Branding: Why Consistency Matters?
Your brand, including your logo, tone, color choice and message, represents the personality of your company, and it determines which customers will respond to your promotions and what those responses will be. To guarantee that they recognize your company and that their responses are consistent, your brand must be consistent. When it’s not, you risk confusing customers, who may then think that your promotional materials refer to a different company. Not only does this hurt your business, but it aids the competition.
Consistency in branding your company will prevent confusion among consumers and lead to a greater return on investment. Studies have shown that consumers must come into contact with a brand or message several times before they will consider investing in it. This is referred to as frequency. Each time a consumer sees and recognizes your ad, you have increased the likelihood that they will do business with you. So to guarantee that they trust and take an interest in your company, keeps things consistent.
To guarantee the consistency of your brand, consider creating a standards guide that outlines proper use of the logo, name, color palette and message. Anyone involved in creating promotional materials for the company or communicating on its behalf should refer to the guide.
PR – A Different Kind of Promotion
The greatest challenge to any marketing campaign is ad clutter. The number of promotional messages that consumers witness throughout the day can desensitize them. That is why public relations is an effective tool: It presents your message in a way that consumers respond to. PR involves placing your message in newspapers and other publications. Not only does this increase the credibility of your brand, but it reduces the cost of your marketing campaign because the space is cost-free. However, inclusion of your message is at the discretion of the publication, so efforts have to be taken to create an appropriate message.
In addition to cost-savings and credibility, PR has the ability to place your message in front of consumers whom you wouldn’t reach using conventional methods – this includes readers who may encounter your article in the print publication or its Web version. If the publication includes your article on its Web site, your search engine visibility can increase and this will help drive traffic to your own Web site. An effective public relations campaign also gives the impression that your company is an active, healthy business. Consumers may also get the sense that the publication endorses your product which adds to their trust of your brand. This kind of support will go a long way toward helping you attract more customers.
There’s No Such Thing as an Off-Season
While the pool season seems brief, the marketing opportunities for the pool industry are year-round. Whether you’re a builder, retailer, remodeler or service professional, each season is a chance for you to reach new consumers and raise awareness of your brand. May through August may be the right time to market for peak business, but the rest of the year is when consumers should be preparing for pool construction and remodeling. It also presents season-specific opportunities for service professionals and retailers.
Fall and winter, depending on the weather at your location, are the right opportunities for contacting your current and prospective customers about pool closings, cleanings and chemical needs; while spring is ripe for groundbreaking on construction and remodeling jobs. By continuing your message throughout the year, you add to your message frequency which is critical to maintaining awareness among consumers. You also increase your chances of reaching them when the time is right – when they’re ready to buy.
Why the Third Time is the Charm with Direct Mail
When planning your direct mail campaign, two factors are critical: reach and frequency. Reach is the number of people you’re reaching with your message. Frequency is the number of times you’re reaching an individual with that same message. Due to limited resources, companies must balance the two, often favoring one over the other. When it comes to direct mail, it’s important to put your focus on frequency.
Send your postcard only once to consumers in three zip codes, or send it three times to consumers in one zip code? During the planning of your campaign, you may be faced with a similar question. Studies have shown that consumers need to have contact with a brand or message several times before they are willing to invest time or money into it. We recommend lowering the reach of your direct mail campaign to the point that each contact on your mailing list will receive at least three direct mail pieces. In this way, your response rate will be higher because each contact is familiar with your brand. This approach builds trust and brand loyalty and is more favorably than a high reach campaign, where your contacts are only mildly aware of your brand and are therefore distrustful.
Database Management: Why Do It?
The key to every good marketing campaign is having a highly targeted audience. This guarantees a better response rate and a greater return on your investment. The best way to identify that audience is by using a database created from interactions with your clients. Once created, it can be used as the basis for mailing lists during a direct mail campaign or to select the appropriate area for a door hanger release.
While the idea of a database is simple and sensible, the future use and effectiveness of that database will be determined by the information that is collected and the care taken to include only accurate, reliable data. Address, phone number, e-mail and contact’s name are the fundamental fields for any database. To fully utilize your database as a reference tool, you should also include fields that describe a contact’s purchase or service history, the frequency that they do business with you and your most recent interaction. With this information on hand, you’ll be better prepared for the implementation of any marketing effort.
While maintaining your database, it is important to remember that it’s only as reliable as the information inside it. Care must be taken to include only accurate information and to update the database as often as necessary. This will ensure that money and efforts are not wasted on marketing materials sent using incorrect contact information.
The Art of the Door Hanger
When it’s time to plan your next marketing campaign, consider using door hangers, one of the most effective and under-utilized promotional tools for business owners. They can be used alone or in combination with other marketing efforts like direct mail. This can boost frequency which is critical to increasing your response rate, as studies have shown that a consumer must come into contact with a brand or message several times before they will commit to it.
There are many benefits to door hangers, and the greatest is their location. The door knob is prime marketing real estate because it is devoid of promotional clutter. Not only will your consumers notice your message as they enter and leave their homes, but they won’t be distracted by other brands competing for their attention. Door hangers, like direct mail, are inexpensive to produce with the added benefit of saving on postage and shipping. With the option to deliver them yourself, door hangers are an opportunity to save money without losing effectiveness. This is because the audience you choose to reach can be highly targeted. While you face the disadvantage of not being able to reach a mass audience, if chosen correctly, the consumers that do see your message will be more likely to respond.
When creating your door hanger, include your contact information, clarify the function of your company and grab the consumer’s attention, because once they’ve read your door hanger, you must convince them not to throw it away. Close with a call to action inviting your customers to contact you and learn more.