Testimonials can be a key element in your marketing copy. They help attract new customers by showing that others have had a satisfactory ordering experience. They help bond existing customers by demonstrating that you’re a “real” organization with real consumer relationships. And, if you’re a new or little-known company, they show that you actually have customers. Read the rest of this entry »

In our last issue, I revealed some of the biggest embarrassments in design and production today­­: flubs and flaws that could be avoided not by throwing more money at them, but rather through better observation and care, a more experienced eye, and a creative who is interested in selling your wares instead of building a pretty portfolio. Read the rest of this entry »

I’d like to blame it on the economy—after all, everyone’s strapped for cash. But in fact, lackluster, nondescript or misinformed creative is a problem that’s actually getting worse, despite the sophisticated tools creatives have at their fingertips. Read the rest of this entry »

One thing that is common amongst the majority of our LENSER clients is the prevalence of in-house creative departments. It’s a handy way to hold down a budget when there are a multitude of daily tasks such as layout, writing, and photography work for an ongoing campaign of emails, catalog, website and more. Read the rest of this entry »

Anyone who sat through the DMA Echo Awards this year got quite an eyeful of some pretty interesting campaigns and efforts. But when one looks at the bottom line in each of the entry books, the actual measurable response in many cases was based on awareness measures rather than actual gains in sales and/or active customers via leads generated. The question is: is that enough for you? Read the rest of this entry »

Email has become a part of nearly everyone’s marketing program. At LENSER we have clients who have us develop great, triggered email programs for them that will bring back old customers and generate new activity or simply get them to complete a purchase they started and then abandoned. Read the rest of this entry »

Conferences have frequently been perceived as a playground by management, unaware of the quality education that can often be found there. Ergo, these days it’s harder and harder to get permission to attend a conference—and this is a shame, because if you choose your sessions right, it can provide education that no university could ever give you:  rubber-on-the-road experience by successful purveyors and mentors. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s the ultimate ‘attention-getter’ and often very misused:  the sweepstakes is a tactic, like any other marketing tool, which needs to be used thoughtfully and with long-term planning. But the payoff for you can be terrific. Read the rest of this entry »

Whether working with an email/landing page combo, or a catalog cover/first inside spread, or a direct mail effort, your teaser, headline or subject line is your first opportunity to get someone’s attention.  If that copy is meaningful to your customer, and a real grabber, the next step—the follow through, or payoff—is essential to keep continuity of thought.  That’s a highly effective way to keep a customer’s attention long enough to woo them and sell a product or service. Read the rest of this entry »