“How-To” Marketing and Direct Marketing Articles by Jeffrey Dobkin: Learn the MOST effective marketing methods in just a few evenings of enjoyable reading!
Driving Up Response Rates with Great Booklet Titles
Response can be increased by giving away a FREE Booklet. It is the title of the booklet that can both limit response from unqualified readers and increase response from real prospects. Here’s how. Marketing with free booklets is one of my favorite – and most effective – low cost marketing methods.
The Slick and Easy Way to Gather Testimonials
Whoever thought it would be so easy to get people to write nice things about you, even if they don’t mean it. Just kidding, of course. I’m sure they mean it… Anyhow… it really is this easy. Dobkin, in a more sober moment, or is that somber moment, writes the entire plan in his own exquisite clarity of style in just under a thousand words.
Postcards: Improving Readership & Response
Postcards are easy to mail and can have high readership if created correctly. They can be very effective marketing tools if written and designed well. This is a three part article series on writing and designing postcards to achieve maximum readership and response. This article sheds some light on a defining moment – when the reader first picks up your postcard. You have 2 seconds – this better be good.? Here’s how.
An article Against the Physically Challenged
Funny. This is seriously funny. Does Dobkin ever cross that fine line between what’s really funny and what’s really offensive? You’re damn right he does. But does that make him bad person? Yea. Yes it does. So if you’re that kind of sniveling little girly-type of person who always is the first to complain about everything then hey – don’t read his stuff.
You’re probably the type that can’t stand the typos and misspellings in his work, either. But Jeff leaves them in for the picky bastards who need something to point at and have the compulsion to tell others where they’re so wrong. Jeff’s philosophy is, you’re not really a man if you have only one way to spell a word. Last week he said to me, while writing his 6th book, “I have A.D.D. But at least I don’t have A.D.D.” Carry on, Jeff, carry on. There’s still a few good people who read your babbling. This article is really pretty funny.
Is My Marketing Better Than Yours?
How’s your marketing? Probably very good. If you do have any questions, this article shows what it takes to create the best marketing program. Also noted: some of the marketing services that are available from Jeff Dobkin and the team at the Danielle Adams Publishing Company
12 Questions to Ask a List Vendor
Buying a mailing list? Read this article – you’ll thank me very much.
12 Places to Buy a Mailing List
Probably the toughest decision you will need to make in direct marketing is the selection of a mailing list. It’s also one of the most important, because to a great degree your list determines your response rate. Here are some resources, and this is a full course in mailing lists 101, 102 and 103.
Testing Classified Ads and Direct Mail
It took me two years of research and writing to develop “The Intelligent Testing System.” The hard copy of this exhaustive study on how to market with classified ads and direct mail came in 2 big binders and ran well over 400 pages. This learning tool came with 10 double-sided audio cassettes of completely new material; and shipped at 11 pounds with a bonus disk on mailing lists.
There are over 15 letters and 5 pages of ad slicks to resell this program (good for any business opportunity program, really) if you want to. This article is a very, very short version and does not include the 100 pages of reference data or the audio, but is is a good article and makes for good reading. This program, now at about 10 years old, is still available in digital form for $149. While some of the names and addresses are out dated, the conceptual work is still up to the minute and a little online research would bring the program up to date.
Building Loyalty and Customer Retention for Under $2
In this fun yet pointed and direct three-article set Jeff takes potshots at the phone companies, banks, charge cards firms while presenting an easy way for you to not run your firm like those bastards. If you are thinking, “How can I keep a customer for life?” even when your prices are not the lowest in town, these articles may raise some eyebrows with a few easy to follow methods. Check it out – this is absolutely great bathroom reading material.
7 Lessons in Successful Advertising
No, this is not some fluffy stuff that I can make into a book. These are real lessons you should know about. And you should thank me that I didn’t make you read a whole book based on these seven simple principals.
Bringing Customers in your Front Door/Part 1
You’d have to be crazy to open a retail store. What? You are and you did. Sigh…
Here’s how to get customers when they’re not coming in on their own. Read specific Tips on Successful Retail Store Marketing
Bringing Customers in your Front Door/Part 2
Retail marketing II: Finding your best prospects and attracting them, then getting them into your store. Then getting them back into your store. Ugh. Hey, you wanted to open a store — I warned you. Oh well, here’s what you can do now. I mean, besides just sitting around wondering where everyone is…
Is it really a survey when you don’t care what your customers think but use this survey format to cleverly seduce your reader to learn about your new products and to call you. Sure it is. More or less. Read this fun but accurate article to learn out how to create “Hidden-Objective Surveys” and “Key Question Surveys.”
Easy Direct Marketing for Insurance Agencies
The campaign, the follow up, letters, newsletters, testimonials – it’s all here. Brief and to the point how to get and keep customers. It doesn’t get any better than this… Oh wait — yea, yes it does. Bring on the beer, uncork the champaign, put the top down and drive around in that new sports carwhile you’re away in Las Vegas attending an insurance sales seminar; and, and have a chance meeting with that (now recently divorced) cute little red haired girl you liked so much while you were a freshman in college. Now, it doesn’t get any better than that.
The pros and cons about different marketing methods. A more serious look at marketing. Ugh. But, if you need this, it may save you a ton of money and a lot of aggravation rather trying to figure all this out and do it by yourself.
The Most Effective Single Sheet of Paper in Marketing
Third article in a series (Building Loyalty and Customer Retention for $1.23; and The Strategic Use of Letters) on building customer loyalty and increasing customer retention. A good read, and you should read it
The Strategic Use of Letters
The second article in a series (Building Loyalty and Customer Retention for $1.23) of keeping customers. A good read and an easy to follow effective marketing strategy.
How To Market… Anything. An 11-Point Plan
Lots of people ask me “How do I market something?” So I simply write a marketing plan without knowing what they are selling, their budget, or the basis or bother of any facts or figures at all. Simple. OK. So… here it is.
The Most Effective Element in Direct Mail
If I could only mail once to a list, this is what I would mail. That says it all.
Using Post Cards to Generate Calls and Referrals
Compared to most other types of mailings, post cards are easy, fast and cheap. That doesn’t mean they can’t be effective. Here’s how to create a successful campaign using post cards by coupling them wiht FREE booklets. OK, so I gave away the secret… but the article is still very specific in how to receive the maxium response from a post card mailing. Jump right in – this short article is a great bathroom read.
~ You’re Reading Descriptions of some of the many Free Direct Marketing Articles by Author Jeffrey Dobkin ~