Using CDs and DVDs As Cost-Effective Direct Mail Pieces For Your Business

People love getting bulky materials in the mail. Once received, there’s an irresistible urge to rip open the package and see what’s inside. One of the most cost-effective things that you can do to increase your response rate (and business) is to send a CD or DVD in the mail as a promotional direct mail piece. There are many different things you can include for your clients. Plus, getting bulk CDs and DVDs produced is much easier than it used to be even a few years ago. Following is a list of ideas on what to include and some quick tips on getting your CDs and DVDs produced.

Seminars

If you’ve recently conducted a seminar that you’d like people to request on your website or that you want to share with your current prospect list, sending a CD is a great way to do that.

Programs Overview/Previews

This is a great way to get people to buy into your next program. Create an information-packed audio that also previews your next program. You can have an offer on the CD specifically for the program that is also for a limited time.

Tips

If you’re in a service-based business, some quick tips or helpful how-to’s could be included on a CD or DVD.

Video or Audio Message

This is a way of truly personalizing your connection with your client base.  They like to know that they are doing business with real people.  A message from the president or a spokesperson of a company can go a long way. This is great for universities that want to communicate a message to prospects, alumni, or donors.

Video Tour

Have a state-of-the-art facility that should be shown off? Create a video tour and put it on the CD or DVD.  This is another great one for colleges.  A campus tour could be included with interviews from current students.

Jingle

Some companies have a company jingle or a university might have a popular fight song.  These are great to include on CD.

Mascot Flash or Video

If you have a mascot for your organization, including a creative, fun flash or video with your messaging is a fabulous and entertaining way to connect with your prospects.

Checklists, Worksheets, Calendars

Handy sheets that will help people get tasks done are always great.  For example, if you’re in the lawn care business, have a checklist of all the different types of things that you should apply to your lawn. You can also include a calendar with the times of the year they are to be applied. If there are certain issues with the lawn, a worksheet to determine what might be the root cause is also handy. A school could have a back-to-school checklist and calendar and any financial worksheets.

Product Demonstrations/Photos

A video of a product in use is always a good idea so the recipient can get a feel for how your product will fit in his or her life.  Service-based businesses can include photos or videos of the team at work.  For example, if you’re in the photography business, you could have samples of your different photo examples on the CD. You could also include a video of yourself interacting with clients and deciding what shots need to be taken.

Technical Drawings

Drawings are a great way to help people understand something complex in a visual way.  For example, if you’re in the medical field and have a device that’s innovative, send a CD to other professionals in the medical field to show them how it works.

Annual Report

In lieu of sending out a great big bulk annual report (and in the spirit of being green), annual reports could be put on a CD instead. This could go to shareholders of a corporation or alumni in a college or university.

Options and Sizes

With CDs you have several different options and sizes. There are multiple different shaped CDs. You can always use regular sized round CDs. Mini CDs that are the size of a business card are popular and easily mailed. How much information you want to include on the CD can also determine the size and shape of the CD.

There are also a lot of different packaging options that you can have with CDs and DVDs. It ranges from a simple cardboard envelope to a booklet or special die cut piece that holds the CD or DVD along with other information.  There are several options to fit any size budget.

Production

Now that you’ve decided to have a CD or DVD, what do you do? There are a few production options.  You can produce these in-house if you have the proper software and printer.  Make sure that you have the right equipment that will give you a professional finish.  Most of the time, it is actually less expensive to use an outside resource.  There are CD and DVD production companies such as E Media Ink (http://www.emediaink.com) that handle production from small runs to tens of thousands to millions.  If you want to use a fulfillment company that can tie directly to your online shopping cart system, there are several options for that, such as Vervante (http://www.vervante.com).

Follow these ideas and guidelines for using CDs and DVDs in your direct mail to increase your business and your response rate.

Lauren Originals, Inc. Purchases Headquarters Building— New Home For LOI International, DIY Marketing Communications, Left Paw Press, and the International Association of Pet Fashion Professionals

November 12, 2009—Greens Fork, IN—Lauren Originals, Inc., a marketing visioning company serving various markets through multiple means of media, has purchased an historic building in downtown Greens Fork, Indiana for its corporate headquarters.  LOI International, DIY Marketing Communications, Left Paw Press, and the International Association of Pet Fashion Professionals will operate out of the landmark property, located on the corner of Pearl and Main Streets.

President, Lauren L. Darr, said, “This is our next step of evolution that will help us be of better service to our markets. While many of our team members our virtual, we will now have a ‘home.’”  She plans to be working out of the new building in Spring 2010.

The offices will be located on the main floor, which is currently being rehabilitated.  Plans include creating office and conference room space. There will also be a kitchen adjoining the conference room.  In the open area, which used to be retail space, will be a fun, creative area including foos ball, shuffleboard, poker, and pool tables. One of the really cool plans is to have a projected nine-foot screen where the LOI team can play on the Wii, watch movies or TV, host video conference calls, or surf the internet.

“It’s a crazy, funky, cool space that will allow us to work hard and play hard. It’s functional for hunkering down and getting the job done. And, it’s a creative space for those times when you need a stress relief or to come up with new ideas,” stated Lauren.

The second story of the property will be rented out for the first year while the main floor is remodeled.  Near the end of 2010, LOI will design additional office space and webcasting studios including a green room for the second floor.

The two-story, 4800 square-foot property was built in 1850.  Historical accounts include: hatchery, speak-easy, nightclub with vaudeville dancers, hardware and antique store.  Rumor has it that, when blues singers like Duke Ellington or Hoagie Carmichael recorded in nearby Richmond, they came to this building to party afterwards.  The building is the only downtown structure to survive the fires of 1912 set by an arsonist.

“We love the character and rich history of the property. It’s original and unique—attributes we pride ourselves in as a marketing company,” said Lauren.

When asked about the 2,000 square foot basement, Lauren winked and commented with a smile, “It would be a shame to have all that space go to waste and/or used as storage. Eventually, we’ll have a really rockin’ wine cellar there since wine is the nectar of the creative process.”

Make a Mighty Media Section for Your Website To Bolster Attention For Your Brand

One of the most ignored sections of a website is the media section. Many times it is often an afterthought when mapping out a site’s architecture.  However, the media section can be one of the most valuable tools in your media activities. So, what should be included in a media section on your website? Here’s a list of different things that should be included to ensure that the media section of your website is working to gain your brand the attention it deserves.

Backgrounder

One thing that should be included is the company history or an overview. The press and public relations professionals call it a backgrounder.  It gives an editor or a producer a quick education on your company: how it started, where it came from, and how it has evolved.

Annual Report

If our organization issues an annual report and has it available as a download such as a PDF (portable document format) file, including it in the media relations section is a good idea.  This is especially important for public companies. This gives even more background information to the press, and provides additional information on financial standings.

Press Releases

Include current and previous press releases. Display them in a couple of different ways.  Show the current press releases at the top, most visible place. Also have an archive. Most companies archive it by year and have links to different previous years: 2009, 2008, 2007, etc.

Links to Stories

If you have them, include links to placements. For example, if you have a television channel that has posted a video include a link to that.  If there’s an online newspaper or magazine that has done an article on your company, provide a link to that. These are always good because the press likes to know that your company has buzz around it. If they see other members of the press are talking about you, then they may think that perhaps they should do too. If you don’t have links, no worries.  You can include these in due time.

Bios

There should be links to bios for your spokespeople, executives, board of directors, and directors of sales and marketing.  At minimum, the President or Chairperson’s bio should be included in the media relations section of the website.

Photos

Have photos of the company’s executive teams, board of directors, spokespeople for different product lines, or sales and marketing directors— anyone interacts with the media. Product photos should be included along with photos of product installations or demonstrations.  For example, if you sell software, show someone working with it at a computer screen. Action shots are what the press likes the best. Make sure all your photos are high-resolution (at least 300 dpi or dots per inch), downloadable, and at a size of around five inches by seven inches.

Logo

Be sure to include your company logo in a high-resolution downloadable format, in case an editor decides he or she wants include it in an article in some way.

Video

With today’s interactive and multimedia environment, it’s also great to include videos. If you have videos of your key spokespeople, events, or product demonstrations, these are great. Many companies are not necessarily hosting these on their own websites. They are uploading them onto a video site such as YouTube and having links or apps on their websites for them.

Media Relations Contact

Always make sure that contact information for your media relations person is included on the website. It’s very frustrating for someone in an editorial or production role to want to get a hold of someone so that they can feature a product or a service, but are unable to get a hold of the right person to make those arrangements.

Key to all of these suggestions is to make sure that the media section of your website is searchable. If possible, use a database management system versus straight static web coding. This makes it very easy for the trade press. Including these items in the media section of your website will bolster your media relations plans.

Brainstorming Sessions Are A Great Idea And You Should Know Why

One of the things most productive things you can do in your business is conduct a brainstorming session.  When you feel like you are in a rut and can’t get out, taking time to brainstorm is always good.  Not convinced?  Keep reading for reasons why brainstorming is a wonderful idea.

Busting Through ‘Normal’

Brainstorming provides a break from the normal routine.  Participants get to step outside of what they do on a day-to-day basis in their roles or position. It gives them a sense that their perspective is valued because they can offer fresh ideas on how the company should be positioning itself, how products should be perceived in the market, and what service offerings should be planned.

Building Consensus

Having a brainstorming session helps you build consensus within the team. Once you get a team all together in one place where they can talk and see each other’s different viewpoints, they understand each other’s perspective. Because of that understanding and new perspective, different concepts and ideas come to light.  When a team works together on a project through brainstorming, it builds consensus and cohesiveness within the team.

Getting A Commitment

People have more commitment and more understanding of the business when they’re in a team-centered type of an environment where brainstorming is encouraged. A brainstorming session is also a way to get people to participate in the business that normally don’t. Many times people sit at their desk and keep to themselves even thought they have great thoughts they can contribute. It can bring out the best in associates when they’re asked to participate.

Fabulous Ideas

And, very importantly, you also get creative ideas.  When you run a brainstorming session well, it spurs creativity throughout the organization.  People begin thinking about how their jobs affect all of the different processes and routines on a daily basis. It reinforces the importance of each role in a business. You’ll gather a plethora of ideas that will range from the simple things to make better customer experiences to the next range of product or service offerings or how to market them.

So, when you are in a rut, conduct a brainstorming session.  It can spur your next stage of success.  Quite simply a brainstorming session is a great way to get people together and working together. You need to have it properly organized and run a tight ship when it comes to the brainstorming session itself, but when you have one, it can be one of the best things you do for your business.