The strength of the email marketing campaign can be directly correlated to the strength of the relationship you have with the recipient. Therefore, while it’s possible to rent email lists, the best approach to email marketing is to communicate with people whom you have an existing relationship. It doesn’t matter if you’ve sold something to them or they’ve participated in a contest or a promotion, gathering an email list from your own internal databases is the best approach.

Tip #1: If you’re not collecting your customer’s email addresses, start!

Tip #2: Schedule email marketing to be sent, whenever possible, during normal business hours- instead of the middle of the night. Mail received overnight is often trash; an attention getting subject line during the day- while email is being addressed as it appears- can be much more effective! Email only works if actually get their attention.

Tip #3: Whenever possible, attempt to anticipate the customer’s need. If your product has a regular buying cycle, ramp up your communication with that consumer about the time you anticipate they would normally be in the market again. My oil change company, for example, has this down to a science.

Event Producers, Do you really know who’s coming to your show? Do you know why they’ll come back next year (or stay away next year)? We use show survey results on a daily basis to help producers identify the successful parts of their show and rebuild or replace the less attractive parts of the show. Understanding the results allows you to address a consumer’s concerns in a variety of ways. For example, if a large number of respondents identified they were disappointed an exhibitor was not present, make it a point to address that in the advertising for the next event.

The survey data allows a show producer to arm themselves when speaking to exhibitors or sponsors about significant facts like attendee demographics and household income, what percentage of the attendee specifically states they’ve come to the show to shop for their product(s), and if their impression of an exhibitor has been impacted by their booth or display. The ability to quantify the consumer’s wants, needs, and desires can make the difference between signing a new exhibitor and not signing a new exhibitor.

One additional thought: survey results regarding media habits gives Adstrategies another tool in the arsenal for negotiating. This data is so specific to you and your clients, it can be more valuable than Arbitron or Nielsen data. The possibilities are endless with surveys, what would you like to understand better?

So you have a decent video camera and a young guy on staff who took a film class in college.  Why…it’s almost like having your own video production department!

OK, so I exaggerate.

Many companies today do have people on staff with various levels of photography and videography experience.  Can they be utilized to handle some of your corporate video work?
The answer is a definite maybe.

Before answering Yes, decide if that person is more valuable doing what you hired them for rather than shooting and editing video.  Video editing is very time consuming – and you don’t want their other work to suffer.  But if they have time and interest (and talent) you might be able to save yourself some money by doing basic video production in-house.

Some things to consider if you go this route:

1- Make sure you have a good video camera that is appropriate for the end result.  A high definition camera isn’t necessary if all of your videos are going to end up as thumbnail size clips on your website.   If you want to use the videos on iMag (Image Magnification – the big screens in an auditorium, for instance) then you’ll need a 3-chip broadcast camera.  And if the video is going to used on TV, you want to acquire in high definition.  One thing is for sure: the video quality will not improve in post production no matter what you do with it.

2- The other two factors that dramatically affect your video quality: stability and audio.  Spend at least $600 on a decent fluid head tripod.  Handheld video is amateurish and a cheap tripod is a waste of money.   Then purchase a good microphone – and never use the on-board mic as your primary means of recording audio.   (When purchasing a video camera, buy one with XLR audio inputs if possible…it is worth the investment)

3- If you acquire footage with a good camera, with decent audio, and you used a tripod…there is a very good possibility you can produce quality videos in-house.  And if you decide you want to outsource your editing and post production, your video vendor will have a huge head start if your source material is shot in this manner.

There are many more issues involved in producing top quality video, including lighting, editing, graphics, music, scripting and voiceovers.   Great video is a combination of art & science.   Anybody can turn on a camera and shoot.  Not everyone can tell your story.

If you are fortunate enough to have someone on staff who can – outfit them with the best gear you can afford, and let them at it.  They’ll get better with each effort.

Video is a powerful tool…and becoming more important with today’s interactive media on and off the web.  You can take advantage of it- even if you don’t have a big budget.

I’m old enough to remember the Desktop Publishing Revolution.  Suddenly every desk had a computer and laser printer, and every person with Pagemaker was going to be a graphic designer.  That lasted about a year.

99% of the people who tried writing, designing and printing their own publications discovered it takes more than software.  It takes skill, it takes passion.  And it takes TIME.   After a spate of really bad design, we saw most professionals return their work to people who did layout and printing for a living…at least on the important jobs.

The same thing is happening today with the video industry.  Now that a high definition video camera is included with your new iPhone 4 (or pick your medicine) – why can’t you produce the next video project for your company?

Truth is…maybe you can.  IF it’s for a company picnic, a minor YouTube project or just capturing a spontaneous presentation or accolade, your iPhone may suffice.  But as many wannabe videographers are learning, it takes more than just a camera to be a video producer.

Having said that, watch this blog in the coming days for some tips on how to produce the best-possible video using the gear you probably already own.  We’ll try to save you some money, and improve the quality of your videos – even if it’s just a family reunion you’re shooting for fun.

There once was a day when many radio stations charged the same price for a :30 or a :60 and when it seemed essential to air :60-second spots with every schedule to get the pertinent content into radio ads.  Now, we find ourselves just successful in most cases using :15 or :30 second ads.

With many budgets tight or reduced, using shorter spots allows us to negotiate for considerably lower rates but still maintain essential frequency levels.  Prior to the internet it’s true- you did have to get every detail the public needed to know into the ad copy. Now, I see one of the primary purposes of radio and TV ads being to drive traffic to the client’s website or social media pages to get all the details.

One of our clients is a Bridal Show producer.  When it comes to young, recently engaged women, all we really need to say in the ad is BRIDAL SHOW, insert dates and location here,  and we have an instant attendee.  Easy accomplished in 15-seconds.  We have applied this tactic successfully for many clients over the last year or two.

Foursquare, letting the customer work for you.

Foursquare is basically word of mouth on a digital level. Your attendees ‘check in’ at your show and their friends find out about it by seeing ‘Joe just checked in @…” through their facebook and twitter accounts. All you have to do is get people to check in.

To a foursquare user, checking in is part of the game. They get offers for checking in, they can become the mayor of a location for checking in and all of this activity promotes your event. So set your show up as a foursquare location, offer something for checking in and let the consumer work for you.

Learn more at the Foursquare website, or ask your Adstrategies account executive.     http://foursquare.com/

For our show producer clients, just imagine not having to pay the printing costs for your program guide! I visualize cell phones, iPads, and similar products will replace the printed program guide for consumers on the show floor. In addition to the money you save on printing – features, exhibitors, and advertisers can be added and updated anytime (even during the show); imagine
asking your printing vendor to update the printed piece after the doors open!  We’ve found inexpensive ways to bring the floor map, exhibitor directory, and paid sponsor listings to any show- and the paid sponsor listings can more than pay for the cost of the feature.

Unfortunately, we still have not found the magic pill to cure all of your advertising problems.
 Social media – while you’re probably already tired of hearing about it – is only in its infancy. (Perhaps it is getting close to the terrible 2’s?) 
This being said, social media cannot be ignored. It must be part of your overall media mix and it does offer some novel and creative ways to make the consumer work on your behalf. There is the potential for exponential growth in the number of people who like your product, service, or
event. 10 people have 100 friends (or more) who all see they like (became a fan of) something in their Facebook news feed. Additionally, as a Facebook user, you’re predisposed to paying more attention to a certain group of your friends when they like something. 
Be prepared for candid conversations with consumers. A few of them may not like you and your product. Be prepared to tackle these concerns head on or they will multiply in the court of public opinion. 
Social media is very fluid with Wikipedia listing nearly 200 separate social media outlets- not including dating sites! It is very important to remain on the cutting edge of this fascinating technology.
Can we get a shout-out for MySpace?

Planning an ad campaign on radio or television late this summer or in the fall?  Planning ahead has never been more important. The gradual economic re-bound combined with mid-term elections is eating up both TV and radio inventory.
I was just working on a political buy for a Congressional candidate and we got turned down for a TV buy next week due to sold out inventory.  The 90-day political window does not actually start until August 1, so they can legally reject the orders at this point and that’s what they did.

We are working ahead on most all client buys to try to lock in rates before they climb.  In most markets we are anticipating cost per points being 8 to 12 percent higher than last year after negotiations.  While we cannot protect against losing inventory to political spots, IF the buys are placed early enough, that does give us additional leverage when it comes time to fight off any bumped spots or poor placement attempts by the media.
Typically there are spill over effects for two or three months after an election where national advertisers hold off on airing spots during the election, then eat up inventory immediately after.   So, we anticipate impact from the elections, then Christmas, to still be a part of the media world into first quarter 2011.

Yes, a lot of science goes into a solid media buy, no question. But there is another more important element, or you could say energy that goes into one – that is what I call the Art of the Buy. This part comes quite naturally to me as I thrive on connection with people – all people. Why do you say Because I find everyone extremely interesting and I know I can learn something from everyone I meet, even if it’s over the phone. My philosophy goes something like this: everything I will ever do in life requires interaction with others – successful interaction – if I am to get what I need from them. This is true in all of the universe, cooperation and connection result happiness and fulfillment. Applying this to media buying results in a fulfilling career for me because I get to interact and get to know many different people all over the country. The final result being a solid buy based on fairness to all. The ultimate winner is the client.