Explore the Power of Explore the Power of Partnering Direct Mail & Partnering Direct Mail &

Social MediaSocial Media

Explore the Power of Explore the Power of Partnering Direct Mail & Partnering Direct Mail &

Social MediaSocial MediaPresented to the Greater Denver Postal Customer CouncilPresented to the Greater Denver Postal Customer Council

April 17, 2013 – The Arvada CenterApril 17, 2013 – The Arvada Center

For those of you Tweeting - feel free to Tweet:For those of you Tweeting - feel free to Tweet:I’m in the #direct mail - #social media wkshp with I’m in the #direct mail - #social media wkshp with

@mktgcopywriter@mktgcopywriter

Heading in The Write Direction

Baffled by Social Media?

What You’ll Walk Away With After Today . . .

• Understanding what is “social media?”• 5 top benefits of social media marketing.• 3 simple ways to integrate social media

into your next direct mail campaign.• 5 benefits of blogging.• 8 blog ideas to help charge your battery

& get your creative juices flowing.

What is social media?Social (adj.) – 1. Living in communities

or groups. 2. Of or relating to the life and interrelationships of human beings in society. 3. Marked by friendly companionship with others.

– Webster’s II New Riverside Dictionary

Think About ItWhat you do day-to-day is social, isn’t it?• Community – your neighborhood, your

workplace, your child’s school, your grocery store, etc.

• Relating to life of human beings – “How are you?,” or “How’s work, the kids, the family?”

• Friendly companionship – Those you connect with, you build relationships with, engage with more often, etc.

In Today’s Techno-based Society...

Social media involves interacting in communities, engaging, developing trust, and building relationships with others – ONLINE!

Why?

• Why do you want to do social media?• What are your goals?• Take a moment to write down your

thoughts . . .

5 Top Benefits of Social Media Marketing

1. Generating exposure for your business (85%).

2. Increasing traffic (69%).3. Generating qualified leads (58%).4. Developing loyal fans (58%).5. Improve search engine rankings

(55%).

Source: 2012 Social Media Marketing Industry Report, Michael Stelzner, April 2012

Social Media Statistics• 93% of marketers say social media is

important to their businesses.• Social media has become the #1

activity on the Web.• Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Blogs and

YouTube are the top 5 social media tools being used by marketers (Facebook leads the pack – 92%).

Social Media – It’s more than you think . . .

It is:• Blogging – more than 210 million blogs online• Submitting articles – ezinearticles.com,

examiner.com, articlealley.com, GoArticles.com• Bookmarks – delicious.com, digg.com,

stumbleupon.com, reddit.com• Press release submission – prnewswire.com,

prweb.com, free-press-release.com, PRLog.org• Photo and Video Sharing – Flickr.com,

youtube.com, instagram.com, twitpic.com, vimeo.com

• And of course, last but not least . . .

The sites you’ve all heard about: Social

Networking• Facebook – if Facebook were a country, it would be

the world’s 3rd largest (as of Sept. 2012 more than 1 billion users).

• Google+ - As of December 2012, it had a total of 500 million registered users (235 million active in a given month).

• Twitter – 500 million users (200 million active users).

• LinkedIn - the world’s largest professional network on the Internet w/more than 200 million members in over 200 countries and territories.

• Pinterest - In February 2013, Reuters and ComScore stated that Pinterest had 48.7 million users.

Partners: Direct Mail & Social Media

Integrating social media into your direct mail campaign can help you:

• Achieve better results.• Open you up to a whole new

audience of consumers (who become prime prospects for your current and future promotions).

Did you know . . . • 67% of online searches are driven by

offline messages (with 39% of shoppers making a purchase)?

• Those shoppers who receive a direct mail piece directing them to an online site spend an average of 13% more than those who do not receive a printed piece?

3 Ways to Integrate Direct Mail & Social Media1. Create awareness through social

media badges. 2. Incorporate a Call-to-Action.3. Make your mailer interactive.

#1. Creating awareness w/badges

a. Lets your audience know that you’re sharing information via those channels.

b. Helps you build your social media presence by reaching out to new & existing customers.

Example: Bed Bath & Beyond® Self-Mailer

#2. Don’t Forget a Call-to-Action

In addition to your badges, tell folks what you want them to do:a. Become a fan on Facebook.b. Follow us on Twitter.c. Connect via LinkedIn.d. Watch us on YouTube.e. Share your comments on our blog.

Example: Design Within Reach Catalog -Call-to-

ActionJoin the Conversation:•Share your comments at blog.dwr.com•Sign up for our Design Notes newsletter at dwr.com•Become a fan at facebook.com/designwithinreach•Follow us at twitter.com/ dwr_tweets

#3. Make Your Mailer Interactive w/a QR

Code

Place the QR Code on the direct mailer w/a call-to-action, discount or offer.

Then, when someone visits your landing page, make it easy for them to share a link to your content on their social media profiles. This could be via a simple:

“Tweet” button for Twitter“Like” or “Share” button for Facebook“Pin-It” button for Pinterest

Example: xfinity® direct mail letter - QR

CodeLike us on facebook.com/xfinity to keep up with the latest shows, movies & sports on TV and online. Visit us today by scanning the QR code on the right.

Visit facebook.com/xfinity or scan this QR code with your mobile device

Example: Bed Bath and Beyond Self-Mailer -QR Code

Find A Store Location Near You!Scan this QR Code® to contact Bed Bath & Beyond® for locationsnearest you.

Example: ValPak direct mail pkg. – QR Code & FB

Badge

5 Benefits of BloggingBlogs – the “core of social media” - are a tool for

communicating with customers & prospects. They:1. Are easy to use.2. Help improve your Web site ranking (because

your site has updated information).3. Offer a way for you to share your expertise

and knowledge with a larger audience. A great way for people to find out that you do know what you’re talking about.

4. Help you build your list. Share your posts on social networks like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to get others to read it & hopefully opt-in to your list.

5. Are usually just as easy (sometimes easier and quicker) to update as your Web site.

What to write about?Here are eight helpful ideas to help charge your battery and get your

creative juices flowing.

1. Success stories. Do you have a product or service (old or new) that generates great results for your customers?

2. “How to” features. Most people like knowing they’re going to get a finite set of tips, guidelines or secrets.

3. Company information. Choose stories that acknowledge your achievements and lend credibility to your business.

What to write about (cont’d)?

4. People stories. People like reading about people – especially if it’s someone who they know personally.

5. Related interest stories. Is there something happening in current events that relates to your business (i.e. the economy, sustainability, solar energy, recycling, etc.)?

6. Frequently asked questions. A list of those questions you receive from customers or prospects.

7. Glossary. Are there words within your industry that need some explanation?

8. Journaling. What’s going on in your life?

Fear Not Facebook:Share A Personal Side of

YourselfWhy is there a photo of my golden retriever in a post about Facebook? Well, once again Ike serves as my inspiration. Sad to say, on April 14th, Ike passed on into the spirit world. As many of you know, who have read about Ike here, he was a treasured gift in my life.

http://www.writedirection.com/fear-not-facebook

Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin – all help you boost the KLT Factor (Know, Like & Trust)

“53% of the people on Twitter recommend products in their Tweets.” – Social Media Video 2013, Erik Qualman

“90% of consumers trust peer recommendations (vs. 14% who trust advertisers).” – Social Media Video 2013, Erik Qualman

“92% of consumers (around the world) say they trust earned media such as word-of-mouth and recommendations from friends & family, above all other forms of advertising. “ - Nielsen’s Global Trust in Advertising Survey

“People don’t just search, they search for recommendations.” -Adam Urbanski, The Marketing Mentor

Word-of-Mouth: Where’s It At

• 82% of small businesses surveyed say “word of mouth is still the main source where new customers find them.”

• “The reliance on word of mouth . . . has led small businesses to make social media their No. 2 online marketing effort, after company Web sites.”

The Most Cost-Effective Advertising There Is“Many of these strategies are successful in

getting your name out there among prospects. Over time you may find that, when the phone rings, the person on the other end has never met you, but has connected w/you via social media (or someone else has and,

that person has passed along your name). To me, the referral network -- a.k.a. word-of-

mouth -- is the most cost-effective advertising there is.”

- Debra Jason, The Write Direction

Paper Is Not Dead Enjoy this humorous video at:http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=GAH0NhWR5g4

Complimentary Resources

• “The Secret to Connecting & Engaging with Your Prospects” – free report at http://writedirection.com

• “How to Get Amazing Free Publicity: 7 Simple Steps for Writing Successful Press Releases” – free report at http://getamazingfreepublicity.com

• 30-minute complimentary content discovery call w/Debra (only 4 available) – http://writedirection.com/talkwithdebra

Thank you for attending today’s session. Debra Jason

The Write Direction(303) 443-1942

http://writedirection.comdebra@writedirection.com

http://facebook.com/writedirectionhttp://linkedin.com/in/debrajasonhttp://pinterest.com/debrajason1http://twitter.com/mktgcopywriter