Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

The success of your advertising is based on many variables: your copy, your target market, the quality of your targeted list, etc.

Instead of trying to start with a big campaign, start with a smaller test case (and work to improve the ROI of the campaign over time). As you figure out what message works, then grow the test cases into larger areas (bootstrapping yourself as necessary).

Also, instead of sending out catalogs, you might consider sending out stories (as Phil suggests). Don't forget that some great recent stories may make great PR for your local media (and a no cost to your organization). At Xmas, tell stories about Xmas. At Fathers'/Mothers' Day, tell stories about fathers and mothers, etc.

Phil is right. You cannot justify the results unless you get results. And, with my experience in nonprofits-- or biz for profit. Nice brochures don't sell. They are passive, inanimate objects. People sell. Impress your bosses with how you will follow up and drive sales. The wonderful thing about what you do is- effort almost always equals results. Especially for such a worth cause. Don't make the mistake most do, they send a brochure out and wait and hope. Make it happen.

Sell Well and Prosper tm

Mail shots on there own perform poorly. You have to think how to incorporate them into your marketing strategy. The closer you target your mail, the better the performance. How have to derived your list. How receptive will they be to the product. Only send you mail shot to those who will read it. Try to weed out the wasters that will just put it in the bin.

Then what will you do afterwards. What action are you wanting them to take. Do you want them to phone you, post of cheques, come to the shop. The clearer you make that task, the more response you will get. If you have a muddled call to action, it will result in inaction.

How many mailings are you going to make. Keep in mind what blanalytics said. So many mail shots fail simply because they didn't send out enough. You can run through the numbers backwards:

Wanted 100 sales @ 33% conversion

Require 300 responses@ 3% so

Must send out 10,000 mailshots so will cost ...

So we get to how to convince your managers to back you. Well they will simply be looking at the cost per sale. How many items you will sell or how much donations you will get divided by the cost of the advertising. If that cost is reasonable, then they will do it. If not, then they will not.

It is likely that your managers will want to do cheaper forms of advertising first. That is sensible. If you list all the alternatives, and their costs, and then show that all the cheaper methods are being fully exploited, then your mailshot will be the next step in the process. However, you may find when examining the alternatives, that there are other cheaper methods of marketing that you had overlooked or not fully utilized. It would be sensible to ensure they are expanded and developed first, before you suggest you mailshot idea.