PDMA November Meeting Reveals How to Drive Big Marketing Results with Small Budgets

2009-11-25 18:17:50 -

Philadelphia, PA – November 25, 2009 – “My marketing isn’t working and I don’t know why.” That’s one of the most common complaints Eric Keiles, Founder and Chief Marketing Officer for Square 2 Marketing, hears from business owners. Keiles, in a session jam-packed with tested-to-work marketing ideas and relevant examples, shared ways to drive qualified leads to the Web and

phone at the November 18th breakfast and networking meeting of the Philadelphia Direct Marketing Association
( www.the-pdma.org).

“Think about all the ways your business is remarkable,” advised Keiles. To illustrate, he shared how a dry cleaner with valet service promoted the benefit-driven value proposition: “Never step into a dry cleaners again!” A builder of new homes uses Webcams for homeowners to see progress without having to get into the car. “You can’t pay for the word of mouth this type of differential delivers.”

Keiles reminded that being remarkable is about consistently raising the bar and that it takes effort to deliver something that takes away a prospect’s pain. He also discussed the scratch out/drop in test. “If you can scratch out your name in an ad or on a Web site and drop in your competitor’s name, then you have work to do.”

In addition to highlighting the remarkable, a company’s marketing efforts also need to be quantifiable, prospect-focused, budget-oriented, and able to produce high return on investment.

Keiles is a big believer in the power of providing education to customers and prospects. He advocates driving consumers to the Web for special reports that address problems that your product or service will correct. “Use this opportunity to collect e-mail addresses so you can start a conversation.” Other marketing best practices include:

 Narrow your focus – hone in on specific types of prospects
 Use testimonials to build credibility
 Build ads that include a problem-solving headline, “remarkables,” a strong offer,
testimonials, and call-to-action copy

“None of us has a Fortune 500 Company budget,” said Keiles. “Narrow your focus to meet the needs of an appropriate target audience and you’ll reduce marketing costs and drive positive results.”

About the Philadelphia Direct Marketing Association
The Philadelphia Direct Marketing Association (PDMA) is a non-profit membership association consisting of more than 500 members throughout Philadelphia, Southern New Jersey, and Northern Delaware. The PDMA has served the direct marketing community through education, information, and networking services since 1943. For more about the PDMA and a schedule of upcoming meetings and events, visit www.the-pdma.org or call 215-473-1668.
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