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The Importance Of Becoming A Disruptor In 2023

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Forbes - The Importance of Being a Disruptor

Forbes Technology Council — You’ve most likely heard the following expression: Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Think for a minute about how this applies to your small business marketing. Relying on the strategies that have served you in the past is not the way to build your business in the future. To stand out from the competition, you shake up the way you do things. In other words, you need to become a disruptor. What is a disruptor? The concept of “disruptive innovation” was introduced in 1997 by Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen. It describes a creative product or idea, usually by an up-and-coming company with fewer resources, that disrupts an existing market, sometimes even taking it over. Disruptors are most often associated with the fast-moving tech industry. For instance, consider Netflix. It started in the late 1990s as a service that allowed customers to rent DVDs by mail. It was so successful that brick-and-mortar video rental stores couldn’t compete; it eventually put Blockbuster, the largest of them, out of business. Then, Netflix pivoted again; in 2007, it forever changed the way we watched movies when it added a streaming service. Wikipedia is another good example of a disruptor. Dismissed as unreliable when it first started 20 years ago, it has grown into a trusted source, replacing encyclopedias as the go-to research tool. And after more than 200 years in business, Encyclopedia Britannica stopped publishing those heavy volumes. Now, it, too, can be found online. Disruptors focus on solutions, not problems. To create a disruptive mindset, you and your team need to start thinking differently. Instead of focusing on a problem, disruptors brainstorm solutions. Their ideas are likely unconventional—the ones that work often set precedents. Disruptors look at their existing products in a new way. While your company may not have the next big thing that’s going to take the world by storm, you can still disrupt the market by using what you have and presenting it differently. The pandemic has changed consumers’ needs and buying habits and created supply chain issues, forcing some companies to think outside the box. For instance, many fine dining restaurants started offering take-out or delivery for customers who stopped eating in restaurants during the pandemic. And some hotels rented out rooms to remote workers seeking a quiet place to conduct business. Disruptors don’t compare themselves to the competition. Like a jockey on a winning racehorse, you don’t want to keep pace with your competitors; you want to pull out ahead. Yet by consistently measuring yourself against them, you can’t help but wind up with a similar marketing strategy. If you want to be an industry leader, don’t worry about the competition; worry about the customers and find what they really value. Disruptors create new markets for their products. Your potential customer base is most likely much larger than the number of people served by your business combined with those served by your competitors. Instead of fighting for a bigger share of the pie, it’s time to bake a larger pie. To do this, you need to identify potential customers and find ways to meet their needs. New technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning can provide you with valuable data about consumer needs. This will help you identify segments of the market that are ripe for disruption. Disruptors are continually evolving all aspects of their company. To truly be considered a disruptor, it’s not enough to adopt a new mindset. You must also adapt your business model and your company culture. To do this, you need to create an atmosphere where creative, outside-the-box thinkers can thrive. The right people can make all the difference, whether they are new hires or current employees who’ve been trained in this new way of thinking. If you continue to challenge your employees to keep your company ahead of the curve, you will set the pace for the market, and your competitors will be working to keep up with you. 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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Implement These Six Marketing Trends

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Marketing Trends Our Town America 2023

Marketing trends can help steer your company’s strategic direction and enhance the customer experience. Learn more about New Mover Marketing and other latest marketing trends as you start planning for 2023. Economic Trends Impact Marketing Strategy Cooler temperatures and shorter days mean the holiday season has been kicked into high gear. Amazon’s launch of a second Prime Day in October helped jumpstart holiday shopping even earlier this year. But, faltering economic growth and record inflation are prompting fear of a looming recession and giving customers pause. Increasing negativity about the economy and personal financial concerns are putting a damper on holiday spending. At least 29% of Americans are thinking of spending less during the holiday this year, according to a report from NPD Group. To offset rising costs, many consumers are forgoing dining out or limiting the amount they spend at restaurants. If you anticipate a slowdown in sales, cutting back on marketing should be a last resort. Effective marketing will help you weather economic downturns. Focusing on your existing customer base is vital when customers are pinching pennies. And taking simple, cost-effective steps to add new customers is possible during tight times. Consider New Approach To capture sales and build a loyal customer base during this tumultuous season, small businesses need to hone their marketing strategy and focus on current trends to ensure their brand stays relevant. Our Town America, the nation’s leading New Mover Marketing company, has gathered the latest marketing tips and trends to implement as the new year dawns. Celebrate existing customers. While many businesses focus on expanding their customer base, it’s essential to celebrate and nurture your regular customers. Customers want to know they are valued by the businesses they patronize. Collect email addresses and send customers Thank You messages after they visit your establishment. This could be done via Postcard Marketing or through the Loyalty Program built into the New Mover Marketing program. Encourage loyal customers to leave reviews for your business and give them access to special deals. A customer referral program is an easy incentive that will help you add customers and show your appreciation for existing patrons. Enhanced customer service. Hiring challenges are making it increasingly difficult for businesses to provide solid customer service. At least 80% of consumers believe the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services, and 91% of consumers said service drives repeat visits, according to SalesForce. Offering enhanced customer service can help drive traffic. Addressing customer service on social media and implementing chatbots can help enhance your service efforts. Focusing on employee training and building a positive work environment will go a long way to creating an inviting atmosphere at your business. YouTube Ads. Running YouTube ads is a cost-effective, targeted approach to building your customer base. YouTube has more than 210 million viewers in the United States and is the second-most visited site after Google. Short-form video continues to be a great way to capture attention, and the popularity of live videos is increasing. Live streams allow customers to connect with your brand in real-time and show your authenticity. New Mover Marketing. Small businesses can rely on New Mover Marketing to tout their business before new movers form loyalties with their competitors. More than 27.1 million people moved in 2021, and nearly 18% moved to a new state, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Relocating to be near family or to enjoy a lower cost of living is common, particularly as remote work becomes more accessible. Adjusting to a new community and turning a new house into a home can be challenging. Receiving one-time use housewarming gift certificates from local businesses help make the transition easier. Our Town America has more than 50 years of experience welcoming new movers with a welcome package filled with proven offers to local businesses. We help local businesses reach new movers before they develop their new routines. Increased social responsibility. Social responsibility is important to young consumers. Generation Z is a champion of sustainable consumer practices. As Gen Z’s buying power increases, small businesses can benefit by showcasing their social responsibility efforts. Whether you support charitable organizations in your community or provide environmentally-friendly packaging, consumers want to hear about it. Use your social media to let customers know how your business is helping the community and making the world a better place. Rise in subscription services. To provide customer convenience, some businesses are touting subscription services. The rise in online payment providers like PayPal helped companies such as Blue Apron, Stitch Fix and Dollar Shave Club become household names. Subscription services guarantee recurring sales, and customers appreciate not having to remember to make essential purchases. Home maintenance providers, pet care companies, and virtual learning companies are just a few of the companies launching new subscription services. If you are considering offering a subscription service, make sure to ramp up your digital marketing efforts to help retain customers. Greet New Movers Learn more about tapping the new mover market and how Our Town America’s direct mail and supplemental digital ad services can help your business build its loyal customer base in 2023. 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 Reach New Movers In The First Three Months

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
How to Reach New Movers In The First Three Months - Our Town America in Forbes

Forbes Technology Council — Customers can be very loyal to businesses they’ve been patronizing for a long time. That’s great news if they’re your customers but not if they’re your competitor’s customers. Because it requires more marketing efforts to get people to change their habits, it’s essential to target consumers who are not yet anyone’s customers—otherwise known as new movers. Marketing to new movers is designed to target people who have recently moved—people who have yet to become customers of the businesses in their new town. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 8.4% of Americans (or roughly 27 million people), moved from state to state in 2021. They all needed to find a new dentist, new hair salon, new auto mechanic and so on. They also needed to find new restaurants they liked. To stand out from the competition, you need to make sure these potential new customers are familiar with your business name as soon as possible, optimally within the first three months. One of the simplest and most effective ways to reach new movers is through direct mail. American businesses have been successfully using direct mail to reach customers for over 100 years. Sending them an offer to your business increases the likelihood they will patronize it. Mass mailings were once thought to bring in the best results. The wider the net, the more fish caught. Now, with the technology available to us, direct mail lists can be targeted to reach a specific demographic best suited for a particular business. Using targeted data allows organizations to identify the people in a certain neighborhood most likely to use their services. For instance, if you run a tutoring service or daycare, you want to target families with children. And if you own a chimney cleaning and repair business, it wouldn’t make sense to send coupons to homes without fireplaces. But direct mail, even highly-targeted direct mail, should be only a part of your new mover marketing strategy. Direct mail targeted to new movers produces a great redemption rate but is even more effective in conjunction with targeted digital ads. Mailings can encourage potential customers to visit your website. They can even use QR codes for the recipient to scan, both giving them more info about your business and giving you an idea of who is engaging with your message by use of QR code tracking capabilities. Another technology that may help draw attention to your mailing is USPS’s Informed Delivery service. This enables residents to get a digital preview of the direct mail in their email inbox before it arrives in their physical mailbox. Social media, once considered something people did for fun, is now being embraced as an important marketing tool. According to a recent report from the Pew Research Center, 70% of Americans use social media, especially Facebook and Instagram, to connect with each other, get their news and share information. If these users get an offer in the mail, then see your business name on social media or their search engine, they are more likely to recognize your business and try it out. As technology continues to evolve, so will new mover marketing, providing businesses with higher-targeted data, allowing them to cut marketing costs by better reaching their intended customers. 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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The Law of Reciprocity: Proof that New Mover Marketing is Powerful

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
New Mover Welcome Package Generates Law of Reciprocity

Persuasion by reciprocation is based on the Law of Reciprocity; use this to your advantage to build a loyal customer base through New Mover Marketing. The art of reciprocity is ingrained in human culture. A part of sociological phenomena, the law of reciprocity states that when a person receives something, they feel compelled to return the favor. It’s a learned behavior that is rooted in childhood when parents focus on teaching their children the practice of sharing as a tool to build relationships. The law of reciprocity was put to the test in 1974 when Phillip Kunz, a sociologist at Brigham Young University, conducted an experiment with Christmas cards. As part of the study, he sent handwritten notes or holiday cards to 600 strangers. Even though the recipients did not know Kunz, he received at least 200 replies from people who felt obligated to reciprocate. The Law of Reciprocity is widely used in the business world by marketing gurus like Brian Tracy and Colin Shaw. To see reciprocity at work in your daily life, simply head to your local coffee shop for a caffeine fix. Notice how people respond when you greet them or the many tips left for the barista who made their favorite drink. The law of reciprocity is alive and well, and it’s a great tool local businesses can use to help drive profits. Our Town America Helps Add Loyal Customers Our Town America’s New Mover Marketing program relies on the law of reciprocity to help businesses obtain new customers. New Mover Marketing puts your business in front of people who are likely to buy now and buy again in the future. We send new residents a Welcome Package filled with free offers to introduce them to their local community. Between unpacking boxes and turning their houses into homes, new movers feel the urge to reciprocate the kind gesture by visiting the businesses who welcomed them and redeeming the offers. The generous welcome also prompts them to speak highly of the business to fellow neighbors, fueling word-of-mouth promotions. Quality customer service encourages new residents to return as repeat customers. To help new residents form loyalties with a local business, Our Town America’s mobile tracking technology can also send a thank you note to new movers once they redeem their welcome offer. New Mover Marketing helps solidify the reputation of your small business amongst local residents. Last year, more than 27.1 million Americans moved, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. People changed residences for a variety of reasons, including lower cost of living, job relocation, and being closer to family. Following the pandemic outbreak, remote work allowed many people who were usually tied to a corporate office to relocate. No matter how well you plan, moving is stressful. Unloading boxes and getting the lay of the land takes time and effort. New Mover Marketing strives to capture new residents before they form loyalties to your competitors and introduce them to your business with a free one-time housewarming offer. “I love helping local business owners grow their businesses by directing new residents through their doors each month,” said Susan Nagi, a multi-unit Our Town America franchise owner in Arizona & Nevada. “New movers truly appreciate the kind gesture from the welcoming businesses and, as response rates demonstrate, the law of reciprocity is in effect”. Focus on Reciprocity to Grow Business Learn more about how the law of reciprocity can help your small businesses become a mainstay in your local community by trying our New Mover Marketing and direct mail services for yourself. 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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Rev Up New Mover Marketing During Hot Moving Months

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
How to Market during Summer Moving Months Our Town America

May is National Moving Month — Our Town America’s favorite time of year! Mark the start of the summer moving season by implementing a new mover marketing program to add loyal customers and boost sales. Summer is right around the corner, and the end of the school year heralds the beginning of the busy moving season. As many as 56% of Americans move each year and nearly 70% of all moves take place in the summer. People pick summertime to move because the weather is optimal, schools are on vacation, and workplace productivity slows.  The surge of summer moves put a crimp on the moving industry last year, and many of the top moving companies struggled to keep up with demand. Like many other service providers, moving companies felt the labor crunch and had difficulty finding reliable employees. Approximately 63% of moving companies reported a drought of drivers during the busy summer months in 2021.  Tap into the New Mover Market to Increase Profits As summer rolls around, local companies can welcome the influx of new residents and increase foot traffic by adding new mover marketing into their marketing strategy. Our Town America is the nation’s premier new mover marketing franchise. Our franchise owners help small businesses in their local community tap into the new mover market. Our Town America enables small businesses to convert new residents to loyal customers by sending them a welcome package filled with proven offers.  Here are some of the benefits of launching a new mover marketing program this summer. 1. Strike First. New mover marketing allows businesses to capture new residents before they form loyalties with competitors. One of the first things new residents do when they move is explore their new community to find local businesses that provide the services they need. New movers scout the area for a grocery store to stock their refrigerators. New residents also need to find a hair salon and a dry cleaner to help them put their best foot forward at their new job. Ordering pizza while unpacking boxes is the norm for many new residents. Having an upscale Welcome Package filled with proven offers from these establishments arrive on their doorstep gives them a place to start. Our Town America’s Welcome Package helps build brand awareness, and people appreciate the opportunity to give businesses in their new area a test drive. We get new customers through the door and allow you to give them a superior experience as usual. 2. Accurate Mailing Lists. A variety of companies offer mailing lists to help businesses reach new customers. Unfortunately, many mailing lists offer low response rates and are outdated or inaccurate.  Our Town America’s new mover marketing lists convert. We update our lists each month to ensure we capture accurate information enabling you to deliver your message to new residents. Our Town America compiles lists of individuals who recently filed some sort of address change. Then, we make sure to filter out any duplicate names or addresses, which allows us to deliver a direct mailing list that is about 95% accurate.  3. Trackable Solution. Being able to track your return on investment is an important component of any marketing strategy. It’s easy to track results of a new mover marketing program because customers bring in their offers for redemption.  Our Town America streamlined the tracking process by developing our TruTrak® mobile app. TruTrak® makes it easy for businesses to track ROI and gather detailed demographic data about their customers. It can be downloaded to your smartphone and allows you to validate and scan redemptions at the point of sale, or at your convenience.  Learn More About Our Town America Approximately 27.1 million people moved in 2021. The rise in teleworking is giving people the opportunity to relocate. People are moving primarily for a lower cost of living or to be closer to family. Other considerations include better schools and more job opportunities. New movers can help your business thrive this summer.  If you want to target this unique demographic by implementing a new mover marketing program or to learn more about Our Town America, click here. 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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Revisit Your Marketing Plan as You Spring Forward

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Spring Forward Marketing Plan Our Town America

As temperatures rise and flowers start to bloom, Our Town America has some small business marketing tips for your business to implement this spring. The spring season is a time of renewal. People come out of hibernation after a long, dreary winter to enjoy the sunshine and balmy temperatures. Signs of spring can be seen as people dust off patio furniture and start the process of spring cleaning. Rather than turn on Netflix to chill after a long day, people gather up the family and head out for evening walks. With the prospect of swimsuit season looming, people planning beach vacations or summer pool days dig their sneakers out of the back of the closet and hop back on the exercise bandwagon. Spring is also a time when people return to the stores. After a busy Christmas buying season, many customers put spending on hiatus during the winter months. Bolstered by longer days and nicer weather, customers open their wallets to prepare for the new season. Customer traffic in the home and garden industry soars in the spring as people tackle home repair projects and turn their yards into showplaces. Sales at lawn and garden stores jump 61% during the week of spring break in mid-March. Clothing retailers see sales grow as people refresh their wardrobes and ditch their sweaters for short sleeves and dresses. Spring is also a time when people celebrate loved ones and mark milestones. Mother’s Day spending was slated to reach a record $28.1 billion in 2021, the National Retail Federation reported. Spring Clean Your Marketing Strategy If you took Our Town America’s advice and created a marketing strategy for the new year, it’s time to do some spring cleaning. Over the past few months, your campaigns generated data you need to analyze. If your social media efforts did not help build sales, it may be time to reduce the number of posts or eliminate a platform. If a BOGO deal you sent out via direct mail garnered positive redemption rates, consider sending another direct mail deal.  Here are a few small business marketing tips to help increase foot traffic and boost profits. Target New Movers. Spring marks the beginning of the moving season. Capturing new residents before they form loyalties with the competition is an advantageous way to add new customers. More than 27 million Americans, or 8.4% of the population in the United States, moved last year. At least 60% of moves take place during the summer months. Weather, kid’s summer vacation, and a slower pace at the office make summer a booming time for moving. Spring is the time when customers are checking out new communities, house hunting, and reserving moving vans.  Our Town America recommends setting up your new mover marketing campaign before the moving season is in full swing. We have just shy of 50 years of experience helping local businesses attract new customers. As part of our new mover marketing program, we mail recent arrivals a welcome package filled with proven offers shortly after they relocate.  Local businesses can track their new mover marketing campaign using Our Town America’s mobile app, TruTrak™. The app allows businesses to validate and scan redemptions at the point of sale and can trigger a ‘thank you’ postcard to customers after they redeem their welcome offer. Celebrate the Season. Tying your marketing message to important events in the spring, such as Daylight Saving Time, International Women’s Day, and Earth Day can help your message stand out and engage your audience. As spring rolls around, tax day also looms. Many Americans are contemplating how to spend their tax refunds. Encourage them to spend their bounty at your business by incorporating a tax theme into your messaging. If your service is deductible, such as healthcare charges, now is the time to let your customers know.  Focus on Community. Rebirth, positive energy, and growth are hallmarks of the spring season. Now is an ideal time for your business to participate in a charity event or donate to an important cause. In addition, farmers markets and other outdoor community events return to center stage. Put your business in front of customers during this time by becoming an event sponsor or setting up a table.  Launch a Contest. Spice up your spring marketing efforts by launching a contest to entice customers. Contests are an easy way to generate traffic and buzz about your business. Promote your contest in your local community by sending a direct mail postcard to your target demographic. Every Door Direct Mail® allows you to blanket a zip code with your message or filter your postcard by age, income, or household size. A competitive contest can draw new customers and give your business a leg up on the competition. Click here to learn more small business marketing tips and how Our Town America’s new mover marketing program and direct mail services can help you expand your loyal customer base this spring. 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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5 Ways New Mover Marketing Helps Pizza Restaurant Owners

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
5 Ways New Mover Marketing Helps Pizza Restaurant Owners Out Town America

To help rebuild his business after a COVID-induced slump in sales, pizzeria owner Steve Dapolita relied on new mover marketing to drive the location’s dinner menu. New mover marketing helped his business thrive, and these five tips can help your business get back in the black as well. Bisonte Pizza Co. owner Steve Dapolita implemented new mover marketing to drum up business following the outbreak of the pandemic. The pizzeria, located in Charlotte, North Carolina, was a popular lunchtime location for area workers. COVID safety measures shuttered office buildings near the restaurant, and his customers were forced to do business remotely, sending Dapolita’s lunchtime sales on a downward trend. Bisonte Pizza Co. won first place in the third annual CBS Radio Pizza Wars and won “Best Wings,” at the Charlotte Wingfest. The restaurant specializes in Buffalo, New York-style pizza, pasta, subs, salads and wings. Dapolita uses family heirloom recipes passed down through generations. To help rebuild his business, Dapolita relied on new mover marketing to drive the location’s dinner menu. The new marketing efforts helped increase traffic, and the location is now thriving. Sales in 2021 jumped more than 35% from the prior year. In addition to adding new mover marketing, Dapolita opted to use direct mail postcards offering a BOGO deal. New mover marketing helps pizza restaurants add new customers before they form loyalties with competitors. And moving is on the rise recently. At least one out of 10 Americans moved in 2021, a study of more than 2,000 people by Zillow revealed. As part of the new mover marketing program, new residents receive a welcome package filled with proven offers. Getting settled in a new home takes a lot of work, and a home-cooked meal is likely not in the cards during the first weeks in a new home. Receiving a proven offer to your pizza shop will bring your location top-of-mind when dinner time rolls around. Here are five ways new mover marketing can help you increase foot traffic and add loyal customers at your pizza joint: New movers open wallets New movers are big spenders. Research suggests new movers spend more than $10,000 on furniture, appliances and home repairs during the first year in their new homes, according to the National Association of Home Builders. In addition to renovations, they are willing to spend money to turn their new houses into homes. While they are settling into their new communities, many new movers are willing to try new brands as they establish their routine. New mover marketing is designed to send them a proven offer shortly after their arrival. Capturing a new resident’s attention quickly is key to making your pizza shop a regular pitstop. Drive repeat business While pizza sales soared in 2020, pizzerias had to work hard not to lose market share as the number of restaurants offering delivery climbed. Faced with initial success, competition from other fast-food chains and delivery businesses like Uber Eats caused sales to dip, U.S. News & World Report revealed. Once a new mover comes into your pizzeria to redeem your offer, providing customer service and a quality product will ensure their loyalty. Some new mover marketing companies take it a step further by sending a follow-up offer to thank them for their visit. The follow-up offer typically includes another proven offer to give them the incentive they need to stop by again. Accurate mailing lists One of the hallmarks of a successful new mover marketing program is accurate mailing lists. An outdated mailing list defeats your goal of reaching new residents. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated that 27.1 million people moved in 2021. As the surge in people relocating continues, making sure your new mover mailing lists are updated is vital. Find a company that gets lists of people who file an address change. Make sure the list is filtered to weed out duplicates and updated at least once a month. High return on investment Industry data indicates pizzerias and pizza restaurants often see high response rates from enlisting in a new mover marketing program. The average response rate for a Marco’s Pizza location in Mansfield, Ohio, is 22%, and a Pisanello’s Pizza in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, garnered an average response rate of 21%. Crowded email inboxes and an influx of online advertisements make a tangible offer that arrives in the mailbox stand out. While people can delete an email with one click and scroll past your ad on their newsfeed, they take note of high-quality, new mover marketing mailers. Strong tracking tools Developing an effective marketing strategy takes time. As you experiment with different options that will work for your business, it’s important to track your return on investment. Updating your social media feed on a daily basis might not be essential if it’s not generating sales. Pick a new mover marketing provider with high-tech tracking tools that makes it easy for you to scan redemptions and track results. Current events and labor shortages make running a small business a challenge. Achieving self-sufficiency and being in charge of your future make it worth the effort. Having a marketing strategy that converts will help lighten the load and allow you to achieve financial freedom. 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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Fresh Marketing Ideas for 2022

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Fresh Marketing Ideas for 2022

As we leave 2021 in the rearview and start fresh, it’s time to head back to the drawing board and figure out ways to spice up your marketing strategy for the months ahead. Your marketing efforts help build your company’s reputation and boost sales. Insights gleaned from marketing will enable you to make decisions about your operations and stay ahead of the competition. Marketing can help you reach your target demographic and create paying customers. It’s vital to take time on a regular basis to review your marketing strategy and ditch components that aren’t yielding results, as well as test new ideas.  Our Town America has been helping small businesses add loyal customers since 1972. Over our 49-year history, we’ve garnered insights into successful marketing strategies. We know what converts and the steps small businesses can take to increase profits. Here are some ideas of fresh marketing strategies you need to consider adding to your advertising toolkit. Text Ads. Americans spent five to six hours a day on their mobile devices in 2021. Businesses rely on texting to communicate everything from appointment times to prescription refills. If you aren’t already using texts as part of your marketing strategy, it’s time to get started. Customers prefer receiving texts about discounts, special offers, and loyalty promotions, a survey of more than 1,000 people revealed. Keep your message short and sweet and send it during regular business hours. Make sure to research new rules and regulations regarding text ads before getting started. Focus on Content. Many small business owners establish themselves as authorities in their industry by using content marketing. Creating relevant content for your customers will help raise brand awareness and build relationships. At least 82 percent of people who work in marketing actively use content marketing for their clients. Content marketing can also help you take advantage of search engine optimization to increase traffic to your website. Not only is content marketing an effective tool to have in your arsenal, but it also costs less than traditional advertising and generates more leads, according to the Content Marketing Institute. Creating content can be a challenge for small-business owners who are already stretched for time. Taking time at the beginning of the year to create a content calendar will ensure your efforts don’t fizzle out as the months go by. Make it Personal. Nearly 52 percent of the world’s population uses social media, spending at least 145 minutes scrolling on a daily basis. Social media helps small businesses get personal by putting a face on their business. It enables them to connect with customers to build brand loyalty. Make it a priority to include personal posts on your social media platforms. Showcase your employees, teach a lesson, don’t be afraid to add humor, and make sure to reply to customer comments. Welcome New Movers. Direct mail remains a steadfast method for generating foot traffic and increasing sales. In addition to direct mail postcards, Our Town America helps businesses add loyal customers by targeting new movers. As part of our program, we welcome new residents to their community by sending them a Welcome Package filled with category-exclusive proven offers from local small businesses. New movers spend more on goods and services and have not formed loyalties to your competitors. Our Town America’s strategy gets customers through your doors, and the rest is up to you. Create a Referral Program. In our digital world, small businesses that strive to create connections stand out from the crowd. Small businesses need to pay attention to what is happening in the lives of their customers to ensure their marketing message hits home. Being proactive and having the tools in place to receive customer feedback can help generate repeat business and increase profits. Creating a referral program is a simple way to connect with your customers. Rewarding loyal customers for spreading the word about your business is a win-win. Your loyal customers will be grateful for the accolade, and your sales will rise. Go Back to Basics. Grassroots marketing helps people put a face to your business and raise brand awareness in person. As we all try to put the pandemic on the back burner, going back to the basics and attending community events or sponsoring sports teams can help get the word out to potential customers. Form Loyalties With New Residents If you are ready to create a marketing strategy that will help boost sales, contact Our Town America to find out more about how our new mover marketing program delivers results. 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 Up-to-Date are New Movers Lists?

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
New Mover Mailing Lists Our Town America

As moving trends continue to surge, Our Town America offers a current and accurate new movers list designed to put your small business in front of new residents and generate profits. With the holiday season in our rearview, the roughly $19.8 billion spent at independent retailers and restaurants on Small Business Saturday is now behind us while planning future marketing is top-of-mind. To stay ahead of any supply chain or labor shortage  issues, it’s important for small businesses to ramp up their marketing strategy to help attract customers. Our Town America Targets New Movers To ensure your marketing strategy puts your brand front and center with new customers year-round, it’s essential to use an updated new movers list that generates results. Many companies pedal mailing lists that are outdated and useless. Our Town America has more than 49 years of experience developing new movers lists that convert into bona fide sales.  Maintaining an accurate new movers list requires vigilance. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the average American will move 11.7 times in their lifetime, and, in 2019, nearly 31 million people in the United States moved. We get lists of individuals who have recently filed some sort of address change and filter out any duplicate names and addresses to create a direct mailing list that is about 95 percent accurate. By updating its lists on a monthly basis, Our Town America is able to capture accurate information to help small businesses add customers. Our Town America offers a comprehensive New Mover Marketing program designed to help small businesses attract new residents before they form loyalties with competitors. As part of our New Mover program, Our Town America sends a high-quality Welcome Package filled with personalized gift certificates to new movers. Unpacking, meeting work expectations, and helping children adjust to a new residence are challenging endeavors for new residents; they enjoy receiving thoughtful offers from local businesses to help ease the stress and costs of relocating. “The quality workmanship of the product is awesome. It gives that family feel,” said Matt Gallagher, a Precision Tune Auto Care franchisee. “Our Town America personalizes their message and brings it back to a local level, which is what makes it feel right for me.” Pandemic Impacts Moving Trends Although the height of the COVID-19 pandemic is behind us, evidence suggests this unprecedented time is changing the way Americans work and where they live. While the outbreak of the pandemic forced Americans to stay home, it also gave them time to reevaluate their priorities. People packed boxes and relocated primarily to be closer to family and decrease the cost of living, revealed a survey conducted by Neighbor, a self-storage resource.  Having the ability to telework helped untether people from their desks and gave them the freedom to do their jobs from any location. More than one-third of Americans reported working from home at least part of the time since the pandemic struck. Estimates reveal 40.7 million Americans, or 28 percent, will be working remotely on a full-time basis within the next five years, up from 22.9 percent in 2020, according to a report by Upwork. Does this mean we will see an uptick in new movers while people have the ability to move from town to town working remotely? We will know for sure as more time passes, but recent moving numbers do support this ideology. Learn More About Our Town America Our Town America can help you accurately reach new residents with our new movers lists, and make them lifelong, loyal customers. For more information on how you can use New Mover Marketing and our new mover lists, 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. […]

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5 Direct Mail Tips for Driving New Business

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Direct Mail Tips to Drive Business

Direct mail marketing is an efficient and effective method for driving new business to your establishment. Our Town America, the nation’s leading new mover marketing company, compiled a list of the top five direct mail tips to ensure your strategy adds customers from your local community and generates profits. Small business owners wear many hats, from customer service providers to back-office supervisors and visionaries. It’s inevitable that small business owners will face unexpected challenges as their venture grows. Lately, labor shortages are creating headaches for many small businesses. There are more job openings in the United States than people looking for work. Employers are trying to fill nearly 10 million job openings, but there are only 8.6 million people out of work, which puts a crunch on small businesses searching for workers.  In an effort to attract valuable talent, some small business owners may be neglecting their marketing efforts. Rather than experiment with new advertising trends and techniques, small business owners should rely on proven marketing strategies to get the job done and free up time to train and develop new employees. Direct mail marketing provides an interactive advertising tool that offers a tangible touchpoint for customers to learn about your business. Nearly 70 percent of people prefer receiving information about new businesses via snail mail, and 67 percent feel mail is more personal, the United States Postal Service reported. Taking a tried-and-true approach will help your business flourish during this difficult season. Tips to Plan a Successful Direct Mail Campaign Here are five direct mail tips to help drive new business. Personalize Your Message. Direct mail can be personalized to help create relationships with new customers. People are more inclined to respond to one-on-one communication and personalization can lead to better engagement and enhanced success. Send Your Mail to the Right People. Your direct mail message might be eye-catching and personalized, but if it doesn’t reach the right audience, it will not be effective. Businesses need to make sure they are using direct mail marketing lists that convert. Our Town America specializes in new mover marketing and has 50 years of experience reaching new residents. Our Town America gets lists of every individual who has filed an address change in the past 30 days and filters out the duplicates resulting in 95 percent accuracy. This is very important as a clean list means less wasted advertising dollars.  Include a Special Offer. People love a good deal. Providing new customers with an introductory offer will encourage them to visit your business and put them on the path to becoming loyal customers. Direct mailers with eye-popping promotions will generate better results. You can also use codes on your direct mail to track results when customers visit to redeem a special offer. Tracking the success of your initial direct mail piece will allow you to produce even better results in the future.  Reach New Movers. One way businesses can make the most out of direct mail is by reaching out to customers before they form loyalties to other businesses – specifically your competitors. Nearly 20 percent of the United States population moves each year, and new movers are big spenders. New residents spend more during their first year in a new home than existing residents, the National Association of Home Builders reported. While new residents are busy turning their house into a home, Our Town America welcomes them to the community by sending them a Welcome Package filled with proven offers from local businesses. The upscale welcome gift offers exclusivity for your business by only partnering with one business of each type per zip code. We offer an innovative tracking system that allows you to see your return on investment from your smartphone when customers come in to redeem their proven offer. Follow-up. The best time to make a sale is 7-10 days after a potential customer reads your direct mail piece, according to the USPS. Make sure to have follow-up strategies in place to add customers. Our Town America makes it a priority to send a follow-up mailing to new residents who redeem your initial Welcome Package offer. Learn More About Our Town America To learn more about how Our Town America’s New Mover Marketing program and direct mail marketing services can help your small business add new customers, click here: 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. […]

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