It’s time to think more about Web 2.0 and its implications for direct marketing, and less about how to bring the list industry into the early days of the 21st century.
Direct mail and e-mail aren’t necessarily dead, but they’re definitely not what they used to be. Many teens think of e-mail as something their parents use; the next generation of Internet users will consume information much differently than we do today.
Therefore, the objective for the list industry is not saving direct mail or moving to e-mail. It is learning how to effectively reach your market for the lowest possible cost. Sounds familiar? It’s what list brokers have been doing on behalf of their clients for decades. So what’s different today?
With the rise of social marketing, there are simply more media channels to choose from. These channels are competing for attention and many of them are free online. With Google Analytics and very little effort, the effectiveness of online efforts can be measured. New challenges were first realized by business-to-business marketers, but today every direct marketing service provider is facing a wave of free services online. In many cases, the consumers of marketing information will trust peers on social networks more than reliable sources. How do you respond to that?
Should direct marketers dive in to social media and see what sticks, or simply wait for this phase to end and the economy to recover? These extreme arguments lack wisdom, but here are five practical steps you can take to prepare your list business for the next generation:
Secure your brand on social networking and bookmarking sites.
You can check to see if your desired username or vanity URL is still available by visiting http://namechk.com. Here are a few tips for using the site:
*Click on the “show all” option to include all of the sites available. You can also request a site be added by clicking on the “suggest a site” option in the footer.
The default listing is alphabetical, so click the “sort by rank” option to see the most popular sites listed first.
This is a user name and vanity URL check, so registering a user name does not always guarantee that you’ve secured the vanity URL. Therefore, you may notice that the namecheck screen still indicates ‘Available’ even after you’ve registered your user name for a given site. In these cases, you would just need to log in to the site and find the option to choose your vanity URL.
Identify which social media sites are worth your time.
It doesn’t have to be all or none, but don’t jump to the network with the most users without determining its relevance and researching the trends. Facebook and LinkedIn are obviously doing very well so you can always start there.
And don’t forget the free portals. The bookmarking site Digg is still popular, but is losing ground to Reddit, which is based on Google search activity. Ning, where users can create their own social networks, is also worth considering. And, how-to is hot. For example, you could post an EHow video tutorial on how to choose a list broker or manager.
Embrace integration and automation for your core business.
Where are you spending most of your time? Are there cost centers within your organization that are holding you back? If you are in the list business, then what percentage of your time is spent on sales and marketing? If your main competitor is operating at 90% then where does that put you a year from now? The integration and automation of your core business functions will free your staff to spend more time improving online and offline relationships with clients and prospects. Here are two suggestions for improvement:
*Stop duplicating your efforts.
Owner service bureaus may now automate datacard updates for list managers, and list management Web sites can be integrated with list research system providers. Furthermore, mailer campaigns should not need to be re-entered into another system to create list orders. Get them integrated.
*Work together on convergence. Online and offline marketing efforts should be integrated on the backend. There are tools available that can help manage the data from multiple media and response channels.
Improve your online relationships.
Many of your clients will often let their guard down in the online discussion groups or news groups. Here are my top 10 LinkedIn group recommendations for direct marketing and list industry professionals:
*EMarketing Association Network (130,574 Members)
*Social Media Marketing (27,224 Members)
*Digital Marketing (15,837 Members)
*Marketing Executives Group (12, 245)
*Marketing Communication (9,700 Members)
*Chief Marketing Officer Network (6,458 Members)
*Direct Mail Group (5,165 Members)
*Database Marketers (4,696 Members)
*Direct and Database Marketing (2,328 Members)
*Direct Marketing Association (2,191 Members)
Finally, share your successes with your clients.
You’re already an expert on this.
These initiatives will drive awareness for your brand, establish you as a leader in the online community, and create efficiencies for your business along the way. The list industry provides the data that powers the direct marketing economy and establishes the protocol for the proper use of mailing list information so let the truth be told for the next generation of marketers.
Chris DeMartine is director of business development at
NextMark Inc.
Network
