When building an integrated marketing campaign, it’s vital to focus on WHY you are communicating with prospects and HOW.
I see printing companies get bogged down with the WHEN parts of the campaign. They struggle with creating a schedule for contacting their prospects regularly. They worry that a prospect will just go to whomever has communicated with them the most recently, so they are desperate to blah-blah-blah on every channel so they are “present” when people are looking for a printer. They throw content like spaghetti against the wall to see what will stick.
Sure, printing companies need to be present where their target audience is, and they need to be contributing worthwhile content. However, if you are reaching into someone’s computer, mobile phone, email or specifically pinging someone on social media, you’d better have a good WHY for intruding on their territory.
If you are disrupting prospects only to check in or see what’s new you are essentially crying wolf.
Here is an example of what happens when you fail to consider the WHY and HOW.
A very nice publisher friend went out golfing every Wednesday morning with his most lucrative advertisers. A designer who was courting his business called him on his personal cell phone on see if there was anything he could bid on. My friend told him it wasn’t a good time and to please not call on Wednesdays. Well, that old computerized contact dinged on another Wednesday, and the designer thought, “Hmm, I haven’t checked in lately. Let’s see what Mr. Publisher is up to.” You guessed it, he interrupted him again on a Wednesday, and then, remarkably, once more.
Can you imagine how frustrating it must have been for my friend to be disrupted by someone who was trying to get business from him?
The third time he received a call on the golf course he said, “If this is how it’s going to be with communication and following instructions, then I don’t want to do business with you.”
The designer had figured out the frequency (WHEN) part, but he hadn’t figured out the channel (HOW) and a reason that would be interesting and beneficial to the prospect (WHY).
Here’s an example of a well-crafted WHY and HOW.
A client of mine knows that sales managers usually hold their team meetings on Monday mornings. She is a sales trainer and coach. Once a month on a Sunday afternoon, she sends out an editable file that can be printed by the recipient (sales managers). It includes a sample agenda for a sales meeting and supporting material. She shows where sales managers can fill in the blanks with their own material. It’s short, bulleted, and easy to understand. All the work is done for the sales manager.
Can you imagine if you’re a sales manager who hasn’t pulled together a sales meeting idea yet? My friend’s materials would be a lifesaver! For the sales managers who are already prepared, they can use it for a future meeting. Either way, it’s a well-executed campaign with big benefits for the recipient.
The WHY of this campaign is to help her prospective clients save time and show them how to hold a high-quality sales meeting.
The campaign demonstrates her expertise, gives prospects a taste of what it would be like to work with her, shows how organized she is, and exhibits the quality of her training materials. The channel, email (HOW), is appropriate because it arrives at the moment of their greatest need.
If you are measuring results by click throughs and replies, consider that almost all the recipients download the file. Many email back a personal reply with a huge THANK YOU for rescuing them.
Do you see the ends of the spectrum on these two examples? One person is using a highly intrusive communication method with no clear benefit and a clueless process. Another is using the proper method at the proper time, with the proper content.
Here’s where printers often miss the WHY-HOW mark with social media.
Printers tend to engage on social media during business hours, or at the times that are convenient for them. Again, think about the person on the other end of the discussion.
- What are they doing right then?
- Are they in a receptive mood for our message or are overwhelmed and distracted?
- Are they in a situation where they can engage with us or have a private conversation?
- Have we connected with them in a way so they can contact us discreetly through email or a message rather than in the public stream?
- Would it be better to talk with this person in the evening or on the weekend when they can give you their attention?
Here’s why print can be the winner of WHY and HOW.
Finally, print in a multi-channel campaign is almost always well received and rarely viewed as an intrusion. If you start with print that is timely, relevant and useful, the other channels can spoke off of that and support your message. Don’t just print what you’ve already conveyed elsewhere. Make print a focal point and make it special. Use texture, color, interactivity, and memorable messaging. As I’ve said before, print opens doors, while email, phone, and social media can help you clinch the deal.
These days it’s not enough just to call people and check in. It’s not enough to send a newsletter that is all about you and not relevant to them. It’s not enough to blast your daily specials on social media. Take time to craft a well-researched campaign that delivers useful content at the right time on the most appropriate delivery method.
Sandy Hubbard is a marketing strategist for printing companies. She builds marketing programs that can be sustained over the long haul, with affordable tools and your own people…and without stress! Find Sandy on Twitter at @sandyhubbard each Wednesday at 4 PM ET, assisting #PrintChat host Deborah Corn @PrintMediaCentr with a lively online discussion for printers and those who love print.
