Marketing Committee
Continuing Education

Marketing Tips

The following tips were submitted by Bruncha Milazsewski. Bruncha is sharing what she learned while reading the Vision Edge Marketing listserv.

Key Point: 10 TIPS for Improving Qualified Leads from Print Advertising.

We've decided to take the plunge and invest in some trade print advertising for lead generation. What are some techniques to ensure we generate high-quality leads from the effort?

1. Focus your message on the benefit and application of your product/service.
2. Put a primary benefit in the headline - be sure the headline answers the question "so what?"
3. Connect the product/service to a specific application that the target recognizes and can relate to.
4. Make the ad easy to skim - use bulleted copy, subheads, and graphics to communicate key points.
5. Whenever possible include a satisfied customer quote or statistic that lends credibility. Use full names, real company names, and source stats to make them believable.
6. Stretch your budget - go for frequency of placements over size of ad.
7. Give the target a compelling reason to inquire right away. Create benefit-oriented offers and calls to action that answer the question, "what's in it for me?" Give the target a reason to respond. If you offer a useful premium, keep your costs down by making the items of interest to only qualified prospects. Think carefully about the language of the offer - for example Buying Guide vs. brochure.
8. Talk in first person. Frame things in the language of 'you' rather than 'our or us'.
9. Tie the offer to the targets' buying cycle and merchandize the offer.
10. Ask for the business and make it easy for the prospect to respond. Remember, unique landing pages and 1-800#s can provide good tracking mechanisms.

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