Small businesses make their strategic marketing plans come alive when they build campaigns that address their marketing goals. Your overall marketing plan spells out your communications goals, and includes strategies for increased market awareness, customer growth, revenue and profitability. The marketing systems campaign takes it down a level and defines the actions needed to achieve a particular goal in your marketing plan. Create a marketing campaign that is doable, repeatable and is a good fit for your customers, and you’ll reach your goals. Here’s an example of a successful marketing systems campaign that has proven itself year over year.
A company called Multi Print and Digital offers printing solutions for businesses, including imprinted envelopes, checks, invoices and more. Their customer list, numbering well over 5,000, includes insurance companies of all sizes. Twice a year Multi Print and Digital offers substantial discounts during their Group Order Promotion. Customers are notified with an email, which describes the promotion and has a link to an order form. All of this sounds like a traditional marketing campaign, right? Here’s the twist that makes this a standout campaign. A few weeks after the email is sent, a select number of the insurance companies on the customer list receive a follow-up phone call, reminding them of the promotion and, at the same time, asking if they have any questions. The bottom line of this campaign is that the follow-up phone calling nearly doubles the return in orders placed. For every dollar they put into this marketing (the only cost of any consequence is the phone follow-up) they get $20 back. What a system – not particularly high tech, but very successful. What makes this work?
Know your customer: One reason this campaign works well is that it is suited for this set of customers. These businesses work with their customers via phone and they value relationships. They like being contacted by phone and since their own businesses are built on the value of personal touch, they appreciate this quality in their vendor. It’s important to study groups of customers to determine their needs, and create a marketing campaign that fits them.
Personal touch: Of the thousands of customers in the database, Multi Print calls those who have ordered within the last 3 years, but who did not immediately order after the email was sent. Each business has a customer contact name. When they are called, the contact people are genuinely thrilled to receive a personal reminder, over the phone, asking if they’d like to take advantage of the promotion. And, as a side benefit, the calling allows Multi Print to keep their customer contact list up to date.
Repeat, repeat, repeat: The phone campaign happens twice a year, in conjunction with the promotion. Customers have come to look forward to the calls, and feel comfortable talking to the caller about past orders, changes to their business, etc. In effect, Multi Print becomes an extended member of the customer’s business.
Small businesses can profit from marketing systems campaigns when they are developed based on the business’ marketing goals, and are sensitive to the needs of their customers. This campaign uses an email list and a compelling offer, and doesn’t require lots of new equipment to be successful. If your business can use help in developing marketing campaigns to increase customer awareness, build your customer base or increase revenues and profits, The Price Group will work with you to achieve your goals. Call us at 630.717.8332 to get started.
