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Tag: direct mail

5 Direct Mail Advertising Examples for Your Restaurant

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Quick Service Restaurants Use Our Town America for Marketing

QSR Magazine — Direct mail marketing is a proven method to help gain customers at quick-service restaurants. It provides a tangible method for reaching both loyal customers and potential diners. Internet data privacy concerns and countless pop-up ads are just a couple of the many reasons direct mail is still very relevant in our digital world.  Direct mail can be personalized to increase its appeal and demands attention due to its tangible nature and sporadic delivery. More than four out of five Americans trust print ads in newspapers and magazines, while 80 percent trust television ads, Marketing Sherpa reported. At the time of the study, online pop-up ads were only trusted by 24 percent of Americans. Many Americans are paying more attention to advertisements that offer promotions and deals than in pre-COVID times, according to a survey of 1,000 United States consumers conducted by Valassis, a marketing technology company. The pandemic solidified direct mail marketing’s place as an essential advertising strategy for restaurant operators. While safety concerns were at the forefront of Americans’ minds last year, it didn’t stop people from visiting restaurants. Quick-service chains were in the spotlight as many Americans turned to takeout and delivery options. Approximately 52 percent of Americans tried a new restaurant in the past year, Valassis reported. Reaching Americans by direct mail marketing at home, where they are spending most of their time, provides a reliable return on investment and will help restaurant chains retain market share. Here are five ways to add loyal customers to your restaurant using direct mail marketing: 1. Grand Opening or Special Promotion Postcard Direct mail makes it simple to target your customer demographic when you want to promote your restaurant’s grand opening or tell residents about your specials. Using direct mail to spread the word about the debut of your new restaurant will generate buzz and profits as soon as you open your doors. Saturation Postcards allow you to target customers based on neighborhood, distance from your restaurant, median household income, and median age. The United States Postal Service’s Every Door Direct Mail tool, facilitated by Our Town America’s Postcard Marketing program, allows your campaign to reach your target demographic. 2. Perforated Postcard for Loyalty Program Loyalty programs are a tried-and-true method for rewarding devoted customers. Innovations in direct mail allow you to send customers a postcard featuring a detachable perforated loyalty or membership card. Simply select a demographic or group of prospects, rather than mailing to an entire neighborhood or carrier route, to make your loyal customers feel special. As a bonus, postcards can be addressed individually by name giving your campaign a better chance of success. 3. Birthday Postcard People love getting birthday wishes; show your customers you care by helping them celebrate their birthday.  Americans purchase approximately 6.5 million birthday cards each year, according to the Greeting Card Association, the U.S. trade association serving the greeting card and social expression industry. Highlighting a customer’s special day can help strengthen customer loyalty and give them a nice birthday surprise. 4. New Mover Gift Certificate My company specializes in providing one-time use, no-strings-attached welcome gifts to new residents. Our Welcome Package is attractive and perceived as hospitality rather than advertising. It is filled with proven offers designed to capture new residents before they form loyalties to your competitor restaurants. New movers appreciate the free offer when they are busy unpacking and spending their money turning their house into a home. 5. Thank You Postcard After a new mover redeems their new mover gift certificate, restaurants are able to send a thank you postcard with an optional secondary offer. First-time customers are impressed that you knew they visited your restaurant and took the time to thank them for their business. Our Town America’s new mover marketing program can automatically send that thank you postcard mailing once that initial gift certificate is redeemed. To reach new customers and drive sales, make sure these unique direct mail marketing techniques are part of your quick-service restaurant’s advertising strategy. 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. […]

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4 Business Mistakes That Can Cost You New Customers

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Four Mistakes That Cost Businesses New Customers Our Town America Marketing

Forbes Technology Council — In order to gain new customers, businesses need to combine a solid marketing strategy with a memorable customer experience. As a specialist in new mover marketing, my company offers businesses an important tool to get new residents into their locations. Our new mover marketing program mails new movers a welcome package with proven offers to local businesses. The upscale gift encourages customers to visit businesses in their community before they form loyalties with competitors. While we specialize in getting customers in the door, the rest is up to the business. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to see businesses excel at capturing new customers, and I’ve witnessed some that failed to hit the mark. Here are four common mistakes that can cost your business new customers. 1. Failing to develop a unique selling proposition.  You opened your doors to offer customers a service they couldn’t obtain at other establishments. Whether it’s your family’s secret pizza recipe or your skill at providing a top-notch cut and color, your business has something that makes it stand out from the crowd. It’s important to develop and market your unique selling proposition (USP) to gain a loyal following. In addition to providing stellar service, your customers need a clear picture of why they need to become repeat visitors. In our digital world, customers have the opportunity to research businesses online to help decide where they are going to shop. Having a USP can allow your business to shine. To develop your business’s USP, spend time taking a deep dive into the competition and determine your target customer demographic. Your USP should focus on what customers value and should offer a solution they can’t dismiss. It should help put your business on the shortlist when people are deciding where to shop. 2. Making a bad first impression. Customer service is key for any small business trying to build a loyal customer base. If a new customer comes into your business and doesn’t feel welcome, it’s game over. Proper employee training is key to ensuring your customer service is top-notch. It’s vital that your employees listen to customer concerns and for you to give them the tools to handle problems. Many companies across the country are having difficulties finding workers to fill roles. Offering performance-based incentives and a positive work environment are proving to be effective tools for keeping employees satisfied on the job and maximizing profits in the long run. 3. Neglecting your online presence.  There are more than 294 million smartphone users in the United States. Americans spend an average of four to six hours per day on their smartphones, according to a survey published by Statista. Businesses need to make sure their websites provide current information. Failing to update your website with the correct hours, menus or services can be a detrimental mistake for small businesses. Thankfully, the majority of what needs to be kept current is able to be updated via smartphone by either the small business owner or a dedicated employee skilled in digital marketing. In addition to staying on top of your website, small businesses need to employ a social media strategy. At least 68% of adults are active Facebook users, and 72% of U.S. adults use some form of social media, according to a report by the Pew Research Center. More than half of users check their social media accounts at least once per day. Engaging customers on social media should keep your business top of mind. 4. Forgetting to market to loyal customers.  In the rush to find new customers, many small businesses neglect marketing to their existing, loyal customers. A survey referenced by the Small Business Administration revealed that marketers only spend 21% of their budget marketing to existing customers. With numbers like that, it’s no wonder customers may feel neglected. It’s essential to analyze your customer data to create a marketing plan that encourages customers to become repeat visitors. For example, my New Mover Marketing company designed its program to offer customers a second incentive after they visit a small business. The second mailing reminds new residents about the business and encourages them to return. Loyal customers admire companies that listen to their reviews and provide innovative solutions that deliver value over time. Businesses can remedy this problem by offering special events and sales for existing programs and allowing existing customers to weigh in on new items or services you are considering launching. Avoiding mistakes that prevent you from turning new customers into loyal patrons can help your business flourish and profits climb. 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. […]

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How Great Storytelling Makes Your Business Stand Out

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Storytelling in Business Marketing Our Town America

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. […]

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How Restaurants Can Capitalize on New Movers to Find Loyal Customers

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Restaurants Capitalize on New Movers

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. […]

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Why Direct Mail Still Works In A Digital World

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Direct Mail in a Digital World - It Still Works

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. […]

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New Mover Marketing Helps Restaurants Reach Potential Guests

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Eateries Reach New Customers with New Mover Marketing

Modern Restaurant Management — This year could be a strong one for restaurants as people relocate to new cities across the country in search of a change of scenery and a quieter life. Experts predict home sales will continue to skyrocket in 2021 as Zillow forecasts this year to be the best year for home sales since 2005, with 6.9 million homes expected to sell by year-end.  The spike in remote working last year untethered people from their corporate offices and prompted many people to relocate. Restaurants can take advantage of this moving trend by implementing marketing strategies that help build lasting relationships with customers. How Do I Form Relationships with New Residents? The moving surge provides an avenue for restaurants to increase their customer base. New Mover Marketing helps restaurants capitalize on the housing boom by building relationships with new residents in their community. Restaurants can welcome new residents by participating in a one-time-use housewarming gift filled with offers on behalf of local businesses in the community. Inviting new residents to eat at your restaurant with a proven offer encourages them to become regular customers before they have a chance to form loyalties to other establishments. This is an impressionable time for consumers, and thankfully for those businesses that capitalize on it — new movers spend more money than established residents as they are working to turn their new house into a home. New Mover Marketing allows you to make a great first impression and marks the beginning of a lasting relationship. With some New Mover Marketing companies, restaurants can even track their ROI when new movers redeem their offer. New Mover Marketing Captures Customers Online One of the best ways to form long-lasting relationships with customers is to reach them where they spend their time. At least 37 percent of customers have three or more mobile phones at home, according to a survey of 2,000 people conducted by SAS Institute, a multinational developer of analytics software. Potential customers surf the web and many spend time on social media each day. The Informed Delivery® service offered by the United States Postal Service offers an integrated marketing approach to meet current consumer demand by allowing people to see their mail on their smartphones before it is delivered to their mailbox. Combining New Mover Marketing and Informed Delivery gives restaurants multiple touchpoints for their message. It lets businesses generate online buzz and still reach new movers with the tactile experience of physical mail. It also provides ways to bolster your online presence, too. Businesses can add ride-along content at an additional cost to spark interest. The ride-along content is in color and includes a link, which can be used to drive traffic to your social media accounts. It also allows restaurants to entice customers with videos to tell people about specials, or about the welcome package that will be arriving in their mailbox from your new mover marketing campaign. As Covid-19 numbers continue to drop, the outlook for foodservice is trending up and customers are excited to return to dining rooms, especially as they get to know the restaurants in their new cities. The International Franchise Association predicts increased consumer savings, as well as the rollout of the vaccine and a government aid package helping erase last year’s losses. Franchising is projected to open more than 26,000 locations and add nearly 800,000 new jobs in 2021. Eating and drinking establishments added 285,900 jobs in February on a seasonally-adjusted basis, according to preliminary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the National Restaurant Association reported. New Mover Marketing can bring new residents who are eager to start dining out again to your restaurant, but the rest is up to you. The key to building long-lasting relationships with customers is to serve high-quality, consistent cuisine that is of good value. If those standards are met when new movers are brought into your restaurant via New Mover Marketing, you’re already on your way to forming loyal, long-term relationships with the customers in your community.   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. […]

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What’s the Best Way to Market to New Homeowners?

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Best Way to Market to New Homeowners

As Americans abandon densely populated cities in droves to find work-life balance and be close to family, small businesses can capitalize on this trend by tapping into the new homeowner market. The spike in the number of companies allowing people to work remotely untethered people from their corporate offices and allowed them to throw a dart at the map to find their ideal hometown. More than 15.9 million Americans filed change of address requests with the United States Postal Service from February to July. The results indicate address changes were up four percent, versus the same period in 2019. Temporary relocations rose 27 percent, and permanent moves went up two percent.  New Homeowners Can Become Loyal Customers The surge in new movers (both homeowners and renters) provides a great opportunity for small businesses searching for strategies to add new customers. Our Town America is the leader in marketing to new residents. Our new mover marketing program puts your business in front of customers who have not yet formed loyalties with other businesses. We greet new movers with a welcome package full of hand-selected proven offers with industry-leading response rates to generate foot traffic to your business.  Where Are the New Homeowners? Current events sparked an exodus from some hot spots, but moving trends continued to follow predictable patterns. Traditionally, big cities often record high moving rates as people outgrow the hustle and bustle of city life, or it becomes cost-prohibitive. New York saw a 48 percent jump in people abandoning the city that never sleeps, compared with the same period the previous year. People also left Chicago and some larger California cities following the outbreak of the pandemic. The trend to move south and west continued in 2020 as people opted to relocate to Idaho, South Carolina, Oregon, South Dakota and Arizona.  Our Town America understands moving trends. We have more than 48 years of experience creating new mover mailings that will generate a return on investment for your small business. We compile accurate new mover mailing lists using technology and data experience. Our lists are current and contain mailing information for potential customers who recently moved to your community. Every month, Our Town America receives new movers lists from multiple sources which consists of individuals who have filed some sort of address change in the past 30 days. We take that information and filter out any duplicate names and addresses to create a direct mailing list that is about 95 percent accurate. As an added bonus, our lists are built to target your customer demographic. “Our Town America can help you capitalize on moving trends by focusing your marketing efforts on new movers – both new homeowners and renters,” said Michael Plummer Jr., Our Town America’s President and Chief Executive.  Top Reasons New Homeowners Relocate People make the decision to move for a variety of different reasons, mainly involving a new job or affordable housing. Understanding the motivation behind moving trends in your area can help when it comes to crafting a proven offer for our welcome package. For example, if people are moving because of a job loss, providing a generous proven offer to get them in the door is likely the way to go. With decades of experience and data, we are here to help you craft the perfect proven offer for your one-time housewarming gift.  Current events posed an additional reason for relocating in 2020. Nearly 59 percent of people who moved last year cited a desire to be closer to family. Nearly one in five people moved, or know someone who moved, due to the pandemic. In addition to wanting to be closer to family, those who moved because of COVID-19 did so due to concerns for personal and family health and wellbeing, ability to work remotely, or a lifestyle change or improvement of quality of life. We’re here to help you reach out to new homeowners in your area and turn them into new customers. For more information about new mover marketing and our new mover lists, visit www.ourtownamerica.com today. 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. […]

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How to Build a Direct Mailing List that Converts

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
How to Build a Direct Mailing List That Converts Our Town America

An accurate direct mailing list is very important if you want to effectively market your company to both potential and current customers. In the age where digital advertising is very prevalent, studies show direct mail can give your company a distinct and meaningful competitive advantage. In 2019, the U.S. Postal Service teamed up with Temple University to prove this. The study found that printed ads, like direct mail postcards or letters, are the best way to create an emotional connection with a customer. There are various options available for business owners who are looking for an accurate and effective direct mailing list, and they each offer different things.  The first, and cheapest, is to build a list yourself. This is done manually by plugging in the address of your business and choosing area routes, streets, and blocks to target. Putting together this type of direct mailing list is challenging and time consuming, and you also have to consider additional costs involved from start to finish including design, print and postage. The most common way of acquiring an accurate direct mailing list is to purchase one from a company that specializes in them. These companies use data to create lists that can target different ages, purchase preferences and even professions. Figuring out the right target audience for your specific business is often a challenge. However, targeting people who have recently moved to a new home is a great way to narrow down your direct mailing list. This method gets your business in front of people who are looking for their new go-to stores, restaurants, hair salons, dentists, etc. near their new homes – a critical target audience for any business hoping to create loyal, long term relationships with customers Our Town America uses a new mover mailing list backed by decades of data that saves businesses time and money. Our associated new mover program takes the guess work out of direct mail and reaches those people who are new to town before they establish a connection with any of your competitors. Our Town America’s new mover direct mail lists are incredibly accurate, making the process more efficient and cost effective. For example, each month, Our Town America gets lists of every individual who has filed some sort of address change in the past 30 days. Our Town America then takes that list and filters out any duplicate names and addresses creating a direct mailing list that is about 95 percent accurate. While mailing lists are never perfect, Our Town America works to make sure its new mover mailing list is as precise as possible, eliminating wasteful spending. Our Town America doesn’t stop once the list is complete. The new mover program includes designing, printing, and shipping each direct mail piece. This amounts to a stress-free process for any busy business owner who doesn’t have the time to stick labels and stamps on hundreds of postcards, or the expertise to design those postcards. Direct mailing lists can be an excellent way for a business of any size to attract new customers and build brand loyalty. Our Town America’s direct mail marketing program is THE all-inclusive program that gets results for businesses while saving valuable time and money. Are you ready to stop wasting time and money on self-starter direct mail marketing campaigns so you have more time to spend on running your business and building meaningful relationships?   We’re here to help at Our Town America.  For more information, visit ourtownamerica.com today. 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. […]

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Gain New Customers Amidst the Pandemic by Marketing to this Audience

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Gain New Customers by Marketing to this Audience

New Mover Marketing offers small businesses a targeted marketing strategy guaranteed to produce new customers during this unprecedented time. A survey of 450 marketing gurus following the outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States revealed 42 percent of participants deemed budget cuts a significant challenge, according to LinkedIn and Vision Critical, a customer insights provider. At least 76 percent of respondents were forced to shift marketing priorities, and 34 percent were working to change their target audience. If these grim advertising statistics hit home, you are not alone. Small business owners across the country are coping with the realities of operating in a pandemic economy. This year prompted them to adapt their business models and learn to stay afloat with less — decreased operating hours, capacity limits, employee shortages and lower sales. While small businesses slowly recover, and the light at the end of the tunnel gets brighter, it’s important to make smart and effective advertising choices (especially if you’re operating with a smaller marketing budget). Our Town America believes it’s an ideal time to consider expanding your loyal customer base by using personalized welcome packages to target new residents with our new movers list. “Small businesses are struggling to make ends meet during this unique season. Implementing a successful new mover marketing program will help your business grow by providing a personalized connection to customers before they establish loyalties to other businesses. It’s a hassle-free marketing tactic guaranteed to generate results,” said Michael Plummer Jr., president and chief executive of Our Town America, the nation’s premier new mover marketing company. Our Town America has been helping introduce new customers to local businesses for 49 years. The company specializes in providing businesses with accurate, new mover marketing lists and is a one-stop-shop for small businesses searching for a way to showcase their customer service to new customers. If you’re still on the fence about giving new mover marketing a try, here are the reasons why you should opt to launch a new mover campaign with a company that has a long history of results. Our Town America is the right choice for your small business. New Movers Need New Go-to Local Businesses. New movers are an excellent target market for small business owners because they have not yet had a chance to establish loyalties with other businesses. From the day the moving truck pulls up in front of their new house, they need to find their new favorite pizza place, grocery store, and coffee shop. New movers will also need to find a reliable dentist, hairstylist and a nearby gym to work off the pepperoni pizza and cafe mochas. With no established loyalties, it’s the perfect time for businesses to step up and provide stellar service to encourage the new mover to put them on their shortlist. How New Movers Benefit Local Businesses. New residents are big spenders. Research indicates new movers spend money in their new community to help make their house a home. Whether it’s the perfect end table from that adorable consignment shop down the road, or a full fridge of groceries from a lovely, local market, new movers – both homeowners and renters – are willing to open their wallets. New homeowners spend more than $10,000 on furniture, appliances, and home repairs during the first year, according to the National Association of Home Builders. New Mover Marketing is an Upscale Option. Our Town America helps you target new movers by sending new residents a personalized welcome package with hand-selected, proven offers. The company uses an up-to-date new resident mailers list, relying on new mover intelligence from nationally recognized suppliers. Suppliers identify individuals and families who recently filed some form of address change. After receiving the lists from suppliers, Our Town America combs it to prevent redundancies and remove duplicate addresses. Ultimately, the final list used to reach the new movers in your area is arguably the most accurate in the country, which saves your business time and money by avoiding wasted coverage and additional postage and printing costs.  Delivers Trackable Return on Investment. Businesses can be confident their new mover marketing program is generating results. Our Town America offers easy solutions to track return on investment and gather detailed demographic data of new customers from their smartphone. The company’s proprietary mobile app also provides businesses the option of including a second mailing to give customers an incentive to return, or to remind them about your business with a simple ‘thank you’. The second mailing helps increase your chances of turning them into loyal customers. In addition, all annual partnered businesses enjoy category exclusivity in the welcome package for their business type, which means your business competitors cannot welcome new movers as well. If you’re confident in the service experience your business provides, Our Town America can help you get new customers through your doors. For more information about new mover marketing, visit www.ourtownamerica.com today. 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. […]

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Direct Mail Marketing Options: Saturation Postcards, Targeted Postcards, New Mover Marketing

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Direct Mail Marketing Postcards

Choosing the best platform to make the most of a tight marketing budget during uncertain times can be daunting for small business owners. Despite the increasing dependence on social media, one-click purchasing and online recommendations, direct mail marketing remains one of the most effective tools for boosting sales and developing loyal customers. Direct mail is said to be easier to understand and more memorable than digital media. It requires 21 percent less cognitive effort to process, and elicits a much higher brand recall, according to a study conducted by Canada Post Corp. Direct mail is also more likely to drive behavior than digital media, the study revealed. At least 70 percent of consumers say direct mail is more personal than online interactions, and 39 percent of consumers try a business for the first time because of direct mail, reported Fundera, a financial resource for small businesses. There are more than 30.7 million small businesses in the United States, according to the U.S. Small Business Association’s most recent report released in 2019. Small businesses created 1.8 million net jobs in 2016 and employed 59.9 million people. Our Town America offers a number of direct mail solutions to help small businesses promote customer loyalty, add new patrons and appeal to new area residents. But maybe you need some direction to figure out which type of direct mail program is best for your business needs. Easy & Affordable Method to Reach Community Members without a Mailing List Every Door Direct Mail® is a complete neighborhood mailer designed to reach every home and address in the selected ZIP codes without relying on a mailing list. EDDM® is a cost-effective saturation marketing method that allows you to filter by age, income and household size. Our Town America’s full-service EDDM® program includes printing, service preparation, postage and delivery. As people have been staying closer to home these days, EDDM® is a great way for local businesses to draw customers by delivering them a message directly to their home. Generate Customer Loyalty by Reaching out to Chosen Mailing List Targeted Postcards help celebrate existing customers by aligning with their motivations and goals. It’s a great method for businesses to send birthday specials, highlight new location openings and offer holiday specials. Targeted Postcards help form a connection between the customer and the business, building brand loyalty. During slow economic times, some customers rely on the brands they already trust, according to Harvard Business Review. It is important for businesses to reward their devoted customers with special offers or a simple holiday greeting or reminder of an upcoming sale. Our Town America uses your mailing lists to send Targeted Postcards. Make New Residents Feel at Home Moving to a new home during a time when social distancing guidelines are enforced can make it difficult to turn a new house into a home, but New Mover Marketing helps businesses make a great first impression on new residents by welcoming them to the area. It also gives residents the opportunity to support local businesses. “People are very loyal to their veterinarians. For us to grow just from people changing veterinarians would be a very slow growth,” said Dr. Sherry Weaver, owner of Animal Hospital of Towne Lake in Woodstock, Georgia. “Really, we’re much smarter specifically advertising to the people who are just moving in.” Our Town America’s New Mover Welcome Packages are filled with hand-selected proven offers. The 48-year-old company prides itself on offering the most accurate new resident mailing list in the country. Each Welcome Package contains only one business in each industry to ensure exclusivity. Our Town America also provides businesses with access to a proprietary mobile app that records redemptions, triggers an optional follow-up postcard and efficiently tracks return on investment. No matter the particular direct mail marketing method you choose, Our Town America will provide your business with an affordable solution to draw customers in. Learn more about how we can help your business grow today. 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. […]

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