Correcting Missteps Made in These Difficult Times

Last year was a difficult year, and while 2010 is shaping up to be much healthier, many leaders are still reacting to last year's environment.

Yes, we have had to do more with less. In most cases, the less is staff and the more is in the form of increased workload and hours. But when the pendulum swings, and inevitably it shall, will we be poised to recover swiftly? Use the following five tips to help your organization rebound quickly and fuel growth.

1) Avoid negativity, and rally the troops! Everyone understands the need to cut expenses to survive the recession. Doing more with less can not only be tolerated, but it can also be accepted. But don't treat people like they should feel lucky to have a job! Sincere and timely recognition for a "job well done" can continue to motivate and inspire your staff onward. Communicate your gratitude to your donors and members. Let your partners know they continue to be a key part of your success and future. No matter the magnitude of their contributions, communicate your appreciation promptly and often.

2) Seek input from all your folks. It's not always good to cut "'til you bleed." Rather, gather information and evaluate programs and processes. Determine which projects/tasks are critical to your mission, survival, and growth, and focus on these. Postpone other residual tasks.

3) Look for opportunities that will allow you to build and not cut. Involve everyone in the search for innovations and efficiencies. Engage everyone; ignore no one. Give them a sense of ownership in common goals and stand with them. If you are there for them, they will be there for you. Reward ideas that work. In addition to recognizing talent, if an idea has saved money or generated additional revenue, provide the individual(s) with some additional reward, like a gift card or even cash.

4) Do not cut marketing spending, but instead consider increasing it. While others are cutting, it is critical to keep your message alive and your organization visible. Increase your testing and market research to learn more about your audience than you ever did before. History proves that those who increased advertising during a recession improved market share and ROI over competitors who cut back.

5) Invest in employee education. Training provides your employees with the extra skills your company needs you stay competitive in an ever-changing world. Training also leads to higher job satisfaction and better job performance.

Eight Tips for Top Press Releases

Whether you're a non-profit or for-profit organization, you have something to share with the general public, industry publications, customers, members, and others. New products. New services. New events. New opportunities to get involved. Get the word out with a clearly written, purpose-driven press release.

Even if you're never written a press release before, you can create a focused announcement that delivers timely information and creates interest, and you don't have to re-invent the wheel, so to speak, every time you write one. Applying the following eight tips to any press release you write will help you organize and execute your publicity plans and communicate key information every time:

1. Identify the piece as a press release. It sounds obvious, but if you don't identify what your document is, preferably in the upper left-hand margin of your page, your news may never get read. The phrases, "For Immediate Release" or "Press Release," in all capital letters, are all you need.

2. Include contact information. Including your spokesperson's name, title, phone number, and email address makes it easy for a reporter/recipient to call with follow-up questions.

3. Answer five questions in your lead paragraph: who, what, when, where, and why. That includes your dateline, which tells the reader where and when the story was written (WASHINGTON, D.C., June 14, 2010, for example). Make this first paragraph as intriguing as possible so you not only grab your readers' attention, but you also convey all the important details as quickly as possible.

4. Make it news. Make sure your press release focuses on something newsworthy: a new product, service, event, change in operations, etc.

5. Focus on the facts. Your press release should include facts, not a sales pitch. Reporters know the difference between news and marketing hype.

6. Let someone speak. Including a descriptive scope from a person with authority personalizes your release and gives you an opportunity to break from the "just the facts" tone.

7. Don't forget the headline. Your headline should summarize your announcement. Include the name of your organization, when possible, and at least one strong action verb.

8. Don't get carried away. Not everything is newsworthy. Limit yourself to the number of press releases you distribute each week to maximize their impact. Otherwise, your press releases risk losing their potency.

Extra! Extra!: Use News in Teaser Copy to Get Your Direct Mail Opened

You could create the most effect pitch in the history of your organization, but unless you get your recipients to open your mail piece, you might as well send them last week's newspaper.

So how do you get your mailing opened and read? You could use irregularly-shaped packaging, but doing so will cost you exponentially more in production and postage. You could ship your mail pieces via first class mail, but that, too, will increase your postage expenses significantly.

Or, for just a few cents per piece—or for free, if you're designing a self-mailer—you could draw your recipients into your mailing by printing teaser copy on your envelopes.

According to advertising expert John Caples in his book, "Tested Advertising Methods," writing successful teaser copy isn't just the luck of the pen: it's the careful application of time-tested formulas.

Although Caples identifies 35 specific formulas, he breaks them down into four main categories: news, price, key words, and other.

1. News. What makes news effective subject matter for teaser copy? People like advances. They like innovations that make their tasks more bearable, their work more effective, and their personal life more satisfying. They like keeping up with change.

You can tap into this natural curiosity more easily than you may think. Try including dates or using "newsworthy" words in your teaser copy. Words such as "introducing," "announcing," "now", and "new" will grab your prospects' attention and make them want to read more.

2. Price. For many consumers and donors, the decision to buy or donate comes down to one question: how much will it cost me? Particularly if it's a reduced price or a special offer, including a dollar figure in your teaser could be just the thing that gets your direct mail package opened.

3. Key words. You probably already know the marketing value of the "f" word, "free," but do you know which "w" words you should be employing in your teasers? According to Caples, "why," "which," "who else," and "wanted" will likely get your mail opened.

Direct Mail To Increase in 2010 because of Proven Success!

Direct marketers challenge predictions of a decline in direct mail and expect 2010 to yield an increase instead! As said in a study from the Direct Marketing Association, mail spending is expected to increase by more than $1 billion!!! The report states that e-mail, once thought to be the next big thing as a prospecting medium, drives fewer sales that most other marketing channels.

According to the report, non-catalog direct mail returned $15.22 for every dollar spent in 2009 and drove $445.8 billion in sales! This type of ROI is not only impressive but also a much needed resurgence to the overall economy! So get it in the mail and enjoy the increase in response.

Happy Mailing!!