in traditional advertising.

Another benefit of advertising on social media is that your ads can be seen 24/7. With traditional media, you often pay a flat rate for an ad — and if people don’t see it, they don’t see it. Social media ads run all day and night, and they bill by impressions, clicks or conversions. This results-based billing method is enticing to companies that have a tight budget and need hard ROI.

A third pro to social media advertising is your ability to easily target and track audience engagement. Social media platforms let you target people by age, gender, location, job titles, interests and more, so you will be able to get as specific as you want, ensuring your money is going toward the people most likely to buy your offerings. Additionally, the analytics included in the platform will let you know your impressions, reach, clicks, audience demographics, etc.

Digital Advertising

Digital advertising is another way to meet your audience where they are. In fact, a report from Hootsuite and We Are Social discovered people are spending around six hours and 42 minutes on the internet every day. This presents a unique opportunity for businesses to target their local audiences through digital ads.

Through online advertising, your business can increase brand awareness, build a better understanding of your audiences and their behaviors, and create higher-performing content.

Like social media advertising, digital advertisements are billed based on interaction and run 24/7. You can also adjust creative more easily than traditional ads. This type of advertising has a few popular options for advertisers, including:

  • Geofencing – Targeting audiences by building a geographic boundary. When a mobile device enters the geofenced area, some form of ad will be triggered to populate their phone.
  • Retargeting – Ads that are sent to people who have recently visited your website to remind them of your brand, products or services.
  • Display – Push ads that appear based on targeting parameters.
  • Search – Pull ads that appear when someone searches keywords that you have paid for.

Traditional Advertising

Traditional advertising includes newspapers, magazines, billboards, radio and direct mail. Although we’ve talked about some of the downsides of traditional advertising, there are still many benefits of using traditional media.

For one, your target audience may prefer to see ads on traditional platforms. Older generations like Gen X, baby boomers and traditionalists tend to be more receptive to traditional ads than millennials and Gen Z.

Another upside to using traditional advertising is it gives your company a bit of legitimacy among people who are unfamiliar with your brand. Younger generations who grew up with the internet know to be skeptical of scams and fake news online. If they are unfamiliar with your brand, you may come off more legitimate in traditional media because they are thought to be more trustworthy.

Finally, by advertising out in the community, you will be sure to reach people locally and build word-of-mouth publicity.

SEO

Search engine optimization is another tactic that can be used to promote your business and pull people into your website. Simply put, SEO is the process of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search results, according to Moz. Ensuring your website has useful content, includes keywords that people are searching for (without overdoing it), have informative title tags and meta descriptions, and build qualified inbound links will help you rank higher in organic searches, which will drive people into your website.

Sponsorships

Sponsoring community events has two major benefits. First, it can get your business’s name out in front of the right local audiences. Secondly, it generally supports good causes or organizations that help your community. Local sponsorships tend to not be overly expensive, and they also help your brand build credibility and good rapport. Sponsorships sometimes will even include the opportunity to have a booth or table at the event, which gives you the chance to meet and talk to potential customers. This is an awesome way to introduce your company in a fun and authentic way.

Host a Sale with a Community Link

I’m sure you’re thinking, “We have sales all the time, and it only brings in a few extra purchases.” What can make these sales more exciting to potential customers is connecting them to a local event like a big game, community event or gathering, or a holiday that your town loves. Bringing locality to a sale or having it connect with other things happening in the area makes your sale more relevant, adds an excitement element, brings attention to the sale and will likely attract more local customers to your business.

Offer Samples or Product Demos

Who doesn’t love free samples or trying before you buy? People love to get free stuff and know exactly what they’re buying. Giving away free samples and offering product demos give the customers a chance to test out your product or service and see that they can’t live without it.

Strategic Partnerships

Strategic partnerships are used all the time in marketing. Starbucks and Barnes and Nobel, Spotify and Uber, Nike and Apple, and Taco Bell and Doritos are famous examples of hugely successful strategic partnerships. Partnering with a local, reputable business does a few things. It expands your marketing efforts, doubles your audience reach, adds value for media coverage, creates excitement and builds brand credibility. Many local businesses form partnerships every day to increase local traffic to their businesses.

Content Marketing

Breaking through all the noise from the internet, advertisements and media is harder than ever for businesses. Content marketing is a proactive strategy to create interesting, shareable content in which your audience is interested. Your content should have a narrative and tell a captivating story. This helps you appear authentic and gets people genuinely energized about your products and services without feeling like you’re just trying to sell to them. Types of content marketing can include:

  • Blogs
  • Social media
  • E-books
  • Videos
  • Photo galleries
  • Websites
  • Webinars
  • Infographics
  • Podcasts
  • Paid ads

Our team has been working in the marketing realm for decades, not just promoting our own brand but helping connect businesses to local savers. We are always here to guide you, answer your questions and to help you increase sales. Learn more about how partnering with SaveOn will help you reach your business goals at saveon.com/business.

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Marketing

Keep Home Improvement Customers Engaged All Winter Long

Construction site

As construction professionals, you don’t need us to explain to you how and why construction slows down in the winter, especially here in the Midwest. You know all about the roadblocks the cold weather presents, but we often hear from our home improvement partners that they need help promoting the services and projects that are cold-weather friendly. Here are some ways you can keep customers engaged on home construction all winter long.

Education

Many people don’t know what home improvement projects are suited for winter. A good way to drum up new business during the winter months is to put that information out in front of consumers. A blog is a great place to share this kind of information because it can be used in multiple ways. Once you have a good blog, you can share it on social media, in email marketing and on your website. It not only will publicize your services, but it will also enhance your thought leadership. Thought leadership materials prove your company to be an expert in your field and will build trust among current and potential customers.

Additionally, you can create graphics or videos about winter construction projects to accompany your blog. These assets are great for achieving social media interaction and helping to enrich your thought leadership by giving readers alternative ways to retain the information.

Another way to educate people about winter home improvement projects is to highlight the work you’re doing on other people’s homes. By showing before-and-after pictures and talking about why the project makes sense to do in the winter verses other seasons, you will persuade other customers to consider doing similar projects.

Free Estimates/Evaluations

Many construction companies offer free estimates, evaluations or consultations for projects. If this is something you aren’t already doing, you can offer this during slow seasons to find potential customers or to help sell services to people who have shown past interest. If you are already offering free estimates, advertise it. People love free stuff. Seeing that a company is extending a complimentary estimate and is willing to talk more about pricing options is a good motivator for people who need projects done to give you a call.

Spring Sign Up

In the event that some projects can’t be completed in the winter, there is no reason you can’t get customers on the books for spring. You can offer free estimates for spring projects and even offer discounts for signing up for spring service now. This will help you not only secure and build up your customer base, but also will allow you to plan for the number of employees, equipment, permits and other things you need well in advance.

Promotions

As the saying goes, “you have to spend money to make money.” Advertisements are extremely effective in bringing in new customers and showcasing certain service offerings. You can use digital ads like geofencing, retargeting or Google Ads to capture people who are in your area or are already looking for contracting companies. Another way to attract customers in the winter is through social media ads. Millions of people are on popular platforms like Facebook and Instagram. You can advertise products for as low as a dollar a day and reach a number of viable customers. Additionally, these platforms allow you to target people by age, gender, location and job, and you can adjust the budget or copy at any time. Finally, you can place traditional ads. Traditional advertising comes in the form of billboards, television, magazines, newspapers, etc. Traditional ads are typically more expensive than digital or social media ads, but they are another way to reach your audience and increase sales.

Coupons 

People love coupons. Research shows that coupons can encourage potential customers to give your company a chance, boost sales, increase spending per transaction and even get people to buy your services faster than they normally would have. In a previous blog, we talked about how coupon marketing can bolster a company’s business plan and help it reach sales goals, as well as discussed how to get started in coupon marketing.

At SaveOn, we connect contractors to thousands of local savers through our monthly coupon magazine and online presence. For decades, we’ve helped home improvement companies find the best ways to advertise their products, come up with coupons that will turn into sales and build a loyal customer base. To learn more about how we can help you bring in business in the upcoming winter months, visit saveon.com/business.

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Marketing

Your Business Needs Coupon Marketing, Here’s Why

When someone talks about coupons, what do you think of? Some people immediately reference moms using Kohl’s Cash or recall an episode of “Extreme Couponing,” but studies show that coupon use is much bigger than those common examples. In fact, coupons can be integral in enhancing your current business model.

Why Offer Coupons?

Business owners and marketing professionals often ask us why they should start offering coupons. Whether your business is doing well or has room for growth, coupons can expand your current customer base and increase sales. 

Although coupon marketing can look like you’re giving away product for free, 77% of consumers actually spend $10 to $50 more than planned when using a coupon, according to Invesp. Upselling is a common practice in coupon marketing. Making conditions like “$10 off when you spend $50” or “buy-one-get-one half off” can persuade customers to purchase more expensive items than they normally would or buy a larger quantity than intended. These types of offers allow customers to get more expensive items cheaper and increase your profits. Coupon marketing is a great opportunity for you to not only upsell but also cross-sell. 

Cross-selling can occur in a number of ways, but two common methods are pushing products at the time of sale, like asking customers if they would like to purchase silverware to go with their new plate set, or making a coupon requirement that a customer must buy a product of a certain type to redeem the deal. For instance, in the same kitchen supply store example, you could have a coupon that offers 50% off silverware with the purchase of a new plate set. This is a great way to unload items you’ve had in stock for a while or introduce customers to new products. 

Another benefit of coupon marketing is increasing the speed of a sale. According to Kelton Global, 48% of consumers say they will make a purchase sooner if they have a coupon. Speeding up the conversion rate is a smart way to meet quarterly sales goals and unload seasonal products. 

Finally, by offering coupons on a trusted site, through direct mail or via email marketing, you can entice new customers to give your brand a try. Elect an offer that is powerful enough to get a customer to change his or her habits and chose you over your competitor. Then, customers will add you to their lists of places they frequent.

Who Uses Coupons?

So now that you know why you should offer coupons, you’re probably wondering if your target audience even uses coupon. The short answer is yes, they do. According to a study by PRRI, baby boomers (people 55 and older) are more likely to use coupons than any other age group, with 96% saying they use coupons, followed by Generation X with 91% and millennials with 87%. Additionally, a study from marketing firm Acosta found Gen Z is three times more likely than millennials to use mobile coupons. 

The bottom line is coupons are still highly valuable to your customer base regardless of age, gender or other demographics.

How to Start Offering Coupons

How and where you advertise coupon offerings depends on each individual business and what services/products it provides. You should start by considering whether paper or digital makes more sense for your company. 

Paper can include direct mail, magazine, receipt roll or newspaper. Paper coupon marketing will likely have printing, design and placement costs but is still a preferred method among older generations. Placing paper coupon ads in popular newspapers and magazines is a good way to get coupons in front of new customers. As younger generations are more digitally inclined, more companies are turning to digital coupon marketing.

Digital coupons also have an assortment of advertising opportunities, including email and text marketing, online publications, couponing apps and websites, geofencing and retargeting, and digital advertisements. Each method will still likely have a design and placement cost but will save you the cost of printing. Email and text offers are a special exception. If your company has a strong email or text list, you can actually avoid that placement cost. Another benefit of email and text promotion of coupons is that emails containing coupons offer a 48% increase in revenue per email, ReadyCloud found.

Whether you’re new to coupon marketing or just trying to navigate the changes, SaveOn has a team of experts who are ready to help you find the right method for your business. SaveOn helps savers live life for less by connecting them with relevant and trusted businesses. We are the top-of-mind provider of innovative marketing solutions, and we are passionate about the growth of our business partners. To learn more about how to get started in coupon marketing, visit saveon.com/business.