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How to Deal with Tight-fisted Marketing Budgeters
Yes, you read the headline correctly!

It is about time we addressed this issue, especially in light of the current economy and the fact that marketing budgets are shrinking by the day (hours?).You’ve likely heard the following; they’re some of the most common complaints voiced by executives just before dropping the budget-slashing bombshell:

When your fresh marketing ideas are turned down by nay-sayers or provincial politics, don’t feel defeated. Learn how to adjust your game plan to create a win-win for the entire organization.

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As seen in DIRECT magazine and ChiefMarketer.com

Direct Mail Campaign Earns Impressive14% Response Rate!

Direct mail helped Lutheran Social Services thrash an economic climate that could have impacted the success of its appeal.

THE CLIENT: Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan

THE PROJECT: Lutheran Social Services, like many organizations in the area, was hurt, financially and emotionally, by the springtime floods of 2008. It needed to raise funds to relocate displaced clients and replace lost office equipment and furnishings.

THE CHALLENGE: Given the current economic state, many not-for-profit organizations are seeing a decline in overall donations. And combined with current price increases for direct mail, this project needed to raise “beaucoup bucks” to yield a high ROI.

THE SOLUTIONS: While many organizations are ruling out direct mail because they think it is too expensive and doesn’t work, Johnson Direct knows better! Remember your direct mail basics ... ugly works! We made the message "king," in this case, avoiding trite imagery altogether. By avoiding the high cost of producing a 4-color package, our "basic" black and white letter package was not only inexpensive, but fiscally responsible and genuinely sincere. This program proved that no matter how plain the package looks, if the messaging, offer and call-to-action is crafted correctly, it can yield a high response.

THE RESULTS: The mailing created for LSS garnered an eye-opening 14% response!

NEW! Special 5 Part Series on New Media

In this special feature, we’ll share with you 5 new things that you should immediately incorporate into your ’09 budget…and guess what!? All of them are FREE!

Each month we’ll feature 3 quick tips to help you get started immediately …

This Month ... BLOGGING
3 reasons to consider blogging and see how it’s helped Johnson Direct with PR.

At this point, I’m sure all of our readers are familiar with blogs and most likely subscribe to some or may even have their own (after all, there are so many free blog sites to get you started). But maybe you are now wondering how you can use your blog to leverage your business. Well, we’re here to help! Here are 3 reasons to consider blogging!

Tip #1: Want an inexpensive way to get in front of thousands of people? Here’s your answer! The sheer number of people that subscribe to or read blogs should be reason enough for you to get started. It’s estimated that 30 to 40% of all people read blogs daily! And if you aren’t positioning yourself as an expert on your product or service in your industry, well, someone else is going to. A new blog is started every second of every day. Take advantage of this easy opportunity to get your name out there!

Tip #2: Business blogs can shorten sales cycles when they connect decision-makers to the thought leaders who shape new products and services. And when it comes to influencing sales conversions, blog posts can have a greater impact on customer buying decisions. By encouraging interaction from customers and prospects, blogs also are a way to collect valuable information from your target audiences.

Tip #3: Blogs can be an effective PR tool that give you good word of mouth advertising and puts you directly in touch with your consumers.

Johnson Direct has been blogging for many years now. In fact, in addition to our JD blog, Grant writes “A Measured Approach” for Chief Marketer’s Big Fat Marketing Blog. This blog has helped to leverage Johnson Direct in the marketing world and attract new clients. Positioned as a thought leader in the industry, the blog helps us to stay in front of many prospects and clients.

Next month ... FACEBOOK
Stay tuned next month to learn 3 tips about Facebook and see how Johnson Direct helped one of its clients use Facebook to introduce its brand into the marketplace!

COMING UP IN OUR NEXT ISSUE

Plan for Website Success
8 ways to WOW your boss, company executives, customers and prospects with a truly effective website.

No doubt, you’ve visited plenty of websites that have proven to be a waste of your valuable time. If you’re like many business and marketing professionals, you secretly hope that your website meets the needs of your prospects, customers and internal users. But you’re not really sure, are you …?

You can create a roadmap to greater website effectiveness by taking the following advice. You’ll find the investment in time and money - to convert your website to a successful measurable marketing tool - well spent. In February's issue, we'll share several tips that promise increased qualified traffic to your website(s) and enhanced visitor usability.

Stay tuned for the next issue!