Direct marketing co in administration: Proof you need to change how ...

One of Australia?s key direct marketing companies, SEMA announced their voluntary administration today.? With 700 staff in the 2009/2010 FY, and 375 at their closure, it makes you stand up and look hard at what this means for marketing.?

Is this a sign of the times? ?You?d better believe it.?

Are days of printing, packing and sending impersonal, uninvited direct mail nearly dead?? Have people simply run out of time and interest in reading outbound marketing they don?t need to? ??Can businesses really afford to prospect broadly with direct mail? ?A tool for those with deep pockets, it worked well for some who were prepared to pay for its 1-4% success rates. ?But in the internet era, is that enough of an ROI?

In these economically challenged times, this is just another sign that marketing is changing, irreversibly.? Are you ready for it?

Is your business online, engaged and ready to operate in this new communications paradigm?

To extend this reflection further, just yesterday one of my friends in the graphic design and web industry declared to me that they see little point promoting themselves in graphic design for print anymore.

Is print dead? Shall we finally throw the concept of bland impersonal and uninteresting brochures in the bin?

Has the tough economy finally forced businesses to properly accept the online, paperless approach to marketing that can be more easily customized to their target market?

The tools of the trade in marketing have undoubtedly changed.

Everything that can be printed can be read on screen.? Every person we meet in industry, can be found online.? So what is stopping us from communicating electronically and what does your business need to communicate and compete if print and direct mail aren?t important anymore?

The important things are:

A better website.? Most businesses have a website.? Few are good enough.? A website is the most powerful funnel for potential customers a business has.? When someone refers your business, people check your website to get their first impression of your business. ?When someone reads about your business online, they will visit your website to verify what it does. ?When someone meets you at an event and is interested in what you offer, they will visit your website to validate your capability before enquiring further. ?Will it call them to action, capture their interest, and generate a lead you can follow up?

A blog or place to post your content and an ecampaign tool to deliver it.? As a business in this new economy you don?t need direct mail companies, or PR companies who previously acted as gatekeepers to the media.? You have the direct line to your clients, contacts and industry through your blog, email box, and ecampaign tool.? Take advantage if it? give them valuable content and let them see how clever your business is.

?A good understanding of your social strategy and how you will resource its implementation.? Are you going to use Linkedin, Twitter or Facebook, or all three? Then, consider how often and what sort of content will you post on each.? What benefit do you want from the social networking tone and communications?

?A schedule for delivering content online in both blog and social forums. ?A good, rhythmic content schedule that allows people to receive your information and insights with religious regularity, showing how organised your business is.

I hope these ideas get you past the grief of old marketing, and well on the way to tackling the new opportunities ahead.

Rebecca Wilson is the Principal Marketing Strategist with Stretch Marketing, specialists in Professional Services Marketing and Business Development. ??

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