marketing Archives • Page 4 of 7 • Our Town America, Inc.

2021 has brought over 10,000 New Movers to Southeast Wisconsin

Written by Brittany N. Johnson

New Movers in Southeast Wisconsin Our Town America New Mover Marketing

CBS 58 Milwaukee — Since January 2021, Southeast Wisconsin has welcomed more than 10,000 new movers to the area, with many of them taking advantage of permanent remote work within the city. Milwaukee is even being called a “Zoom Town” as people move from big cities with plans to keep their high-paying jobs while enjoying a more affordable cost of living by simply joining meetings virtually. According to Discover Milwaukee, southeast Wisconsin offers urban living alongside a Midwest ambiance providing an ideal work-life balance. Short commute times to the city, diverse and affordable neighborhoods, below-average cost of living and a well-respected education system also attract new movers to the area. With inbound migration at 50%, Wisconsin is one of the most popular destinations for new movers during the pandemic, as found by United Van Lines. The local economy — including local businesses, schools and the housing market — will be effected from the influx of new residents moving to Southeast Wisconsin. Allen Busse of Our Town America of Wisconsin has closely monitored moving trends for the past 15 years. As the local Wisconsin franchise owner of the #1 Advertising & Sales Franchise in the country specializing in New Mover Marketing, Busse witnesses just how many people are moving to town on a monthly basis. For business owners looking to increase their bottom line, the new mover market is a “secret jackpot”, says Busse. Busse strongly encourages both businesses who are struggling to survive as well as businesses who are doing fine, to invest in New Mover Marketing to attract new customers and replace the customers who have been lost by a recent move, or a change in commute path, etc. Busse claims that, “after 15 years, it still amazes me just how many new customers my partnered businesses acquire by simply enrolling in our program”. “You have to think,” he says, “you’re reaching a brand new audience of impressionable people each month who are actively seeking these businesses and services. As a business owner, it’s a no-brainer.” To hear Busse’s take on moving trends and how he helps his local economy through his business, click below to watch the full interview with CBS 58 Milwaukee. — Our Town America supports small businesses across the nation by welcoming new movers to town and bringing those new customers through your business doors. If you’re a Southeast Wisconsin local business looking to reach new or current customers, contact Allen Busse at ‭‭262-650-1906‬‬‬‬. If your business is located outside Southeast Wisconsin, contact Our Town America corporate at 1-800-497-8360 to be connected with your local representative. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

The Small Business Marketing Strategy to Take up Right Now

Written by Brittany N. Johnson

Small Business Marketing Strategy New Mover Marketing

The pandemic has changed the way many American consumers operate in their daily lives, but Our Town America is here to help your small business evolve your marketing strategy to meet them where they’re at and effectively bolster sales in 2021 and beyond. Following the outbreak of the pandemic, businesses were forced to adapt to new ways of operating. Notably, restaurants expanded or implemented curbside pickup and free delivery. Car dealerships offered virtual selling and home-delivery of new cars. Many retail businesses moved to contactless purchasing and online sales to ensure customer safety. During this time, small businesses focused much of their marketing efforts on these changes. Now, as COVID-19 numbers continue to fall, it’s a great time to take a close look at your marketing strategy to fully take advantage of a society that is ready to get back out into the world. Our Town America is the nation’s premier New Mover Direct Mail Marketing company and is available to help your small business achieve high return from your marketing efforts. Here are some simple marketing strategies to employ in the post-pandemic economy. Capitalize on the ‘new mover’ market. 2020 caused people to reevaluate what is important and many chose to use the time to move to a new home. More time spent at home means more opportunity to enjoy the backyard, so some people moved to get a bigger yard. More people cooking at home means the realization that a bigger kitchen is needed. Others were awarded the ability to work remotely long-term, granting many people the opportunity of a lifetime to finally move to a new city or state yet keep their current job. Whatever the reason, people were moving – and still are. The U.S. Postal Service reports more than 30 million change-of-address forms were sent in last year. This surge of new residents is a perfect opportunity to attract additional customers to your business. Our Town America specializes in targeting this unique population. Our New Mover Marketing Program is much like the game of chess as it allows you business to be a step ahead of your competitors. It’s the perfect way to get new residents to try your business before they establish new habits and form loyalties to other businesses. Our Welcome Package includes a one-time housewarming gift for new movers which gives them the incentive to visit your business. This method allows you to reach a new audience each month and gradually add to your customer base. Pick strategies that generate results. Every small business owner knows they shouldn’t put all of their eggs in one basket. While utilizing e-mail marketing and social media to engage consumers can be effective, it’s important to add in tried-and-true advertising strategies to build your customer base. For most small businesses, radio and tv ads are a bit over budget. So, what other avenues are there to explore? Direct mail is an extremely successful, proven form of advertising. A recent survey from the U.S. Postal Service showed 54 percent of those surveyed tried a new product or business within a 6-month period of receiving a piece of mail. Our Town America can help you get started with this process. We offer multiple options to help you reach your marketing goals, and each can target different audiences. Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM®), commonly referred to as Saturation Postcards, can help you reach potential customers in the neighborhood near your business, customers with a median income or other designations. No mailing list needed for this option. You simply choose the areas you wish to mail to. Another option is to personalize your message to target an audience based on your own specific criteria. This option is best known as Targeted Postcards as you can mail to pet owners or families with children, for example. Our Town America allows you to choose your delivery schedule and fully customize your direct mail experience. You can also mail out birthday mailers or, as mentioned earlier, mail to new movers in your area – but the second time around do it with a postcard. Really, the options are endless and each has a different objective. Our Town America helps pinpoint which option is best for you depending on your business needs. If you’re ready to learn how New Mover Marketing or our other direct mail options can help your small business thrive in the post-pandemic world, visit Our Town America. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

Over 3,000 People have Moved to Greenville in 2021 Already

Written by Brittany N. Johnson

Market to People Moving to Greenville, SC

CBS | Greenville, SC – Experts say the city of Greenville has become what is now known as a “Zoom Town.” Remote workers from states such as New York and California are moving miles away to the city of Greenville in search of more affordable living while still keeping their high salaries. A new mover marketing company that’s tracking this trend said they’ve gathered data for clients that shows that over 3,000 people have moved to the city so far this year. “Rent is just so high in the bigger cities,” Mandy Cline, spokesperson for Our Town America, said, “Now that remote work is so accessible for people, they can keep these high paying jobs and come to a city like Greenville.” Some residents are concerned about how this large influx of people with higher incomes will impact the local economy and housing costs in the area. The city of Greenville said regardless of the amount of zoom transplants moving to the city, leaders will stick to their mission outlined in the 2040 plan — providing more options for affordable housing. “The council’s commitment remains the same,” Beth Brotherton, Director of Communications and Neighborhood Relations for The City of Greenville said, “We’re going to have affordable housing here. We’re going to have green space and we’re going to make sure there’s a way for people to get around and enjoy what already exists in these existing neighborhoods and what might develop as a result.” Some experts say natives should see this as a positive change. This could lead to a housing boom in the city and outskirts of town and an increase in spending at small businesses. Our Town America connects new movers with local businesses by way of new mover marketing year round. If you’re a local Greenville business looking to reach new movers to invite them to your business, contact Amy Garner at ‭864-670-9332‬. If your business is located outside Greenville, SC, you can reach the Our Town America Corporate offices at 1-800-497-8360 to be connected with your local representative. Source: 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. […]

Why the Neighborhood Grocery Store is an Early Target for New Residents

Written by Brittany N. Johnson

Welcome Customers Grocery Store Our Town America

As new movers unpack boxes and get settled, one of their first chores will be visiting a neighborhood grocery store to fill the pantry and refrigerator to keep hunger at bay; Our Town America can direct them to your location over your competitors. ‘Grocery stores near me’ is one of the first things people type into the search engine when they get to their new home. The smell of a favorite recipe cooking on the stove helps make a new kitchen feel like a home. As any parent knows, an empty refrigerator can cause dissension in the ranks and lead to grouchy family members. Having a kitchen stocked with healthy snacks and drinks will help curb hunger and keep new community members energized as they tackle the chore of getting organized and settling into their new homes. Americans spend big money at their local grocery store each week, so creating a loyal following from new residents is essential for every neighborhood grocery store. The average American spends more than $4,600 on food at home each year, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Yet, there are more than 38,000 grocery stores in the United States. Finding a strategy to set your grocery store apart from the flock of competitors can be a challenge. The good news is Americans are devoting more time to meal preparation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported. At the height of the pandemic in the spring, grocery store sales were up 32 percent versus the prior year. As restrictions on restaurants loosen and grocery store sales return to pre-pandemic levels, neighborhood grocery stores can continue to bolster sales by targeting new residents. New Mover Marketing Helps Neighborhood Grocery Stores Gain New Customers Our Town America’s New Mover Marketing program can help you reach new local residents and welcome them to the neighborhood. We send new residents an exclusive welcome package with proven offers to introduce them to your business. The high-quality package includes thoughtful and personalized gift certificates directly to new residents’ doorstep. Our Town America gets lists of individuals who have filed some sort of address change in the past 30 days and filters out any duplicate names and addresses to create a direct mailing list that is about 95 percent accurate. Accurate lists increase your store’s return on investment and save valuable resources, such as time and money. As an added bonus, your lists can be sorted by demographic data to target specific customers. Our New Mover Marketing program comes with the ability to track your return on investment directly on your smartphone. Our TruTrak® app enables you to validate and scan redemptions. It will also provide you with demographic data to help fine-tune your marketing efforts. Make New Customers Loyal Shoppers New Mover Marketing can help introduce your grocery store to new residents, but it’s up to you to keep them coming back to your store. Our Town America has some tips to help you convert new residents to loyal shoppers. Employ knowledgeable and friendly staff. Let’s face it. Grocery shopping is a chore for most Americans. It’s just one more task to check off the daily to-do list. If your employees offer friendly and reliable service, they can help make the experience memorable for even the most harried customer. Atmosphere is key. If your grocery store plays good music, has pleasant lighting and is well organized, customers will enjoy their shopping experience. Make your grocery store’s atmosphere welcoming, and your customers will linger. Protect Your Customers. Today’s customers want to feel safe when they head out to the grocery store. Setting up sanitizing stations, requiring sick employees to stay home and having easy to navigate parking lots with plenty of grocery cart stalls is important. Our Town America is here to not only help you reach new movers, but to make them 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. […]

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. […]

Tips to Create a Small Business Marketing Plan

Written by Brittany N. Johnson

Small Business Marketing Plan Our Town America Marketing

Creating a small business marketing plan can be a daunting task for new entrepreneurs. It is important to build a plan that will raise your brand awareness and help you reach your sales objectives. A successful marketing strategy will involve a robust online presence, direct mail advertising and a method for building your loyal customer base. Before you start crafting your first Instagram post or designing a direct mail marketing postcard, take time to develop a strategic small business marketing plan. Do Your Research. The first tip for creating a small business marketing plan that will generate results is to do your research. It’s important to identify your target market to ensure your plan reaches the correct demographic. Define your ideal customer by learning where they live, their traits and trends. Understanding the values, needs and concerns of your target market can help you personalize your marketing message to appeal to your customers. Understand the Competition. In addition to putting your ideal customer on paper, a part of your research should focus on the competition. Doing a deep dive on your competition will allow you to gain a competitive advantage. Learn what your competitors are doing well and where they’re falling short. Understanding your competition can help you develop a unique selling proposition that you can capitalize on with your marketing efforts. Decide on a Budget. While many businesses may be compelled to limit their marketing budget during this unique time as a way to cut costs, research reveals companies who invest in marketing during a recession bounce back faster than companies who opt to cut their ad spending. A good rule of thumb is to spend between 5 and 10 percent of your gross revenue on marketing. Develop Your Message. The average attention span of an adult is only eight seconds, and new research from the Technical University of Denmark, indicates the abundance of information at our fingertips is narrowing our attention span further. Your marketing pitch needs to be short, sweet and to the point to capture the attention of your audience. Determine How To Reach Your Target Market. Once you understand your target audience, it’s time to decide how to reach your customers. Even if you have a shoestring marketing budget, your plan needs to combine a number of different marketing techniques. Direct Mail Marketing. Direct mail postcards are a low-cost solution for small businesses. Postcards are tangible and eye-catching with bright, beautiful colors. Every Door Direct Mail® Marketing will blanket specific ZIP codes with your message. Our Town America can send both saturation and targeted direct mail marketing postcards to your existing customer list – the choice is yours. With our company, direct mail results are easy to track and are known to generate results. Online Marketing. Social media advertising is another tool for advertising your small business – cost dependent upon your needs, market and demographic. Seven out of every ten Americans use Facebook, and 74 percent of users check it at least once per day, according to a study by Pew Research. You can also advertise through paid Google Ads. Since it can get pricey and over-saturated, it’s a good idea to supplement with direct mail to be sure your prospects are actually laying eyes on your ad. New Mover Marketing. Our Town America specializes in new mover marketing, which focuses on capturing new residents before they form loyalties to other businesses. We send new residents an upscale welcome package full of proven one-time-use offers with industry-leading response rates – only one from each industry. After the new family visits your business, Our Town America can send a follow-up thank you and/or additional offer to solidify them as loyal customers. These extra efforts don’t go unnoticed by customers, and your response rates will prove it! Find Some Partners. There are numerous local businesses trying to reach customers on a limited budget. Network with local businesses in your community to help cross-promote your brands. Local businesses can band together to offer bundled promotions or reciprocal website links to advertise. Leverage Your Community. Small business owners are the backbone of any local community. Becoming an active member of your community is key to your business’ success. Join the local chamber of commerce and accept an offer to sponsor a 5K or one of the local sports teams and, if appropriate, set up a table at your local farmer’s market. Showing the community that you value their traditions and members will help build trust in your brand and bolster sales. Track Your Results. Tracking your marketing results will allow you to know what is working best for your business, and what could be tweaked. If email marketing is not measurably adding to your marketing efforts, it may be time to rethink the frequency of your emails or their content, for example. If a particular direct mail offer results in a spike in business, you may want to send it to a wider audience to further build foot traffic. Or, in the case of our new mover program, just continue on with the program — as we mail to a brand new audience of new movers every single month. Our Town America understands the importance of tracking your return on investment, that’s why we created the TruTrak® mobile app. It allows you to track your return on investment, gather detailed demographic data of new customers, and validate and scan redemptions at point of sale. Businesses can also use the app to trigger a second mailing to customers. If you’re ready to form a successful small business marketing plan, Our Town America is here to help. For more information about new mover marketing, visit www.ourtownamerica.com. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

P.T.’s Grille Wins the Wilmington Small Business Award for Resilience

Written by Brittany N. Johnson

P.T.'s Grille Winner of Wilmington, NC Small Business Resilience Award by Our Town America

Spectrum News | Wilmington, NC – Aaron Hyatt has worked his way up in the P.T.’s Olde Fashioned Grille family from manager all the way to owner, but this past year has put his business to the test. The restaurant is one of the most popular in the Cape Fear area, but Hyatt is quick to note that doesn’t make them immune to the hardships everyone is facing. “There was a time when we weren’t sure if we were going to be able to get meat, I think we all got scared then that we might have to shut down,” says Hyatt. That’s why Our Town America, a national marketing franchise that specializes in helping small and local businesses gain new customers, created the Small Business Resilience Award. Presented to just one business in each community, this annual award honors small businesses for overcoming the many triumphs of the previous calendar year. This year, however, holds extra merit due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the many challenges it brought. P.T.’s Olde Fashioned Grille was nominated, then won the popular vote with an overwhelming majority! Local community members were eager to vote for P.T.’s as they adapted to the pandemic and consistently maintained their quality of service, while ensuring customers and staff felt safe. Hyatt says the award makes him feel like everything he and his employees have been through has been worth it. “It’s an honor from the community that acknowledges the hard work of the past months and makes all those bad days feel worth it,” he says. “It shows that our hard work and adapting with this new work style hasn’t gone unnoticed, so it makes you feel good,” says Hyatt. Unfortunately, he says they’re not out of the woods yet though. Business is still down 15-20% each month and he expects it will take another six months at the minimum to recover. Hyatt says he’s fortunate that he’s been able to keep all of his employees during the pandemic, but without their regular customers he says they would all be looking for new jobs. Hyatt hopes that friendly faces, good burgers and proven service can help people take a break from everything going on in the world outside. Hyatt and local Our Town America owner, Bassam Safi, met with Spectrum News to discuss winning the Wilmington Small Business Resilience Award. Click here for information on how to be nominated for the Our Town America Small Business Resilience Award. Our Town America supports small businesses across the nation 365 days per year. If you’re a local Wilmington business looking to reach new or current customers, contact Bassam Safi at 910-352-5776‬. If your business is located outside of the Wilmington area, please contact our corporate office at 1-800-497-8360 to be connected with your local representative. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

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. […]

Which type of Direct Mail Campaign is right for my Business?

Written by Brittany N. Johnson

Traditional Direct Mail vs. New Mover Marketing

New Mover Direct Mail Marketing offers small businesses a cost-effective option for expanding their customer base and, in many cases, generates better response rates than blanketing your community with direct mail ads. So, why is that? Customers tout customer service and value as some of the top influencers for making their shopping decisions, according to Invesp, an online marketing resource. But before you can woo them with your exceptional customer service and uneatable products, you have to first get them through your door. Bolstering sales by adding new customers can be an expensive, uphill battle for small businesses and, typically, it costs five times as much to attract a new customer than to keep an existing one. To further thwart small business advertising efforts, only 36 percent of Americans say they love trying new brands and products, Nielsen reports. Therefore, catching the attention of new customers before they establish loyalties to your competitors is crucial. Our Town America offers a unique twist on traditional direct mail advertising. “We welcome new residents to the community with housewarming offers to local businesses. Moving is stressful, so receiving these offers provides a welcome solution for new movers,” says Michael Plummer Jr., president of Our Town America. By targeting residents new to the area, Our Town America not only enables your business to reach impressionable new movers, but also makes it possible to keep your marketing costs low. Better yet, the U.S. Data Corporation found that 39 percent of consumers try a new business for the first time as a result of receiving a direct mail piece. So, it’s no wonder why many small businesses utilize direct mail marketing. Traditional Direct Mail Marketing However, while businesses can mail to an abundance of recipients, most standard direct mailers require postage fees, are not targeted to a specific demographic, and the results are not trackable. Many times, recipients of repeat direct mailers become immune after seeing the same piece multiple times – especially if they have pre-established habits to competitors. In these cases, it’s unlikely they will choose the “new” business over the one they have loyalty to – which is a recipe for a low response rate. The average response rate for traditional direct mailing lists (not targeted to new movers) was only 4.9 percent last year, according to Fundera, a small business resource. This is one big differentiator between traditional direct mail and New Mover Marketing. New Mover Marketing As mentioned earlier, New Mover Marketing is a cost-effective alternative to blanketing a community with direct mail advertisements and, because of the targeted approach, recipients are actually in need of the tailored one-time use offers. In fact, your business is put in front of a brand-new audience each month – made possible by a thoroughly scrubbed new resident mailing list compiled from multiple reliable sources, such as utility connections, deed transactions, etc. More than 10 percent of the U.S. population, or 32 million people, moved in 2018, according to Moving.com, an online resource. Our Town America’s welcome package reaches these new movers shortly after their move or change of address — before they’ve formed loyalties to other businesses. The program also allows you to lock out your competition in your chosen ZIP codes – meaning you are the only business in your industry in those welcome packages! The company, which opened its doors in 1972, sends residents an enticing, personalized package that compels the new mover to look inside. Each month, Our Town America prints more than 1 million personalized gift certificates and welcomes over half a million new movers across the country to their new communities by introducing them to local businesses. “We spent $20,000 for a direct mailing. The mailing only brought in 20 to 30 people,” said Brian Scott, owner of Village Wines and Spirits. “Why are we going to spend that type of money on a [traditional] direct mailing when we could spend less money, give them something for free, and have more people show up? We can give them decent customer service, and they will come back.” Our Town America’s proven offers are digitally trackable so you can view your response rate. With the TruTrak™ mobile app, businesses can track their return on investment, gather detailed demographic data of new customers, and trigger a follow-up mailing offering a secondary gift or simply thanking the new mover for their first visit. If you’re ready to save money and increase your customer base with a new mover marketing program, visit Our Town America to learn more. 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. […]

Trackable Marketing via Direct Mail Barcode

Written by Brittany N. Johnson

Trackable Marketing via Direct Mail Barcode

Our Town America employs innovative technology designed to appeal to partnered businesses, new movers and franchisees to track advertising sales, drive business and ensure customer satisfaction. The nation’s leading New Mover Marketing company helps businesses attract new residents with an exclusive Welcome Package upon arrival to their new home. Filled with hand-selected proven offers, the Our Town America Welcome Package is known to produce industry-leading response rates. Nearly 31 million people moved in the United States in 2019, according to United States Census data, and Our Town America has been helping those people adjust to their new surroundings since 1972 by introducing them to area businesses. Of course, this also helps communities flourish, so it’s a win for everyone. While Our Town America is built off of traditional direct mail, the company has evolved with technology over the past five decades. Several mobile apps and tracking tools have been released throughout this time to provide partnered businesses with data and a reliable marketing strategy, new movers with great deals, and franchisees with the resources needed to drive results. “We were actually the very first New Mover Marketing company to offer trackable marketing and barcodes,” said Brittany Johnson, Marketing Executive at Our Town America. “We’re also able to help businesses target specific demographics and we can mail to actual neighborhoods – not just ZIP codes. We’ve got this down to a science,” Johnson says. Below is a quick overview of each mobile app, but be sure to reach out to an Our Town America representative if you have a question about a capability not mentioned; chances are.. we’ve got an app for that! Innovative App for Partnered Businesses Our Town America’s TruTrak® app allows partnered businesses to track their return on investment, gather detailed demographic data of new customers and trigger the second ‘follow-up’ mailing from their smartphone. TruTrak® instantly updates to reflect redemptions when businesses scan new mover gift certificates. It compares the trackable marketing certificates scanned to the number of mailings sent to determine an offer’s success rate, allowing businesses to see their return on investment in real-time. The app helps businesses form loyal relationships with new customers by providing the option to send a second mailer while the business is still fresh on their mind. An App to Assist Franchisees in Rolling out the Red CarpetOur Town America’s franchisees have the option to use the proprietary Sales Companion™ app to assist them in signing up new partnered businesses. It provides a built-in calculator that breaks down the cost of the customer acquisition program. Sales Companion™ also provides a detailed look at return on investment and demonstrates how one loyal customer literally pays for the program trackable marketing annually. In addition, Sales Companion™ gives franchisees the ability to show real-world success stories from businesses who use Our Town America to market their business by allowing them to pull up recent press and news articles on the spot. Businesses Can Cater to New Customers with this AppOur Town America helps alleviate some of the stress new residents feel when they change residences by offering the option to use their third mobile app, Our Town Deals™, in addition to paper gift certificates (or instead of – depending on the sponsor). Unpacking can be a headache, so having a free pizza delivery at their fingertips provides a welcome relief to a hungry new mover. “Direct mail isn’t going anywhere, but supplying the option to redeem trackable marketing gift certificates on your phone is a great complement to an already terrific program,” Johnson said. The mobile app benefits sponsors by giving them the option to push out deal notifications, extending the life of the program by offering ongoing specials for the new mover. The smartphone technology has the option of providing reminders to customers leading up to the expiration of a gift, effectively decreasing the response time and increasing the response rates for our sponsors. The app engages customers by giving them the opportunity to participate in surveys to give sponsors valuable feedback. It also allows sponsors to provide personalized touches down the road to fuel repeat business. Our Town America created their mobile apps with a goal in mind – make life easier for everybody involved. Whether you’re a new mover, a business owner or an Our Town America franchisee, we’ve got you covered. People are creatures of habit, so Our Town America encourages businesses to reach out to new movers before a competitor snags them first. And, because Our Town America offers category exclusivity to sponsors – meaning only one business of a kind in each Welcome Package, it’s important for businesses to claim their category. Automotive shops, dental offices, grocery stores, hair salons/ barbershops, pet care and restaurants are just some of the industries sought out by new residents. Learn more about how Our Town America can help your business gain new loyal, long-term customers 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. […]