There is a time for everything in the marketing business. A time to stick with your current marketing strategy, a time to change your plan just a little and a time to try something completely different. The beginning of the year brings an exciting time to implement new strategies that could ultimately improve your company’s bottom line. Here are some ideas to help get your marketing in gear for 2012.

QR Codes
Technology rules the world these days, and consumers want information at their fingertips. QR codes are just that, a quick response code that your clients will love. The small square codes can contain a large amount of information, and anything that you would like to program into them. You can place them on direct mail, business cards, posters and even buildings. In terms of marketing, you can direct customers to a coupon, contact information or a link to a special promotion on your website. The possibilities for creativity are virtually endless.

Personalization
Nobody likes to be treated as just another number. And with variable data, your customers won’t feel like a number at all. Variable data printing allows you to personalize your mailings towards each of your customers. The more information you have on your customers, the more personal you can get. And in today’s social media world, there’s more information to get. This marketing strategy allows you to deliver messages that matter to your customers, meaning they won’t automatically ditch your mail because they find it irrelevant.

Content is King
With all of the information we ever need—and then some—readily available to us online, many think the traditional printed newsletter is dead. Oh, contraire. Consumers are information hungry and a well-produced, quick-read newsletter is just the ticket to keep your brand on your customers’ mind.

Promote Loyalty 
Customers like to know that if they choose your business, you’ll give them better service than another provider. That’s why you should consider a promotion for loyal customers. If they feel that you’ll be there for them in the long run, customers will be more likely to stick with you. Design a loyalty program for returning customers and get the word out there to entice them back. Referral programs are another nice option to have previous customers earn benefits while bringing in new business.

Leave Your Mark
 A surefire way to keep customers coming back to you is to leave a lasting impression the first time they do business with you. Send a thank you and with it a satisfaction survey to see what customers liked or didn’t like about their experience, as well as what drew them to your business in the first place. This will enable you to know what areas need improvement and what areas in which the company flourishes. Analyze the results to better inform you of how to retain customers in the future.

Communication is Key 
It is easy to forget about something if we don’t have reminders these days. Question your customers to find out what the best option would be to get in touch with them for future business. Then set up a plan so that you actually keep in touch with them. Whether it means a phone call, direct mail, email or even a text message campaign, your customers will be reminded of the service they received the first time and want to come back for more.

Make them Feel Wanted 
Don’t be afraid to find out how you can get an edge over your competitors. Explore how other marketers are able to keep a hold on the customers they’ve gained. Figure out what you can do to make a better offer than your competitors. It doesn’t hurt to send customers discount coupons or small gifts to have them thinking of you for no reason other than you appreciated their business. It doesn’t matter if you give your customers something as small as a pen. They’ll use that pen with your name on it and be reminded of the business they did with you.

Advertise, Advertise, Advertise
 Chances are you’ve already been asking customers what marketing materials have been bringing them to your company. If so, a simple solution to customer retention is to continue advertising for your company with the medium that has worked in the past. If customers found you the first time, they’ll be looking in the same places and continually be reminded of the great service your business has already provided them.

Getting a Sneak Peak with your Brochure Design

First impressions last; so says a well-known adage. Customers often get their first look and their very first impression of your company from the printed material that you provide, which is why it is so important for you to invest in your brochure. Design elements from the smallest change in colors to the biggest product images could even make or break your company’s advertising campaign.

Visual and tactile quality should be one of your highest priorities when it comes to planning and designing your brochure. The final product should look and feel well-made and polished. Your brochure is practically your company’s calling card; it should represent what your company is all about and send a positive message to the customer.

Getting it Right with Brochure Design

Your target market is usually a good thing to consider when planning your brochure design. That, however, isn’t enough. You also have to consider where your brochures will be distributed and the kind of visual stimuli that can be found there.

For example, if you intend to place your brochures in a typical brightly colored fast food restaurant, using similarly loud colors will be a losing battle for you. People passing by can easily mistake your brochures as part of the décor, and the brochures won’t attract the attention they were supposed to. Opt instead for paper colors and brochure designs that are a stark contrast and will really stand out against the given background.

Sell It!

Brochures are your opportunity to introduce your company and your product to a likely customer, but it shouldn’t stop there. Your company’s brochure should also sell your product to the reader. Don’t just let the reader know about your product; make him or her want to buy it.

Although specifications and technical data are definitely helpful, photos and product comparisons are more powerful when it comes to persuading customers to buy. Give them an idea of how the item will look when they’ve purchased it. Give them an idea of how it looks like when used. Give them an idea of the advantages of your product over others. Emphasize those points in your brochure design and be as explicit about them as possible.

You can improve the selling power of your brochure design by adding images. If pictures are indeed worth a thousand words, they have the value of a thousand sales pitches when used in a brochure. Provide prominent, detailed and attractive photographs of whatever you’re selling. Dazzle the customer with all the colors and variants available. Make your product look like something that the customer would and should buy.

Never, ever forget to give the customer a way to contact you or buy the product – a phone number or email address would suffice. Relying on the customer to seek out your store – especially if you’re a yet unknown brand – will defeat the purpose of using brochures in the first place. Remember, the point of brochures is to make customers buy. You may as well make it easier for your customers to do so.

We strongly believe, that if you have a question, you deserve an answer. That’s why when you call Allegra, there’s no voice prompts, no extensions to dial – you get a real, live person every time you call. We’re here to service our clients, above and beyond their expectations, and that all starts with the person that answers the phone.

If you have a question or need a project update, you can rest assured that our staff will get you an answer right away…not when they’ve had time to listen to their voicemail. We’re not ‘Corporate America’ and we promise it keep it that way!