We get it: overload of marketing messages makes it difficult to truly break the clutter. A ton of people write about it. I’m one of them. But instead of talking about a simplifying your designs, creating more interactivity, or shocking the audience (the most common suggestions in combatting overload), I am going to talk about a different technique.

I’m talking about going low tech with your communications. As the rest of the field forges on dumping more development and production money into raising the stakes, I suggest you go the opposite way.

What do I mean when I say low tech? As it pertains to direct mail, I’m talking about less colors, no pictures, cheap paper, and simple formats. This technique works because the headline is bold, the messaging is concise, and the production value connotes a no-nonsense attitude to the communication. Read more…

So you have decided to drive people online to respond to your offer. Great. As I discussed previously, an online destination can provide you valuable information about your prospects and customers not to mention key indicators to the success of your program.

But all of that means nothing if you can’t accomplish two things: differentiate traffic by lots and get them there in the first place. That’s where vanity URLs come into play. Vanity URLs are memorable URLs that customers key in to respond to their offer. It could be a splash page off of your main corporate site, off of a programatic microsite, it’s own unique site, or a personalized URL (PURL). All executions can bring great response and eliminate unneeded barriers to success. Read more…