Retail companies have relied on catalogs to tell sell products for decades.  As far back as the Sears catalog being used as toilet paper, consumers love the visual appeal of being able to gaze over a plethora of products.  Nurturing a longing to have or own something you see in a picture is one part of the selling process that people actually enjoy.  Think about it, there is nothing like curling up (or sitting down in other less mentionable places) and enjoying a good product-promoting piece of print.

I get dozens of catalogs a month – Potterybarn, JCrew, Restoration Hardware, etc.  I also get a few magazines – People, Real Simple, Vogue.  But my friends,  I only get ONE Magalog  (Lush) and I must say it’s my favorite.

Q. What’s a Magalog?

A. A catalog magazine hybrid.  A magalog communicates brand like a magazine and sells products like a catalog.  It’s a powerful communication tool that inspires the consumer and reflects how modern audiences interact with media across multiple platforms.  They get the magalog in the mail, read it, then go online to purchase.  Yes, a catalog works the same way, but a magalog communicates image and brand by telling the story behind the product using magazine-like techniques.  A catalog tells you what the fabric is made of. A matalog explains how it makes your look and feel.  The result is a more emotional connection to the products being sold. Brilliant!

Here are some companies using magalogs:

Lush

Mark

Zappos

Rumors (this is more of a newspaper format but is a local non corporate example I enjoy)

A recent Custom Publishing Council poll shows consumers are increasingly attracted to magalogs because they contain useful information:

68%

say custom publications help make better purchasing decisions

74%

prefer getting information from an interesting collection of articles rather than traditional ads

59%

read print custom publications as opposed to the 39% who will look through an electronic custom publictiion.

Today our company received a letter from Empire State Development that was printed and mailed out of Texas!  Ironically so, the letter was promoting a focus group of business owners “who provide the types of goods and services that the State of New York routinely purchases”.  The purpose of the meeting is to rally up business owners and learn how to participate in the New York State bid process.

Empire State Development is utilizing the services of NERA Economic Consulting to host the focus groups.  NERA is based in NYC.

Our taxpayers fuel Empire State Development and similar state agencies.  When they use vendors outside of New York it is a slap in the face to the state’s workers and our economy.   It’s good to know that our tax money is being spent in the Lone Star State. There are hundreds of vendors who could have printed and mailed this letter right here in New York – and I’m one of them!

The USPS has recently started sending me “Deliver; A Magazine for Marketers”.  The September 2009 issue is titled Going Green: Marketers Discover New Environmental Territory.  Basically it’s 30 pages packed full of the latest and greatest green initiatives.  A lot of it I have heard and seen,  but I really liked this page.  Just interesting to see where direct mail stands as opposed to other human waste.  I’m always surprised how many people DON’T ask us about our green initiatives and what they can do to make their direct mail programs more environmentally friendly.

Even though few are asking,  I’m still going to put my two cents in! In my opinion,  the most waste comes from lack of list hygiene.  State Agency’s, for example,  send millions of pieces a year to bad addresses due to certain laws in place preventing them to update their data without a direct request from the recipient.  Failure to use list updating software like NCOA (National Change of Address) can result in a large percentage of your mail incorrectly addressed.  An average of 15% of Americans change their address each year, if you’re not doing something to keep up on the changes your undeliverable standard mail is thrown away by the USPS.

Out With The Old, In With The New

The age of “spray and pray” (sending mass amounts of mail to just about anyone’s mailbox) is over. Direct mail bust be targeted, direct, and most of all show personality.  With the likes of Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin marketing has turned into a social frenzy! Not only do your customers and prospects look at your company’s work ethic and track record,  but now they expect to LIKE you too!  Traditional B2C marketing efforts may be lost in the social movement.  You’ve got to get personal.

If you keep sending the same offers time and time again and continue to get the same disappointing response rates – you have nobody to blame but yourself. You need to combine your old efforts with new tactics.

I know what you’re thinking…

“How the hell do I do that?!”

It’s pretty simple and can be as small or a large of a transition as you like.  Sitting online all day wasting valuable work hours trying to “connect” with people online is just as irresponsible as sending out mass amounts of irrelevantly targeted direct mail.  This blog is about direct mail and that is my traditional media focus.   Let’s take a look at direct mail vs. social media

Direct Mail:

Pros: Reach an intended targeted audience, gets looked at before it is thrown away, allows a visual and tangible connection.

Cons: Costly, requires constant effort and a budget to match to stay connected.

Social Media:

Pros:  Reach many people cost effectively, personal connection; once you’re in touch you stay connected.

Cons: Connections aren’t necessarily relevant, lots of competition.

Keeping the pros and the cons of both in mind, how do we combine the advantaged prospecting of direct mail with the cost effectiveness of staying in touch via online media?  How do we stretch our traditional marketing  budgets and breath new life into our campaigns?   Answer:  Use direct mail as an entry platform for cross media communication.

Make The Response Rate Jump

Direct mail typically warrants a response rate of anywhere between 1-2%. .  Get cutting edge and consider using a PURL to boost response rates.  A PURL (personalized URL) is a customized landing page tailored to each recipient and can become your company’s custom entry portal to an online world of constant social contact and email.

By adding relevant variable data and PURLS to your mail pieces, you could see response rates shoot up to upwards of 8%.  Research shows that more and more recipients want to respond to their direct mail via online.  By offering them a personalized URL you are able to track their visits, collect more information about their interests, and direct them to new methods of communication.  Add links to your social media accounts on the bottom of the landing page.  It adds legitimacy to your campaign and opens the door to new methods of communication.

Look At Your Relevant Prospects!

If a prospect took the effort to go from an offline direct mail postcard to an online form request, and then onward to connect to you on FB, Linked in or Twitter – what you’ve got is one VALUABLE potential customer.  They have demonstrated their interest by taking cross media action.  In comparison to traditional social media, this is much more relevant to your business than someone who happened to like something you said on Twitter and decided to follow your company. And even more relevant than someone who liked your pictures and wanted to connect on Facebook.  Just because someone likes you as a person doesn’t mean they are going to need the service your company offers.

Summary? Get relevantly personal by connecting with targeted prospects online. Direct traffic from reliable offline sources.   If you want help,  email me.