Forbes Technology Council — If you are searching for the best way to build brand loyalty and separate your business from the flock of competitors, it’s time to reconsider how you tell your company’s story. Humans have learned through storytelling since the beginning of time. It’s knitted into the fabric of our history. Thousands of years ago, cave dwellers used paintings to tell stories of their adventures. Then people started writing their stories down and distributing the news. From folktales to newspapers and television, we’ve developed ways to keep the art of storytelling alive. Over time, we’ve relied on technology to offer innovative new ways to tell stories. Whether it’s a social media post, a carefully crafted direct mailer, a report on the local news or simply a family chat around the dinner table, stories are part of our everyday conversation and an integral part of our lives. Stories from the heart can be a valuable business tool. Your company’s story should be the backbone of your marketing strategy and will help raise the value of your brand. We all recall how the founders of technology giants Microsoft and Apple got their start building computers in their garages. The first glass of Pepsi was served by a pharmacist in historic New Bern, North Carolina, and James L. Kraft began his cheese business selling door-to-door before it became a grocery store staple. Many businesses offer a unique and personal story, but it’s up to you to use a variety of platforms to convey your history and tell your brand’s tale. Here are some tips to tell your story and grow your business. Don’t Just Scratch The Surface You created your business to help fill a need in the community. It’s not enough for you to simply tell customers what products and services you offer. You must share the real-life reason behind the idea for your business or a new product. Making it personal will help your customers relate and drive sales. Imagine if the owner of Spanx never revealed her desire to look slim in a new dress or Trader Joe’s stopped touting new products in its creative newsletter. Get Up Close And Personal Let your customers see behind your company’s logo. No matter the size of your company, it’s important to allow customers to get an inside look at your employees and daily operations. One only has to look at their television lineup to see the popularity of reality television and the demand for a behind-the-scenes approach. This tactic will help drive sales. Your customers identify with people at their level and appreciate hearing from employees in all positions. Not only does this strategy appeal to customers, but it shows your staff that you value their input. Get Customers Involved Smart brands are already letting their customers tell their story. New technology like GoPros, smartphone apps and social media tools provide businesses with the opportunity to let customers show others how the brand shapes their lives. Companies can rely on social influencers for storytelling by way of contests held online designed to engage customers, for example. Co-creating content is a great way to humanize your brand and provide authenticity. Emphasize How Your Business Promotes Social Change Customers like to know that the brands they support are also doing their part in the community. Whether you are committing a portion of your profits to charitable causes or simply supporting a youth softball league, customers like businesses that promote social change. Make your efforts part of your company’s story. Think About Direct Mail Your company can use a variety of marketing tools to tell its story. In addition to a robust social media presence, you can implement a New Mover Marketing program to introduce your business to new residents. What’s better than introducing your brand through a personalized gift made possible by technology-backed data? This unique marketing avenue tells a clear story to the customer: Your business is tech-savvy, thinks outside the box and cares about new community members. New mover direct mail marketing is a cost-effective way to target your customer demographic and get your message out to the community. Great storytelling is a skill that shouldn’t be overlooked by new business owners, as it’s key in building a loyal customer base that is excited about what you are selling. Following these tips for telling the story of your business through social media, print advertising and email marketing will help your business flourish. Article by Forbes Technology Council Member and President/CEO/CTO of Our Town America, Michael Plummer Jr. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]
Brittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations.
Articles by Brittany N. Johnson:
Modern Restaurant Management — Tap into the lucrative new mover market to build loyal customers and increase profits at your restaurant. Summertime is a busy season for the moving industry. Nearly 40 million people move each year, and more than half of them opt to move during the months of May through September, according to Allied Van Lines, a national moving company. Nearly 60 percent of moves in the United States take place between May and August. The decision to move in the summer is typically sparked by school calendars and favorable weather. Many corporate workers find that their schedules are lighter during the summer months, which gives them more time to unpack boxes and get settled in their new homes. This past year has been a sobering time for restaurants across the country. More than 100,000 eating and drinking establishments closed in 2020, Fortune reported. Following the pandemic outbreak, many restaurants were forced to limit hours and operate on skeleton crews offering curbside pickup and delivery to stay afloat. During this unique time for the restaurant industry, many Americans were packing up their belongings and relocating to be near family or cope with job loss. While some of these moves were temporary, the pandemic helped accelerate existing trends of people leaving big cities to move to the suburbs. As mask mandates and capacity restrictions have been lifted, restaurants can target new movers to help recoup sales lost during this unprecedented time. An online survey conducted by Our Town America revealed 70 percent of people who moved due to the pandemic were open to trying businesses in their new community. What Is New Mover Marketing? New mover marketing connects local businesses with new residents by introducing them to businesses in their area. This is done through direct mail and includes gift certificates with special incentives designed to get people who are new to the area to sample the restaurants near their homes. Top Three Reasons to Try New Mover Marketing If your restaurant is still on the fence about giving new mover marketing a try, here are the top three reasons to try marketing to new residents. Strike First. New mover marketing captures customers before they form loyalties to the competition. New movers are big spenders. Buyers of new homes spend at least $7,400 more during the first two years in their new home than people who don’t move, according to the National Association of Home Builders. While new homeowners are busy painting walls, buying new furniture and scouring stores for accessories, they also need to find dentists, hair salons and their new favorite local pizzeria. Restaurants that welcome new residents to the community with a proven offer often see them turn into regular customers. Target Your Ideal Diner. Every restaurant has a target customer demographic. Fast food establishments vie for customers on the go, while steakhouses choose to reach upscale diners willing to open their wallets and splurge. A new mover marketing program can target your customer demographic by ZIP code to make sure your message reaches your ideal customer. Capitalize on Technology. Innovative technology allows businesses to track results of new mover marketing campaigns, analyze return on investment and gather detailed demographic data in real-time. Some new mover marketing programs even allow clients to validate and scan redemptions at the point of sale. Restaurants can use creative marketing efforts to help rebuild their customer base not only as they recover from the hardships of 2020, but ongoing – as residents moving away is a permanent issue restaurant owners have to combat by adding new customers every month. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]
Implementing a New Mover Marketing plan that converts new movers into loyal customers will allow you to build a loyal customer base and drive profits. Opening a new business is an intimidating and time-consuming process. You have to ready your storefront, hire employees, and ensure your point-of-sale technology is running efficiently. In addition to all of the paperwork and tasks associated with opening, you have to overcome challenging odds. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals 20 percent of businesses fail after their first two years, and 45 percent close up shop after five years. Despite the numbers, entrepreneurs continue to pursue self-sufficiency. Build a Loyal Customer Base As the opening date of your new business draws near, make sure you have a plan to help build loyal customers. Having a marketing plan in place that will help foster devoted customers is central to driving profits. One component of your plan needs to include a New Mover Marketing strategy. Our Town America’s New Mover Marketing program puts your local business in front of new customers who are looking for you. Nearly 31 million Americans moved in 2019, which is approximately 10 percent of the United States population. New residents have not had a chance to form business loyalties in their new community. Targeting this high-value audience will increase redemption rates and get new customers through the doors of your new business. How to Reach New Movers Our Town America, the nation’s premier New Mover Marketing franchise, has helped small businesses convert new residents to loyal customers for 49 years. We send an upscale Welcome Package with exclusive proven offers to new residents on a monthly basis to help you get new customers into your business. Here are four reasons to rely on Our Town America to attract new residents. Mailing Lists that Convert. Each month, Our Town America obtains lists of every individual who has filed some sort of address change in the past 30 days. We filter out any duplicate names and addresses to create a direct mailing list with roughly 95 percent accuracy. Having an accurate mailing list will avoid wasted funds, ensure your business reaches new customers and increase response rates. Combine Latest Technology with Traditional Direct Mail. The average American worker spends five hours per day on email, according to an Adobe study. Overflowing email boxes and Zoom fatigue are prompting Americans to seek out experiences outside of their computer screen. The proven offers in our new mover Welcome Package provide a valuable tactile experience for new residents. Yet, Our Town America stays abreast of the latest technology to make sure you can maximize touchpoints. Tracking Technology. Tracking results is important when it comes to monitoring the success of any marketing program. Our Town America offers our TruTrak® app that can be downloaded to your smartphone for accurate tracking. The mobile app allows your business to validate and scan redemptions at the point of sale or at your leisure. Our app allows you to track your return on investment, gather detailed demographic data of new customers and trigger your second mailing to those first-time customers. Combine Welcome Package and Second Mailing. Our Town America’s clients have the option to trigger a second mailing from the TruTrak® app when new customers redeem their new mover offer from their Welcome Package. The optional second mailing is a custom-designed, full-color postcard mailed to those that have redeemed your gift certificate. The second mailing thanks new movers for stopping by your business and simply invites them back or also provides a secondary offer to increase the chances of them becoming a lifelong loyal customer. To learn more about how Our Town America’s New Mover Marketing plan can help your emerging business, visit ourtownamerica.com. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]
Our Town America’s New Mover Marketing program is one of the most effective and efficient ways for your small business to attract new customers in the lucrative demographic known as the baby boomers. As baby boomers retire, many are packing up their belongings and moving to new towns to be near their grandkids. At least 25 percent of this demographic plans to move near their children when they retire, according to a report from Meyers Research. Some of the top markets targeted by baby boomers are Texas, North Carolina, and Tennessee. The outbreak of the pandemic last year helped fuel the moving trend. The pandemic isolated the elderly and forced them to make tough decisions about their future. Many boomers made the decision to move closer to their grandchildren to help with remote schooling and childcare. Despite the end of the pandemic being near, many baby boomers plan to stay near their families, The Wall Street Journal reported. Baby boomers are big spenders, and businesses that successfully corner this demographic flourish. Baby boomers range from 55 to 73 years old and peaked at a population of 78.8 million in 1999. They remained the largest living adult generation until 2019 when they were surpassed by millennials, according to Pew Research. Despite being outnumbered by millennials, baby boomers are still a force to be reckoned with when it comes to spending as they represent a 33 percent share of aggregate spending by 2025! Essential Businesses for Baby Boomers on the Move After locating the post office and closest grocery store, there are a number of businesses new residents need as soon as they get settled. When baby boomers relocate to new homes, here are five essential businesses they look for as soon as they settle in. Home Services. After unpacking boxes and settling into their new residence, baby boomers will rely on various home service providers to help turn their new house into a home. In addition to installing an alarm system, they likely will need to secure a reliable handyman, home cleaning service, landscaper, pest control company and more. Medical Needs. Arriving in a new city requires finding a new doctor, dentist, and pharmacy. While baby boomers are living longer than previous generations, they are also experiencing higher rates of obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension. Baby boomers are health conscious and proactive in their medical care, according to the AMA Journal of Ethics. As a result, finding the right providers will be top of mind for baby boomers when they move to a new city. Personal Care and Fitness. Part of moving to a new community is finding a reliable hair and nail stylist, as well as a favorite clothing store. Baby boomers are active community members who are on the lookout for a fitness center that will help them stay in shape to keep up with their grandkids. Baby boomers were one of the first generations to embrace exercise. They flocked to group exercise classes to take after their generation’s fitness “influencer” (aka. #fitspo), Jane Fonda. The Centers for Disease Control recommends people 65 and older get 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week, as well as two days’ worth of muscle-strengthening activity. Fitness centers help baby boomers meet these fitness goals. Pet Care. Pet ownership continues to be on the rise. Baby boomers spend $34.4 billion on their pets annually, according to Pet Food Processing magazine. Moving to a new town requires finding the right veterinarian, pet food supply store and kennel to provide the best care for their four-legged family members. Fun. Baby boomers will make socializing and seeing all their town has to offer a top priority. They want to spend time with their grandkids, but they also want to enjoy their retirement. It’s a great time for restaurants and local entertainment venues to turn these new residents into loyal customers. New Mover Marketing Attracts Boomers It’s time to make New Mover Marketing a priority. Our Town America has spent the last 49 years helping small businesses connect with new residents by using up-to-date lists and proven offers to turn them into loyal customers. Our Town America sends new residents a Welcome Package that is personalized and well-designed shortly after they settle into their new home. It’s filled with category-exclusive offers to entice baby boomers to visit your local business. As an added bonus, tracking your return on investment is at your fingertips at all times when you’re partnered with Our Town America. Our TruTrak™ app also allows you to gather customer demographic information and trigger a second mailing to people who redeemed their first offer. Our Town American can help your business target baby boomers as they move to your community. For more information about New Mover Marketing, visit www.ourtownamerica.com. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]
Forbes — As businesses adapt to consumer shopping habits in the post-pandemic world, it’s important to evolve your direct mail marketing strategy to stay relevant and ensure your direct mail list converts. Last year saw the rise of teleconferencing, remote working, binge-watching and grocery delivery across the globe. Even before the pandemic hit, the average American worker spent five hours per day on email, according to an Adobe study. While the rollout of the vaccine and dropping Covid-19 numbers are fueling consumer confidence, many Americans expect to continue to telework, and at least 26.7% of the workforce will be fully remote by the end of 2021, according to an Upwork survey of more than 1,000 hiring managers and chief executives. By 2025, 36.2 million Americans will be working remotely, an increase of 16.8 million people from pre-pandemic rates. As our digital footprint hits overdrive and Zoom fatigue kicks in, Americans are craving experiences outside of their computer screens. Email inboxes are overflowing, and people are growing numb to online ads. Direct mail marketing continues to deliver a personal and tangible alternative for customers suffering from screen overload, which will be more important than ever as the country slowly returns to normal. It allows small businesses to reach customers in their community at home, where they spend their time, providing a physical touchpoint of their message. As technology continues to innovate, direct mail marketing is evolving to provide businesses with real-time marketing analytics to help improve targeting and cut marketing costs. Direct mail can also include unique codes or barcodes to track individual responses to your mailings. Combine Accurate Direct Mail Lists With Technology Enhancements Small businesses can leverage their direct mail lists by taking advantage of digital enhancements. The USPS developed a unique feature for your direct mail postcard. Informed Delivery allows residents to get a copy of their direct mail piece in their email inbox before it arrives in their physical mailbox. Marketers can capitalize on this trend by including unique links in the message or videos about the deal. Voice activation technology allows businesses to use their smart speakers, like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, to respond to advertising offers. Focus On Sensory Experience Direct mail marketing allows businesses to focus on the sensory experience of their customers. Sensory marketing plays a major role in buying decisions, as it can help strengthen B2C connections. Both vision and touch are key senses that influence product perception, according to a report by IE University in Spain. Your direct mail marketing message can stand out and engage customers by offering an offline sensory experience in our increasingly digital world. Direct mail messages can further stand out by including increased personalization and physical touches like foiling, embossing and even scent. For example, my company provides an enhanced sensory experience for new residents in the community. We send an upscale, ribbed texture welcome package filled with oversized colorful proven offers from local businesses. Our businesses appreciate the high-quality design, and new movers receive a tangible offer giving them the opportunity to engage with new brands. Stumbling Blocks To Direct Mail Marketing While it’s clear direct mail is an important tool in your marketing arsenal, it’s important to remember that it’s not foolproof. Still, the high return on investment that a direct mail marketing campaign can bring makes these stumbling blocks worth conquering. Here are some of the most common hurdles businesses encounter and how to fix them: • Frequency. Determining the frequency of mailings is difficult to attain. Send out a postcard too often, and customers will cast them aside. Splitting up your list and sending postcards at different frequencies can help ensure you avoid saturation and find that sweet spot. Sending to a new, niche audience each time can also help with this. • Up-to-date lists. It’s also important to keep your mailing lists up to date. USPS can validate the addresses in your database to make sure they’re current. Routinely doing a database validation can help make your campaign more effective and could increase returns. If you’re working with a company that provides a mailing list, check with it to determine list accuracy. • Going over budget. Make sure your direct mail marketing campaign generates results. Overspending your marketing budget isn’t an option. Many providers offer apps to track the success of your campaign while also providing detailed demographic data to help streamline your next mailing. As Americans continue to weather the pandemic, reaching them at home with direct mail marketing can provide a solid return on investment for your business and a welcome respite from the digital overload. Article by Forbes Technology Council Member and President/CEO/CTO of Our Town America, Michael Plummer Jr. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]
Dentistry Today — As dentistry offices slowly reopened their doors after closing during the initial days of the pandemic, many relied on direct mail marketing to help recoup losses and maintain customer relationships. The outbreak of COVID-19 sent a shockwave through the healthcare industry. While hospitals were grappling with sick patients, other healthcare professionals were forced to close shop to help flatten the curve. At the end of March 2020, nearly 95% of private dental practices were closed or only seeing patients with an emergency issue, the ADA reported. After adopting new safety precautions, dental offices were able to reopen and resume servicing their local community. Many offices employed a variety of direct mail marketing strategies to help reassure existing patients and add new patients to their rosters. Direct mail marketing also helped them maintain customer relationships when people were nervous about scheduling in-person visits. Here are just a few direct mail marketing strategies implemented by dental offices during the pandemic. Remind Patients of the Importance of Regular Visits Many patients canceled appointments or neglected to schedule a visit during the early days of the pandemic. The World Health Organization reported that oral health services were among the most affected essential health services because of COVID-19, with 77% of countries reporting partial or complete disruption. Regular dental care not only keeps teeth and gums healthy, but dentists are often the first line of defense against serious health issues, like oral cancer and bone loss. To encourage patients to reschedule missed dental appointments, dental offices sent direct mail postcards to their current lineup of patients to remind them about the importance of preventive dental care. Alert Patients to New Safety Protocols Despite being dubbed high risk, fewer than 1% of dentists nationwide were found to be COVID-19 positive, according to data collected by the ADA. These figures indicate that the rigorous safety practices implemented by dental offices across the country were successful in keeping both their employees and patients safe. Some of the new guidelines include screening patients for COVID-19 symptoms by taking their temperature, installing plastic barriers in the reception area, and requiring dental hygienists and dentists to wear proper protective gear, including face shields. To make patients feel safe at the dentist, many offices used direct mail marketing to promote their new safety procedures. Understanding the precautions dental offices were taking helped to reassure patients and prompted them to reschedule missed appointments. Offer Add-On Deals or Discounts To help recoup lost revenue, some dental practices decided to offer special deals, like a discount on tooth whitening for patients who come in for a cleaning. Dentists used direct mail marketing to blanket the local community with their special offers in an effort to increase foot traffic. Postcards are easy for customers to handle and provide a tangible tool to increase volume of appointments. Many dentists turn to postcards when looking to promote a special deal, especially when the direct mail postcard company offers the mailing with no long-term commitment. Tout New Online Services During the pandemic, some dentists implemented telehealth services as an option for patients unwilling or unable to visit the office in person. Teledentistry can be used for monitoring, like retainer checks, as well as providing education and screening for emergency care. Direct mail marketing has been an important tool to alert people about teledentistry services during the pandemic. At the same time, dentistry offices used direct mail marketing to encourage patients to follow their practice’s social media pages for important urgent updates. New Mover Marketing Helps Add New Patients As the vaccine rolls out across the country and COVID-19 numbers drop, dentists will benefit from continuing to use direct mail marketing as a component of their marketing strategy. While nearly 60% of private dental practices are currently open and operating as usual, 41% are still seeing a lower volume of patients than normal, the ADA reports. One effective direct mail marketing strategy that dental offices can implement to bolster patient counts is new mover marketing, which provides a proven offer to new residents before they establish loyalties to other providers. It’s an easy and effective method for dentistry offices to increase patient counts during this unique time as each month advertises to a brand new audience. Dental offices can work with their local new mover consultant to decide on their one-time-use housewarming offer. This turkey program allows practices to set it and forget it, so they can focus on servicing clients and fostering customer relationships. Direct mail marketing helps dentistry offices maintain relationships with current patients and add new patients as they continue to navigate this challenging season. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]
Whether you’re reevaluating your successful hair salon’s marketing strategy or you’re preparing to open the doors of your new salon, this serves as a guide to help your establishment flourish and build a loyal client base. Upon opening your salon, you signed a lease on a high-traffic location and purchased all the necessary equipment. In addition to hiring superior stylists, you obtained all of the proper licenses you need to start working on clients. Yet, there is one last box you need to tick before opening the doors of your new business. You need clients. Even if you’re already established, attracting new clients is key to a thriving business. The best way to build your client base is through a marketing initiative designed to get the word out about your hair salon and encourage people to book their appointments with you. One of the first places to start is with residents who are new to your area. After unpacking the moving van and hanging pictures in their new homes, one of the main services many new movers struggle to find is a hair stylist to help tame their locks or prevent their natural root color from showing. Women in the United States will spend up to $55,000 on hair care during their lifetime. The U.S. hair care services industry includes more than 80,000 establishments, with a combined annual revenue of about $20 billion. In the competitive hair care industry, finding new clients can be a challenge for any salon. For your salon to capture some of those dollars, you’ll need to take steps to get clients through the doors. New Mover Marketing Helps Salons Gain New Clients Our Town America’s New Mover Marketing program delivers exclusive hair salon gift certificates right to the mailbox of potential clients who are new to the area. For decades, our Welcome Package has been market-tested to attract new clients and is proven to get high response rates – with a common response rate of 8 percent. Our proven offers for hair salons and barbershops will help get new residents into your salon before they establish loyalties to your competitors. Our new mover lists contain demographic data that enable you to target your salon’s ideal clients every month. We also can send a secondary follow-up mailing after clients visit your salon to fuel retention. Many hair salons who take advantage of the Our Town America New Mover Marketing program say it’s a great way for them to meet new residents and introduce them to their salon they are so proud of. Moving can be a stressful time as new movers have to find a new dentist, new doctor, new hair place, etc. It can be very challenging to find welcoming businesses who make you feel comfortable, but according to tens of thousands of new movers who complete our New Mover Survey, our Welcome Package helps take the guesswork out of that challenge – alleviating stress. In addition to helping new residents adjust to their new location, Our Town America’s Welcome Package provides salon owners with the ability to track results to ensure you are getting the most bang for your buck. You can download our TruTrak® app directly to your smartphone to validate and scan redemptions and analyze demographic data to streamline your supplemental marketing efforts. Turn New Movers Into Loyal Clients New Mover Marketing will get clients to visit your business, but it’s up to you to keep them coming back for their next hair trim, cut or color. Our Town America has some tips to help pamper your guests and convert new residents to loyal clients. Welcome Clients. As a client enters your salon, make sure they are greeted warmly. Your receptionist is the client’s first introduction to your salon and should make a good impression. Be sure your receptionist is aware of the New Mover Program and, ideally, greats the new mover by the name on the gift certificate. These small details can go a long way in making a new client feel comfortable. It’s also important to make sure your salon waiting area is comfortable and well-maintained. On Time and Relaxed Stylists. The hairstylists at your salon need to be relaxed and on time. People do not like to be rushed when it comes to their hair and stylists need to value clients’ time by not running behind schedule. It’s also important for them to display confidence and expertise when discussing style options with clients. People place high value on a good cut and want to feel confident their stylist can get the job done. Schedule Future Appointments. Before your clients pay their bill, give them the option of scheduling another appointment. Having a future appointment already on the calendar will help ensure the client returns and will take one thing off your busy client’s to-do list. Celebrate Existing Clients. Many hair salons offer deals to new clients, but it’s important to not forget about your loyal clients. Sending birthday deals and thank you cards will help set your salon apart from competitors and show you appreciate your clients. Our Town America can help make your new salon thrive and serve as a gathering place for new residents in the community. For more information about New Mover Marketing, visit www.ourtownamerica.com. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]
CBS 58 Milwaukee — Since January 2021, Southeast Wisconsin has welcomed more than 10,000 new movers to the area, with many of them taking advantage of permanent remote work within the city. Milwaukee is even being called a “Zoom Town” as people move from big cities with plans to keep their high-paying jobs while enjoying a more affordable cost of living by simply joining meetings virtually. According to Discover Milwaukee, southeast Wisconsin offers urban living alongside a Midwest ambiance providing an ideal work-life balance. Short commute times to the city, diverse and affordable neighborhoods, below-average cost of living and a well-respected education system also attract new movers to the area. With inbound migration at 50%, Wisconsin is one of the most popular destinations for new movers during the pandemic, as found by United Van Lines. The local economy — including local businesses, schools and the housing market — will be effected from the influx of new residents moving to Southeast Wisconsin. Allen Busse of Our Town America of Wisconsin has closely monitored moving trends for the past 15 years. As the local Wisconsin franchise owner of the #1 Advertising & Sales Franchise in the country specializing in New Mover Marketing, Busse witnesses just how many people are moving to town on a monthly basis. For business owners looking to increase their bottom line, the new mover market is a “secret jackpot”, says Busse. Busse strongly encourages both businesses who are struggling to survive as well as businesses who are doing fine, to invest in New Mover Marketing to attract new customers and replace the customers who have been lost by a recent move, or a change in commute path, etc. Busse claims that, “after 15 years, it still amazes me just how many new customers my partnered businesses acquire by simply enrolling in our program”. “You have to think,” he says, “you’re reaching a brand new audience of impressionable people each month who are actively seeking these businesses and services. As a business owner, it’s a no-brainer.” To hear Busse’s take on moving trends and how he helps his local economy through his business, click below to watch the full interview with CBS 58 Milwaukee. — Our Town America supports small businesses across the nation by welcoming new movers to town and bringing those new customers through your business doors. If you’re a Southeast Wisconsin local business looking to reach new or current customers, contact Allen Busse at 262-650-1906. If your business is located outside Southeast Wisconsin, contact Our Town America corporate at 1-800-497-8360 to be connected with your local representative. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]
Franchising.com — Our Town America is celebrating its 49th year of helping local businesses create and maintain relationships with customers who are new to the area. Since 1972, Our Town America has been welcoming new movers with one-time gifts, inviting them to sample neighborhood businesses upon move in. This unique model has helped local establishments across the nation grow loyal customer bases while allowing Our Town America to thrive for nearly five decades. “My Dad started the company while running his retail business,” said Michael Plummer Jr., Our Town America’s President/CEO. “He had a simple idea, and it worked really well. We are still using that simple, yet powerful idea today – with some added bells & whistles to tie-in technology, which has only made our program that much stronger. Even with all of the marketing options available in 2021, welcoming new residents with a kind gesture continues to be extremely effective.” Over the years, Our Town America evolved into a data-driven company using the latest technology available to help small business owners target specific geographic areas, interests, or even income levels. This creates a high return on investment for local shops, restaurants and other businesses looking to maximize their budgets. And for those small businesses who just don’t have a large marketing budget, Our Town America built the Budget Billing program to allow them to spend within their means by capping their monthly invoice. The company has also integrated multiple smartphone apps, such as TruTrak®, which gives partnered businesses access to data showing just how effective the marketing campaign is in real-time and even provides the ability to trigger a second mailing to really seal the deal. Their other mobile apps cater to the consumer and the Our Town America franchise owner. Really, the franchise has thought of each person the brand works with on a daily basis and has made life simpler through technology. That being said, it’s not surprising that Our Town America is a recession-resistant company that’s weathered two major economic downturns in the last 15 years. The company’s recent success earned it recognition from Franchise Business Review as a Top Recession-Proof Franchise, and as the #1 Advertising & Sales Franchise in the U.S. Our Town America is also consistently honored as a Top Low-Cost Franchise, Top Franchise for Women, and a Top Culture Franchise. “I’m proud of this company we’ve not only built, but enhanced over the last 49 years,” said Plummer. “This is a strong and resilient model, and our franchisees benefit from a proven system that generates results.” Our Town America is excited about the future and the chance to continue to innovate and take advantage of new technologies while staying true to the model that’s led to decades of success. Source: Franchising.com Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]
The pandemic has changed the way many American consumers operate in their daily lives, but Our Town America is here to help your small business evolve your marketing strategy to meet them where they’re at and effectively bolster sales in 2021 and beyond. Following the outbreak of the pandemic, businesses were forced to adapt to new ways of operating. Notably, restaurants expanded or implemented curbside pickup and free delivery. Car dealerships offered virtual selling and home-delivery of new cars. Many retail businesses moved to contactless purchasing and online sales to ensure customer safety. During this time, small businesses focused much of their marketing efforts on these changes. Now, as COVID-19 numbers continue to fall, it’s a great time to take a close look at your marketing strategy to fully take advantage of a society that is ready to get back out into the world. Our Town America is the nation’s premier New Mover Direct Mail Marketing company and is available to help your small business achieve high return from your marketing efforts. Here are some simple marketing strategies to employ in the post-pandemic economy. Capitalize on the ‘new mover’ market. 2020 caused people to reevaluate what is important and many chose to use the time to move to a new home. More time spent at home means more opportunity to enjoy the backyard, so some people moved to get a bigger yard. More people cooking at home means the realization that a bigger kitchen is needed. Others were awarded the ability to work remotely long-term, granting many people the opportunity of a lifetime to finally move to a new city or state yet keep their current job. Whatever the reason, people were moving – and still are. The U.S. Postal Service reports more than 30 million change-of-address forms were sent in last year. This surge of new residents is a perfect opportunity to attract additional customers to your business. Our Town America specializes in targeting this unique population. Our New Mover Marketing Program is much like the game of chess as it allows you business to be a step ahead of your competitors. It’s the perfect way to get new residents to try your business before they establish new habits and form loyalties to other businesses. Our Welcome Package includes a one-time housewarming gift for new movers which gives them the incentive to visit your business. This method allows you to reach a new audience each month and gradually add to your customer base. Pick strategies that generate results. Every small business owner knows they shouldn’t put all of their eggs in one basket. While utilizing e-mail marketing and social media to engage consumers can be effective, it’s important to add in tried-and-true advertising strategies to build your customer base. For most small businesses, radio and tv ads are a bit over budget. So, what other avenues are there to explore? Direct mail is an extremely successful, proven form of advertising. A recent survey from the U.S. Postal Service showed 54 percent of those surveyed tried a new product or business within a 6-month period of receiving a piece of mail. Our Town America can help you get started with this process. We offer multiple options to help you reach your marketing goals, and each can target different audiences. Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM®), commonly referred to as Saturation Postcards, can help you reach potential customers in the neighborhood near your business, customers with a median income or other designations. No mailing list needed for this option. You simply choose the areas you wish to mail to. Another option is to personalize your message to target an audience based on your own specific criteria. This option is best known as Targeted Postcards as you can mail to pet owners or families with children, for example. Our Town America allows you to choose your delivery schedule and fully customize your direct mail experience. You can also mail out birthday mailers or, as mentioned earlier, mail to new movers in your area – but the second time around do it with a postcard. Really, the options are endless and each has a different objective. Our Town America helps pinpoint which option is best for you depending on your business needs. If you’re ready to learn how New Mover Marketing or our other direct mail options can help your small business thrive in the post-pandemic world, visit Our Town America. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]
