5 Benefits of Hiring a Marketing Agency
Marketing best practices evolve at a dizzying pace. Whether it’s an upstart social media platform or yet another Google algorithm update, there’s always something new on the horizon…
Does Direct Mail Advertising Work?
Here’s How to Take Advantage of this Surprisingly Effective Marketing Tactic.
It’s a question our Houston marketing team gets all the time — does direct mail advertising still work in today’s digital world? As with most things, it depends. Direct mail advertising can be an incredibly effective way to reach new clients and grow your business, as long as it’s thoughtfully executed according to best practices.
In fact, a study by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) found that letter-sized envelope campaigns generated 112% ROI — which is even more striking when compared with the success of other channels1.
The persuasive power of direct mail advertising derives partly from the ease with which we consume it. One study found that consumers expend 21% less cognitive effort on processing pieces of direct mail than they do on digital marketing materials2. Another study used eye-movement tracking and biometrics, such as heart rate and respiration, to compare attention and emotional engagement with direct mail and digital media. Engagement time and recall were significantly higher for direct mail materials3.
Is Direct Mail Marketing Right for Your Business?
Before you dive stamp-first into direct mail marketing, it’s important to consider your target audience and goals.
Let’s start with the first variable: your audience. Are families with children your company’s bread and butter, or do you cater more to retiree crowds? Are there specific cities or neighborhoods you’d like to home in on? A basic understanding of your target demographics will help you determine if direct mail is likely to yield sufficient returns.
Millennials, for example, are more likely than both Gen X and Baby Boomers to use marketing mail as a prompt to go online and make purchases. They also regularly purchase items marketing to them through direct mail4.
Now let’s consider your goals. Are you looking to increase awareness of your business, tout a seasonal sale, or simply get people in the door? Direct mail advertising can help you accomplish all of the above. As with any marketing tactic, understanding your objectives will help you to craft an effective message and make smart design decisions.
If you’re looking to encourage millennial consumers to visit your e-commerce site, for example, you might create a QR code to include in the mailer that makes the transition from print to web more seamless. If you want to entice retirees to visit your restaurant, you could incorporate a perforated coupon and a copy of your menu. Once you know where you want to go, you can determine how best to get there.
How to Create an Effective Direct Mail Advertising Campaign.
To maximize your investment in direct mail, it’s important to follow a few basic principles.
Prioritize Brevity and Clarity.
Excess text and small print are a surefire way to sabotage your direct mail advertising campaign. On any given day, consumers spend roughly 30 minutes reading and sorting through their mail5. While this affords a longer consideration window than most digital campaigns, you still have a limited amount of time to capture their attention. Communicating your message clearly and concisely will give you the best chance of cutting through the postal noise.
Keep Your Design Simple and On-Brand.
The best direct mailer designs are clean, easy to read, and consistent with the rest of a company’s brand. Simple, bold fonts and sufficient white space make your materials easier for readers to consume. Just as importantly, on-brand visuals allow you to make the most of the opportunity to build brand awareness while ensuring a similar aesthetic experience across channels.
Incentivize Your Target Audience.
Even the best-looking mailer will soon find its way to the waste basket if the recipient doesn’t perceive it as valuable. To keep your advertisement in their hands and homes longer, find an incentive that speaks to your audience and highlight it visually. Special discounts, for example, are a good option for retailers and restaurants, while free consultations may work for professional service providers and medical practices. You could even include a special gift with the mailer itself, such as a bookmark or branded coffee table book. Unsolicited gifts will serve as a reminder of your brand’s value when consumers come across them in the future.
Embrace the Omnichannel Approach.
To take your campaign to the next level, try coordinating direct mail with other channels. You can create a unique URL, for example, to track recipients who visited your website after reading your mailer. Once you’ve collected their information, you could retarget those prospects with a marketing email or digital display ad and, of course, save their information for use in your next direct mail campaign. There are myriad ways to amplify the effectiveness of direct mail marketing through an integrated, omnichannel approach.
Want to learn more about the surprising efficacy of direct mail marketing? Reach out! We’re ready to help your business reach its goals.
Sources:
- 2022 Response Rate Report, Association of National Advertisers
- A Bias for Action, Canada Post
- Enhancing the Value of the Mail: The Human Response, USPS
- Mail & E-Commerce Through the Ages, USPS
- 47 Direct Mail Statistics Marketers Should Know in 2023, Postalytics
How to Improve Your Brand Storytelling: Lessons from Guinness
A Multi-decade Masterclass in Crafting a Compelling Brand Narrative
Humans are hardwired to make sense of life through story. Stories help us understand ourselves, define our values and make decisions consistent with those convictions. Brand storytelling leverages the power of effective narratives to connect with audiences in an emotional, values-driven way that centers the customer (rather than the brand) at the heart of the story.
Guinness, one of the world’s largest distributors of stout beer, has been giving a masterclass in brand storytelling for decades. In this article, we’ll extrapolate lessons from the example of Guinness — and explain how you can apply them to your business.
What is Brand Storytelling?
Brand storytelling is a highly effective marketing approach that uses narrative techniques to generate awareness and loyalty, thereby engaging prospects and strengthening relationships with existing customers. The goal is to position your product or service within a larger story that audiences find compelling — something they care about and relate to on an emotional level. To do this, you have to understand your audience.
Guinness knows its target audience well: they’re primarily (but not exclusively) young adults who eschew the hard-partying lifestyle in favor of values like character, integrity and confident self-expression. To connect with these customers, Guinness taps into its own rich history.
The story starts with a signature. In 1759, Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease on a small, disheveled property and began brewing ale in what would grow to be one of the world’s largest international breweries. Though the brand’s marketing has evolved over time, Guinness’ bootstrapped beginnings as a small business founded by an industrious dreamer continue to supply the narrative context for all its campaigns.
The signature of Arthur Guinness, for example, remains a vital part of the brand’s visual identity — along with its iconic harp and type treatment.
Why is Brand Storytelling Important?
Contemporary audiences are inundated with advertising content. Whether you’re reading the news, scrolling through social media, streaming TV shows or just driving to work, chances are someone is trying to sell you something. To stand out from the crowd, you have to tell your story in a way that makes the consumer feel seen, as though they are the main character in a larger narrative that explains something important about who they are as a person.
Let’s take a look at how Guinness makes the consumer the protagonist. In its “Empty Chair” commercial (part of the “Made of More” campaign), we see a bartender set a glass of Guinness on an empty table. Day after day, customers come and go, but no one claims the beer — in fact, the bartender actively dissuades pub-goers from sitting at the table or moving its chairs. At the end, we discover the intended recipient of the pint: a military veteran returning from active duty. A voiceover explains, “The choices we make reveal the true nature of our character.”
In this example, the audience is invited to identify with the bartender — a hard-working woman who honors the sacrifice of military personnel through daily acts of gratitude. Why? Because she’s “made of more,” and so is the target audience. This story is compelling because it’s not trying to sell beer; it’s trying to promote a lifestyle, an ethos, a way of being, and to encourage an association between this lifestyle and the brand itself.
When audiences see themselves in your story, they want to participate in it. In this case, consumers participated to the tune of £3.88 per every £1 spent on the “Made of More” campaign. The brand also saw a decrease in price sensitivity and an increase in awareness1.
What are the Elements of a Strong Brand Narrative?
Crafting a cogent and consistent narrative isn’t as difficult as it seems. By following a few basic principles of effective brand storytelling, you can delight audiences and increase your ROI.
Be Real and Relatable.
Advertising is most powerful when it engages people emotionally. Storytelling invites your customers to connect with your brand on a more personal, human level. It can show them the real people behind the brand, giving them a glimpse behind the curtain to see what makes your business move. This can help build trust and connection. Guinness’ “In Pursuit of More” campaign, for example, takes customers into the original St. James’s Gate Brewery, introducing the people who work behind the scenes to brew their signature Irish stout.
Cultivate Brand Loyalty.
Storytelling can help people connect to your brand by reflecting parts of their personality back to them. When a customer identifies with a brand’s message, they are more likely to feel a sense of brand loyalty. For this to work, it’s important to stay true to your brand’s core identity and make sure to tell your story authentically. In addition to integrity and hard work, Guinness’ “Made of More” campaign celebrates the “confidence to carve [your] own path,” which taps into their brand’s history and resonates with customers who seek adventure.
Emphasize Your Differences.
The way you tell your story can help you stand out from your competitors. What’s different about your approach? What expertise do you bring to the table? What obstacles did you overcome on your journey? Tell your customers — in your own voice. Smart storytelling, which can include personal anecdotes, real-world experiences, earnest explanations or an unexpected approach, can help showcase your business’ personality and make your messaging more memorable. In its 1929 advertisements, Guinness distinguished its voice as strong, sturdy and bold with its now-iconic “Guinness is Good for You” and “Guinness for Strength” campaigns. While Guinness isn’t really good for you and it doesn’t make you stronger, the ads have staying power — just like Guinness’ story.
With a relatable brand story that resonates with your target audience and emphasizes what makes you different, you can strengthen existing relationships and form new partnerships. Ready to captivate customers with authentic storytelling? Let us know. We’re here to help you be bold, go forth and share your story.
Sources:
- ‘Made of More’: Guinness increases global effectiveness, Thinkbox
The Great Debate: In-House vs. Outsourced Marketing
How to Decide Between In-House Marketing, an Agency or a Combination of Both.
When deciding how best to select and organize your marketing team, one consideration tends to trump all: budget. It’s true that the decision to outsource or maintain an internal team can have a huge impact on your overall spend, but there are also other factors to keep in mind when making this important call. Staffing, quality and return on investment (ROI) can all be affected by your decision.
In this article, we’ll look at the pros and cons associated with in-house and outsourced marketing.
What Is Outsourced Marketing?
The term “outsourcing” has become a bit of a boogeyman, conjuring up images of disinterested workers in far-off places. In this case, outsourced marketing refers to the practice of hiring an external agency to plan, execute and manage your marketing and advertising processes. The best agencies learn everything there is to know about your business — including your history, differentiators, customers and goals — then execute campaigns that directly impact your bottom line.
Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of outsourced marketing.
The Pros of Outsourced Marketing.
Specialized Expertise.
Marketing agencies offer the benefit of wide-ranging expertise in a range of disciplines — all for a flat project fee or monthly retainer. So rather than hiring individual specialists in content marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), graphic design or web development, for example, your company can benefit from the combined knowledge and creativity of a seasoned team with all the skills you need (and even some you don’t know you need just yet).
Fresh Perspective.
In addition to diverse talent and technical knowledge, agencies have broad, cross-industry awareness of the ways in which various marketing tactics can be deployed. As such, they can offer an unbiased, fresh perspective on your messaging, market opportunities and goals, helping you to identify innovative strategies an in-house team may not have considered.
Scalability and Flexibility.
With an outsourced team, you can scale your marketing efforts quickly and efficiently. As your business grows or marketing needs change, you can easily adjust the scope of your engagement with the agency by adding or removing services as needed. If, for example, you want to experiment with digital advertising, but don’t have the resources to do so, you can simply enlist the help of your agency. Such flexibility allows you to stay agile and creative for a relatively minimal cost.
The Cons of Outsourced Marketing.
Limited Control.
When partnering with an agency, you run the risk of losing control over creative direction, messaging and strategic decision-making. To prevent this, it’s important to vet an agency before committing to the relationship. You’re looking for a partner who communicates clearly, listens well and genuinely cares about the success of your business. When you trust your agency to prioritize your preferences and goals, you don’t have to worry about losing control.
Potential for Miscommunication.
Since many agencies charge an hourly fee, transparency and effective communication are essential. If an agency misunderstands your priorities, for example, they might devote too many hours to a project of lesser importance, forcing you to choose between postponing the development of something critical or increasing your budget for that month. Again, when you find an agency that listens well, communicates candidly and “gets” you, you can avoid these pitfalls.
What Is In-House Marketing?
Simply put, keeping your marketing in-house means you hire an internal team to handle everything from digital ads to PR. As with outsourced marketing, there are advantages and challenges associated with this approach.
The Pros of In-House Marketing.
Control and Flexibility.
An internal team gives you complete control over your processes and tactics. This means you can determine your own creative direction, messaging, strategy and internal workflows. Moreover, with an in-house team, it can be easier to quickly pivot when necessary and interact with customers in real-time.
Deep Brand Understanding.
Depending on the team, an internal marketing department may possess a deep and thorough understanding of your company’s brand, enabling them to create campaigns that align with your mission and values. This can result in effective messaging that consistently reinforces your brand identity.
The Cons of In-House Marketing.
Limited Expertise.
While in-house marketing teams may be familiar with the company’s brand, they often lack the expertise and experience necessary to execute complex marketing strategies. This can result in disappointing ROIs and campaigns that fail to reach the intended audience.
High Cost.
The cost of staffing your own team includes more than base pay. It also involves recruitment costs, onboarding and training time, benefits, expensive technology and software subscriptions. Moreover, when employees leave, your investment in their development leaves with them.
Lack of Objectivity.
Sometimes, being “too close” to the company’s culture and goals can backfire, resulting in campaigns that are too inwardly focused, don’t meet the needs of the target audience or don’t effectively differentiate the business from its competitors. An external agency, on the other hand, has the benefit of distance and perspective, which can contribute to the creation of more effective campaigns.
The Best of Both Worlds: Combining an In-House Team with an External Agency.
In some cases, a combination of both in-house and outsourced can be the best option. Many small-to-mid-size businesses choose to hire an in-house marketing manager, for example, to handle day-to-day communications with the agency while executing a portion of marketing tasks on their own. This approach can help busy executives delegate the management of smaller projects and streamline communication between the company and its agency. The key is to know your organization’s strengths and outsource the projects for which you lack sufficient resources.
Interested in partnering with an agency that understands your values, preferences and goals? Reach out. We’d love to help you take your business to the next level.
How the Best Taglines Make a Splash
You’ve heard it from us before, but we’re here to say it again. Every business needs a brand. And, in addition to the visual identity — we’re talking logos, color palettes, typography and textures — a tagline is an essential element of your business’ brand. It works in tandem with your visual identity and your stylistic voice to set the…
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A Beginner’s Guide to PPC Campaign Management
So, you’re ready to launch a PPC digital marketing campaign. Great! But, where do you start? Pay-per-click — or PPC, for short — ads are a type of paid digital advertising option that allows you to hone in on your target audience. When used as a part of your overall digital marketing strategy, which can include search engine optimization (SEO)…
Content Marketing: How SEO Helps Build Your Brand
Content marketing has changed a lot in the last decade. Everyone now has a smartphone glued to their hands and can search anything in a matter of seconds. Now more than ever, branding and word choice matters — and SEO keyword choice is crucial. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the technical force behind your brand’s message that helps build your…
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There’s an old content marketing saying: a business is only as big as its blog. Okay — we may have made that up, but the central message is still true. If you’re running a business and trying to get your company’s website to climb the digital ladder — we’re talking more visitors, increased visibility and higher search rankings — having…
Keep Your Brand Top of Mind with Email Marketing
Today, our lives are more tethered to the digital realm than ever before — thank you, smart phones, Zoom meetings, cryptocurrency and the Metaverse. So, it’s probably no surprise that digital tools play an important role in your business’ marketing strategy. Email marketing is just one such tool that’s invaluable to have in your toolkit.
Combining speed and flexibility with a relatively small price tag, email marketing offers businesses of all sizes and in all industries the chance to get valuable facetime with customers. At the same time, it strengthens brand awareness with each eblast. If you ask us, that sounds like a win-win. Of course, there are a few pitfalls to avoid to keep you from being relegated to the dreaded “spam” folder. That’s why we’re here to walk you through a few ways to make the most of your email marketing journey.
Less is More.
While it might be tempting to send out back-to-back eblasts to your entire email list — we’re going to stop you right there before you hit “send.” Think about all the unread emails piling up in your inbox from retailers, community organizations, apps and social media platforms. Even if you’ve opted into the list, having your inbox flooded with messages can be annoying at best. Instead, think about frequency strategically. Set a cadence that keeps your brand on your audience’s radar without overwhelming them. This might take the form of a monthly newsletter, quarterly recap or seasonal sale.
Get Personal.
With nearly 60% of email marketers citing personalization as one of the best ways to increase engagement, it makes sense that we’re seeing a trend toward personalized messages. If you’re asking customers to share personal information with you, it’s a great way to show them that you’re listening. Segment your list according to their personal details — for example, by industry or title — and create targeted content for each segment. Celebrate birthdays with a quick note or special discount, call people by their first names in the body or subject line and craft customer journeys that are relevant to where they are in the sales process.
Highlight Your Brand.
When it comes to building brand awareness, consistency is key. For example, Forbes reported that brand consistency across platforms could boost revenue by up to 23%. A big part of this is pretty simple: As people become more familiar with your brand elements — colors, logo, tagline and even stylistic voice — it’s easier for them to remember it in the future. Email marketing offers a great way to reinforce those elements. Each piece of email marketing should align with your overall brand messaging, helping build recognition and encourage connection.
Be Real.
Brand loyalty is driven by emotional connection. Showcasing the people, processes, traditions or values instilled in your company can help tell your story in a way that resonates with your audience. This may take the form of team spotlights, Q&As, community initiatives or time lapse videos of a special project. While this may look different, depending on your industry and business model, all companies have a story to tell. Email marketing offers an avenue for sharing a behind-the-scenes look at the things that bring your business together.
Don’t Wait, Authenticate.
Don’t let all that hard work end up in the junk folder, never to see the light of day. Before you send your very first campaign, you’ll want to make sure you authenticate your domain. Without getting too into the technical weeds, email authentication essentially acts as a “digital signature” to show that your emails are legit. This helps with deliverability, making sure you’re reaching the inboxes of most, if not all, of the recipients on your list.
These steps can help you get started developing a strategic plan — but this is still just the tip of the iceberg. Email marketing is multifaceted and offers numerous options for engaging with customers, showcasing your brand and building awareness. If you want to learn more about how these tips — and more — can help you grow your business, let us know. Our team is here to help.