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Category: Local Business

The Power of In-Person

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
The Power of In-Person Marketing Our Town America

While online ordering and digital ads undoubtedly have their place, in-person shopping and traditional marketing techniques remain a powerful, immersive experience. The In-Person Advantage Staying current on the news, finding directions, and completing a shopping list can all be done online with a few clicks, and at least 85% of Americans rely on smartphones to get the job done. Two-day shipping and free delivery make shopping online an attractive option for people who are crunched for time. Technology makes it easier than ever to check boxes off the to-do list. The average American spends 4.5 hours per day on their smartphones, surfing social media, streaming entertainment and online shopping. As we turn to digital services, many small businesses focus solely on digital advertising. Online ads reach customers where they spend the bulk of their time and can be a cost-effective way to get the word out about a brand.  Despite living in a digital world, there’s no replacement for in-person experiences. In-person shopping allows you to make purchases in real-time and experience the product immediately. It removes the guesswork of ordering online, limiting the need to make a return.  The same in-person shopping advantages apply to traditional marketing. Receiving a tangible offer remains one of the most effective ways to get the message out about your brand. Some “experts” may try to tell you we’ve evolved past direct mail. But they’d be wrong. Research reveals Americans would be disappointed if they stopped receiving mail, according to a United States Postal Service study. Across the generations, people perceive direct mail as being more personal. It’s trusted more than email alternatives, and many prefer to read promotional messages via direct mail.  Welcome New Residents Our Town America takes it a step further by focusing on new movers to help you attract new customers and build your loyal customer base. New movers spend more during their first year as they turn their house into a home. A new homeowner of a single-family home spends an average of $9,250 more than an existing resident, according to the National Association of Home Builders.  Recent movers need to secure new doctors, dentists, hair salons and their favorite new grocery stores. They’ll also be on the lookout for their new favorite grocery store, pizza joint and coffee shop. Capturing new movers’ attention before they visit your competitor makes all the difference. Benefits of New Mover Marketing We send new residents a Welcome Package filled with proven offers to local businesses. The gift arrives as they unpack boxes, adjust to new routines and venture out into the community. Let’s explore the advantages of Our Town America’s New Mover Marketing program. Proven offers. We don’t send potential customers discounts. Our proven offers are free gifts designed to entice them to visit your establishment. Once they come through the door, it’s up to you to provide a memorable customer service experience to make them repeat visitors. Clean lists. At Our Town America, our mailing lists are updated each month to remain current. We collect data from at least 11 sources to ensure our lists are accurate and effective. This means no wasted coverage – no lost advertising dollars. High ROI. New Mover Marketing is a cost-effective strategy with a high return on investment. The one-time, upscale mailing makes a lasting impression. Targeted. New Mover Marketing allows you to target new movers. Our other direct mail programs allow you to send your message to customers depending on their income level, location, and household size, and our digital marketing program allows you to hit either or, or both!  Learn More About Our Town America To learn more about making valuable connections with your customer demographic and the benefits of direct mail marketing, find your local Our Town America representative. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

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2023 Marketing Trends You Should Be Paying Attention To

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
2023 Marketing Trends You Should Be Paying Attention To by Our Town America

Forbes Technology Council — It’s been said that if you are standing still, you are moving backward. This is especially true today. Consumers are more informed and often make purchases based on their values. Plus, the constantly evolving digital age has ushered in a whole new way to reach consumers. If you aren’t considering recent trends and new technologies, you risk losing customers to your competitors. As you plan your marketing strategy for 2023, it is worth thinking about innovative approaches and how adding new tools to your marketing toolbox might impact business. Here’s a look at some of the hottest marketing trends right now and how incorporating one or more of them may help you get the attention you’re looking for. Influencer culture continues to rise. Social media is here to stay, and those businesses that can harness its power can potentially get an edge on their competitors. One way to do this is by using influencers—people who have a large following on sites like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or TikTok—to use your products or services and build a buzz about them. You don’t have to partner with a big-name celebrity for your efforts to pay off. Influencers with a smaller reach are often more valuable to a business if they reach the types of consumers likely to buy your products or service. A reel is worth a thousand words. The increasing popularity of Instagram, YouTube and TikTok shows that the best way to get consumers’ attention is to give them something to look at. Facebook Reels in particular grew by 220 million users between July and October of 2022, and TikTok’s 732 million users are expected to continue growing. People may ignore large blocks of text, but they will pause to watch a video. You can provide more information in less time by using moving graphics or short videos in your social media posts and on your website. Take advantage of user-generated content. When a customer posts an online review of your business or shares something you’ve posted on social media, that’s user-generated content. When someone outside your business praises it, it can carry more weight with customers as opposed to you blowing your own horn. Take advantage of this trend by suggesting customers post pictures of themselves enjoying your product/service on their social media feeds and then link to your business’s own social media. Also, encourage satisfied customers to review your business on sites like Google or Yelp. Email is still an efficient engagement method. Just because it’s been around for a while doesn’t mean that email is not an important part of your digital marketing toolbox. According to research by marketing software developer HubSpot, the average return on investment for email marketing is $36 for every dollar spent. Projections show that by 2025, there will be 4.6 billion daily email users. An email is a way to connect directly to current customers. By personalizing the email based on their past purchases, you have an even better chance of keeping them engaged. Direct mail continues to make an impact. Your 2023 plan shouldn’t rely totally on digital marketing. One of the earliest forms of business-to-consumer marketing, direct mail, will continue to make an impact in 2023. The latest data from the United States Postal Service show that 73% of all households read their mail daily. This tried-and-true method of reaching consumers where they live is even more valuable when combined with the technology available today. It allows you to target specific consumers who are likely to patronize your business. For instance, if you run a school or day care, you can target families with children. Local businesses have been very successful using new-mover marketing campaigns to encourage new residents to become their customers. Combine strategies for an omnichannel approach. Whatever strategies you decide on for your 2023 marketing plan, remember that they need to all work together to present a consistent brand. The first step to this is making sure your branding, audience and goals are clearly defined. Companies that try to be all things to all people sometimes fail to make an impact. Next, communicate the specifics to your marketing team. They must understand exactly what you are trying to do so they can in turn get your message out to the public. When you are laying out your marketing plan, don’t compartmentalize it. If it’s to work properly, it needs to be represented by a circular flow. For instance, your emails and direct mail should send recipients to your social media sites where you’ve shared user-generated content. This way, each campaign reinforces the next, increasing the likelihood that consumers will remember you when it’s time to decide which business to patronize. The bottom line is that your marketing strategy needs to be reviewed regularly to make sure it is growing and changing along with your business. By staying abreast of the latest trends, you will best position your company to catch the attention of the consumers who may one day become your customers. Article by Forbes Technology Council Member and President/CEO/CTO of Our Town America, Michael Plummer Jr. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives.  Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

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Former Parkland Teacher, Now Atlanta Resident, Wins $3K | FOX

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Atlanta New Mover wins $3K from Our Town America Survey

FOX 5 Atlanta — A former Parkland, Florida teacher, who recently moved to Atlanta is this year’s national winner of the Our Town America New Mover Survey contest. Amy Kleinman-Kenny was randomly chosen from thousands of surveyors to win a $3,000 check. Kleinman-Kenny was teaching at Marjory Stoneman Douglas (MSD) High School on the day of the tragic mass shooting in 2018. Unfortunately, she lost friends and students in the horrible tragedy that killed 17 people. Following the shooting, Kleinman-Kenny quickly became a leader in the community by offering her yoga expertise to the victims. She started the nonprofit ‘Yoga 4 MSD’ to help people heal. Once the Freshman class of MSD graduated, she moved to the Atlanta area to start a new life and continue her path forward after that horrific day. Shortly after moving into her Woodstock, GA home, Amy received the Our Town America (OTA) New Mover Welcome Package loaded with free welcome gifts from local businesses and a letter from the local franchisee, Chris Beer. Woodstock Furniture & Mattress Outlet, Vingenzos & Vintage Barrel, Woodstock Car Wash, and Buffalo’s Cafe were among the many local businesses to extend housewarming offers within the OTA package. “I was really excited to try all the new places! There was so much money to be saved from this package!,” Kleinman-Kenny said. OTA has been welcoming new movers and helping businesses find new, loyal customers for over 50 years. “We love the sense of community our program helps facilitate,” said Beer, the Atlanta OTA franchise owner. “Not only do we offer free one-time offers within our new mover package, we now also give businesses the option to welcome customers in via digital advertising as well – further extending the invite and strengthening these B2C relationships”. Woodstock Furniture & Mattress Outlet has been advertising via Our Town America’s New Mover Welcome Package for 24 years and counting — gaining new customers monthly. FOX Atlanta met Kleinman-Kenny and Beer at Woodstock Furniture Outlet to hear more about this heartwarming and inspiring story. Amy was presented with her $3,000 prize. Kleinman-Kenny is currently teaching part-time at Woodstock Middle School, continuing to inspire students through yoga and plans to allocate some of her winnings to her non-profit. Press play below for full FOX News interview. Our Town America supports small businesses across the nation 365 days per year. Local Atlanta area businesses looking to gain new customers via direct mail or digital advertising, please contact Chris Beer, our Atlanta franchise owner, at 800-887-9364. If your business is outside the Atlanta area, contact Our Town America corporate at 1-800-497-8360 to be connected with your local representative.       Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

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Personalized Direct Mail Combined with Powerful Digital Marketing

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Personalized Direct Mail Combined with Powerful Digital Marketing Our Town America

WFLA Tampa Bay  — Michael Avallone of Our Town America of Tampa Bay sat down with Farron Hipp to discuss the powerful impact digital marketing has when combined with the personalization of direct mail. Our Town America has been helping businesses gain new, loyal customers for over 50 years. Their services include New Mover Marketing, Postcard Marketing and Our Town Digital. Campaign results have demonstrated that combining a direct mail campaign with digital marketing enhances the effectiveness of the campaigns. Typically, your digital ads will run before, during and after your direct mail campaign, but they can be ran alone as well.  Our Town America is a turnkey, full-service program including graphic design, printing and mailing which are all managed in-house. Business owners even have the ability to track their campaigns through 2D barcodes, QR Codes, and/or Call Tracking. The personalization of direct mail and the power of digital ads sets this combination apart from a simple digital ad campaign. As Avallone mentions in the below TV interview, wedding invitations are sent via U.S. mail to let the recipient know that they’ve been specially chosen to receive your invite. It allows them to touch and feel the message – leaving a lasting impact and unavoidable decision to follow through on the piece or quite literally throw it away. Direct mail marketing messages are no different; they are just now more powerful when supplemented by a digital ad. To learn more, press Play below. Tampa Bay area businesses: Call Michael Avallone at 614-378-2977, or submit a Contact Form. Businesses outside Tampa Bay, FL: Contact Our Town America corporate at 1-800-497-8360 to be connected with your local representative, or submit a Contact Form. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

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Our Town America Digital Ads Gain Traction | FOX 40 Sacramento

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Digital Advertising Sacramento

FOX 40 Sacramento  — David Frisch of Our Town America of Sacramento sat down with Gary Gelfand and Scott Moak of FOX 40 to discuss Our Town America’s new marketing service – Digital Advertising. While Our Town America has been helping businesses gain new, loyal customers for 51 years through their New Mover Marketing program, they’ve recently rolled out Our Town Digital to further enhance the effectiveness of campaigns. Typically, the Digital Ads will run before, during and after a direct mail campaign – whether it be a New Mover Marketing campaign or a Postcard Marketing campaign. Depending on business needs, a Digital Ad campaign can also run alone. Between handling daily tasks, managing employees, inventory, etc., business owners have enough on their plate. Our Town America is here to take the stress out of marketing. As a turnkey, full-service program, graphic design, printing and mailing are handled in-house. Business owners even have the ability to track their campaigns through 2D barcodes, QR Codes, and/or Call Tracking. To learn more, press Play below and read up on Our Town Digital. If your Sacramento area business is looking to gain new customers, contact David Frisch at 916-474-1494 or submit a Contact Form.‬ If your business is located outside Sacramento, CA contact the Our Town America corporate office at 1-800-497-8360 to be connected with your local representative. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

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Affordable Marketing Ideas for a New Year

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Affordable Marketing Ideas Our Town America

To cope with high supply costs and above-average inflation rates, implement affordable marketing ideas designed to add loyal customers and boost profits. Businesses were hit hard in 2022 as inflation reached record rates, gas prices shot up, and supply costs increased. Labor shortages prompted small businesses to raise wages and offer incentives to retain staff. But relief is on the horizon. Research indicates wage increases are starting to level off. Hourly earnings growth over the previous 12 months slowed to 4.95% in December, its weakest level since March 2022. Optimism is rising, but fear of a recession and ongoing high supply costs make it likely you’re still crunching the numbers and searching for ways to cut costs in 2023. Over the last 50 years, we’ve helped small businesses open their doors to new customers in both lean and boom times. Our Town America recommends keeping a robust marketing strategy in place to drive traffic and, thankfully, there are affordable marketing ideas you can implement to save money and grow your business.  Direct Mail. We offer both budget-friendly New Mover Marketing and Postcard Marketing. Our New Mover Marketing program welcomes new residents to your business before they form loyalties with the competition. This Welcome Package filled with proven offers is an incentive to encourage them to visit your business – new movers love this personal touch. With Postcard Marketing, you can blanket a ZIP code with your message. You can target people by neighborhood, median income and age. Our Town Digital. Our Town America’s new “Our Town Digital” program provides an affordable tie-in to your direct mail piece.  The average American spends two hours and 14 minutes on social media each day. Sending a tangible offer delivers a solid impact. Reinforcing the message with a digital component provides seamless, hassle-free results. The digital ads will reach the people who received your direct mail and others who match similar demographics in your targeted area, such as commuters and frequent visitors, to increase foot traffic to your business. Build influencer relationships. Influencers play a significant role in helping small businesses promote their brands. The influencer market was forecast to reach $16.4 billion in 2022, up from $13.8 billion in 2021. By offering a free product or service to an Instagram influencer, you can showcase your brand experience to their cultivated list of followers. Find a podcast. At least 41% of Americans listen to a podcast, according to Pew Research. Being a guest speaker on a local podcast showcases your authority and expertise and generates buzz about your business. Local SEO. Improve your local SEO to ensure your business appears at the top of Google searches. Simply create and optimize a Google My Business page. Google offers tips to improve your ranking. Apply for business awards. Raise awareness about your establishment by applying for local small business awards. Many awards allow customers to vote for their top picks. People are more likely to visit a business if they receive a recommendation. Receiving an award will help introduce your brand to new customers and get some free press in the local media. Vehicle branding. Create a mobile billboard advertising your business by installing a vehicle wrap on your ride. Vehicle branding is a one-time cost with a high potential reward. Press releases. Newsroom staff shortages provide the perfect opportunity for small businesses to get local news coverage. Don’t underestimate the power of a well-written press release or full article to inform the media about exciting events or new products at your location. Build a customer database. Offer discounts to customers who sign up for your customer database. Having access to your loyal customers’ email and text information will allow you to blast out new menu offerings or special deals to help encourage them to pay your business a visit. Learn more affordable marketing ideas and ramp up sales by adding Our Town Digital and/or a Direct Mail Strategy to your lineup. Find your local Our Town America rep to get started. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

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The Importance Of Becoming A Disruptor In 2023

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Forbes - The Importance of Being a Disruptor

Forbes Technology Council — You’ve most likely heard the following expression: Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Think for a minute about how this applies to your small business marketing. Relying on the strategies that have served you in the past is not the way to build your business in the future. To stand out from the competition, you shake up the way you do things. In other words, you need to become a disruptor. What is a disruptor? The concept of “disruptive innovation” was introduced in 1997 by Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen. It describes a creative product or idea, usually by an up-and-coming company with fewer resources, that disrupts an existing market, sometimes even taking it over. Disruptors are most often associated with the fast-moving tech industry. For instance, consider Netflix. It started in the late 1990s as a service that allowed customers to rent DVDs by mail. It was so successful that brick-and-mortar video rental stores couldn’t compete; it eventually put Blockbuster, the largest of them, out of business. Then, Netflix pivoted again; in 2007, it forever changed the way we watched movies when it added a streaming service. Wikipedia is another good example of a disruptor. Dismissed as unreliable when it first started 20 years ago, it has grown into a trusted source, replacing encyclopedias as the go-to research tool. And after more than 200 years in business, Encyclopedia Britannica stopped publishing those heavy volumes. Now, it, too, can be found online. Disruptors focus on solutions, not problems. To create a disruptive mindset, you and your team need to start thinking differently. Instead of focusing on a problem, disruptors brainstorm solutions. Their ideas are likely unconventional—the ones that work often set precedents. Disruptors look at their existing products in a new way. While your company may not have the next big thing that’s going to take the world by storm, you can still disrupt the market by using what you have and presenting it differently. The pandemic has changed consumers’ needs and buying habits and created supply chain issues, forcing some companies to think outside the box. For instance, many fine dining restaurants started offering take-out or delivery for customers who stopped eating in restaurants during the pandemic. And some hotels rented out rooms to remote workers seeking a quiet place to conduct business. Disruptors don’t compare themselves to the competition. Like a jockey on a winning racehorse, you don’t want to keep pace with your competitors; you want to pull out ahead. Yet by consistently measuring yourself against them, you can’t help but wind up with a similar marketing strategy. If you want to be an industry leader, don’t worry about the competition; worry about the customers and find what they really value. Disruptors create new markets for their products. Your potential customer base is most likely much larger than the number of people served by your business combined with those served by your competitors. Instead of fighting for a bigger share of the pie, it’s time to bake a larger pie. To do this, you need to identify potential customers and find ways to meet their needs. New technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning can provide you with valuable data about consumer needs. This will help you identify segments of the market that are ripe for disruption. Disruptors are continually evolving all aspects of their company. To truly be considered a disruptor, it’s not enough to adopt a new mindset. You must also adapt your business model and your company culture. To do this, you need to create an atmosphere where creative, outside-the-box thinkers can thrive. The right people can make all the difference, whether they are new hires or current employees who’ve been trained in this new way of thinking. If you continue to challenge your employees to keep your company ahead of the curve, you will set the pace for the market, and your competitors will be working to keep up with you. Article by Forbes Technology Council Member and President/CEO/CTO of Our Town America, Michael Plummer Jr. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives.  Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

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Implement These Six Marketing Trends

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Marketing Trends Our Town America 2023

Marketing trends can help steer your company’s strategic direction and enhance the customer experience. Learn more about New Mover Marketing and other latest marketing trends as you start planning for 2023. Economic Trends Impact Marketing Strategy Cooler temperatures and shorter days mean the holiday season has been kicked into high gear. Amazon’s launch of a second Prime Day in October helped jumpstart holiday shopping even earlier this year. But, faltering economic growth and record inflation are prompting fear of a looming recession and giving customers pause. Increasing negativity about the economy and personal financial concerns are putting a damper on holiday spending. At least 29% of Americans are thinking of spending less during the holiday this year, according to a report from NPD Group. To offset rising costs, many consumers are forgoing dining out or limiting the amount they spend at restaurants. If you anticipate a slowdown in sales, cutting back on marketing should be a last resort. Effective marketing will help you weather economic downturns. Focusing on your existing customer base is vital when customers are pinching pennies. And taking simple, cost-effective steps to add new customers is possible during tight times. Consider New Approach To capture sales and build a loyal customer base during this tumultuous season, small businesses need to hone their marketing strategy and focus on current trends to ensure their brand stays relevant. Our Town America, the nation’s leading New Mover Marketing company, has gathered the latest marketing tips and trends to implement as the new year dawns. Celebrate existing customers. While many businesses focus on expanding their customer base, it’s essential to celebrate and nurture your regular customers. Customers want to know they are valued by the businesses they patronize. Collect email addresses and send customers Thank You messages after they visit your establishment. This could be done via Postcard Marketing or through the Loyalty Program built into the New Mover Marketing program. Encourage loyal customers to leave reviews for your business and give them access to special deals. A customer referral program is an easy incentive that will help you add customers and show your appreciation for existing patrons. Enhanced customer service. Hiring challenges are making it increasingly difficult for businesses to provide solid customer service. At least 80% of consumers believe the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services, and 91% of consumers said service drives repeat visits, according to SalesForce. Offering enhanced customer service can help drive traffic. Addressing customer service on social media and implementing chatbots can help enhance your service efforts. Focusing on employee training and building a positive work environment will go a long way to creating an inviting atmosphere at your business. YouTube Ads. Running YouTube ads is a cost-effective, targeted approach to building your customer base. YouTube has more than 210 million viewers in the United States and is the second-most visited site after Google. Short-form video continues to be a great way to capture attention, and the popularity of live videos is increasing. Live streams allow customers to connect with your brand in real-time and show your authenticity. New Mover Marketing. Small businesses can rely on New Mover Marketing to tout their business before new movers form loyalties with their competitors. More than 27.1 million people moved in 2021, and nearly 18% moved to a new state, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Relocating to be near family or to enjoy a lower cost of living is common, particularly as remote work becomes more accessible. Adjusting to a new community and turning a new house into a home can be challenging. Receiving one-time use housewarming gift certificates from local businesses help make the transition easier. Our Town America has more than 50 years of experience welcoming new movers with a welcome package filled with proven offers to local businesses. We help local businesses reach new movers before they develop their new routines. Increased social responsibility. Social responsibility is important to young consumers. Generation Z is a champion of sustainable consumer practices. As Gen Z’s buying power increases, small businesses can benefit by showcasing their social responsibility efforts. Whether you support charitable organizations in your community or provide environmentally-friendly packaging, consumers want to hear about it. Use your social media to let customers know how your business is helping the community and making the world a better place. Rise in subscription services. To provide customer convenience, some businesses are touting subscription services. The rise in online payment providers like PayPal helped companies such as Blue Apron, Stitch Fix and Dollar Shave Club become household names. Subscription services guarantee recurring sales, and customers appreciate not having to remember to make essential purchases. Home maintenance providers, pet care companies, and virtual learning companies are just a few of the companies launching new subscription services. If you are considering offering a subscription service, make sure to ramp up your digital marketing efforts to help retain customers. Greet New Movers Learn more about tapping the new mover market and how Our Town America’s direct mail and supplemental digital ad services can help your business build its loyal customer base in 2023. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

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How to Reach New Movers In The First Three Months

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
How to Reach New Movers In The First Three Months - Our Town America in Forbes

Forbes Technology Council — Customers can be very loyal to businesses they’ve been patronizing for a long time. That’s great news if they’re your customers but not if they’re your competitor’s customers. Because it requires more marketing efforts to get people to change their habits, it’s essential to target consumers who are not yet anyone’s customers—otherwise known as new movers. Marketing to new movers is designed to target people who have recently moved—people who have yet to become customers of the businesses in their new town. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 8.4% of Americans (or roughly 27 million people), moved from state to state in 2021. They all needed to find a new dentist, new hair salon, new auto mechanic and so on. They also needed to find new restaurants they liked. To stand out from the competition, you need to make sure these potential new customers are familiar with your business name as soon as possible, optimally within the first three months. One of the simplest and most effective ways to reach new movers is through direct mail. American businesses have been successfully using direct mail to reach customers for over 100 years. Sending them an offer to your business increases the likelihood they will patronize it. Mass mailings were once thought to bring in the best results. The wider the net, the more fish caught. Now, with the technology available to us, direct mail lists can be targeted to reach a specific demographic best suited for a particular business. Using targeted data allows organizations to identify the people in a certain neighborhood most likely to use their services. For instance, if you run a tutoring service or daycare, you want to target families with children. And if you own a chimney cleaning and repair business, it wouldn’t make sense to send coupons to homes without fireplaces. But direct mail, even highly-targeted direct mail, should be only a part of your new mover marketing strategy. Direct mail targeted to new movers produces a great redemption rate but is even more effective in conjunction with targeted digital ads. Mailings can encourage potential customers to visit your website. They can even use QR codes for the recipient to scan, both giving them more info about your business and giving you an idea of who is engaging with your message by use of QR code tracking capabilities. Another technology that may help draw attention to your mailing is USPS’s Informed Delivery service. This enables residents to get a digital preview of the direct mail in their email inbox before it arrives in their physical mailbox. Social media, once considered something people did for fun, is now being embraced as an important marketing tool. According to a recent report from the Pew Research Center, 70% of Americans use social media, especially Facebook and Instagram, to connect with each other, get their news and share information. If these users get an offer in the mail, then see your business name on social media or their search engine, they are more likely to recognize your business and try it out. As technology continues to evolve, so will new mover marketing, providing businesses with higher-targeted data, allowing them to cut marketing costs by better reaching their intended customers. Article by Forbes Technology Council Member and President/CEO/CTO of Our Town America, Michael Plummer Jr. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives.  Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

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Why Dentists Need a Marketing Plan

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Why Dentists Need a Marketing Plan Our Town America

Marketing for dentists is best executed when a multigenerational approach is taken to appeal to the unique needs of people in the local community. Learn how dental practices can use new technology and techniques to retain patients and drive new business. Dentistry Trends Competing with the rising number of dental chains poses a challenge for many independent dental practices. These high-volume, low-fee models attract patients by offering competitive prices and extended appointment hours. Aspen Dental opened its first office in 1998 and now has more than 1,000 locations. Heartland Dental supports more than 1,600 practices across the country and has plans to roll out 103 new sites this year. Only 73% of United States dentists own private practices, down from 84.7% in 2005, according to the American Dental Association. The drop in the number of private practices comes as overall spending on dentistry services is down. National dental spending dipped 1.8% to $142.4 billion in 2020, the ADA reported. Spending shortfalls can partially be attributed to fallout from the outbreak of COVID-19, but private practice appointment bookings are still not back to pre-pandemic levels. Take a Fresh Approach Unless you are a pediatric dentist, your practice serves the entire community, and marketing for dentists needs to take this into account. Digital efforts will help attract younger generations, but baby boomers may prefer traditional marketing tactics like direct mail. To ramp up business, private practices need a solid marketing approach covering a wide variety of platforms. In addition to traditional advertising and social media marketing, here are a few new marketing techniques to help your practice shine. Tell your story. Your dental practice is not the only game in town. Separate yourself from the competition by telling your unique story and humanizing your practice. Providing a personal approach will amplify what sets your practice apart and help capture new patients. Ditch the glossy stock photos on your website and instead feature pictures of your staff, patients, and, most importantly, you. Highlight what makes your practice unique. Whether it’s offering same-day service, dental sleep medicine, or treatment for TMJ, make sure to maximize your unique selling proposition in your marketing efforts. New Mover Marketing. Direct mail postcards are great for blanketing a neighborhood with your practice’s message, but a targeted approach can yield a better result. Our Town America has more than 50 years of experience helping dental practices add new patients before they form loyalties with the competition. We send a Welcome Package filled with proven offers to new residents to entice them to give your practice a test drive. To get the best results, we compile lists of individuals who have filed some sort of address change in the past 30 days. We filter out the duplicates to increase your return on investment. Lights, camera, action! Did you know that adults are forecast to watch 80 minutes of digital video per day in 2023? Meet patients where they spend their time by posting videos to your social media feeds. Adding video can increase engagement and help give your practice a personal touch. Consider filming interviews with your employees to help people get to know your staff or make a welcome video. Promote oral health by filming a video outlining the importance of proper cleaning techniques or showcase positive patient testimonials. The options are limitless. Rely on referrals. Launch a patient referral program. Word-of-mouth marketing remains one of the best ways to build a practice. People trust recommendations more than advertising — it’s one of the reasons Google reviews are so popular. A patient referral program provides an incentive for current patients who recommend your practice to another community member. Letting your existing patients do the legwork is a no-hassle approach to adding new clients. Throw a party. Let’s face it. Visiting the dentist can be a drag. Experts speculate dental fear or anxiety impacts 36% of the population. You can help alleviate some anxiety associated with a six-month checkup by making your practice a warm, welcoming environment. Host an open house with free snacks or a barbecue in the parking lot. Make sure your party appeals to your target customer demographic. Employee appreciation. The backbone of any successful dental practice is its employees. Your dental hygienists form relationships with customers, and people appreciate familiarity. Make team building and appreciation part of your marketing budget. Showing your employees you are grateful for their hard work will help improve staff retention and create a welcoming environment for patients. Welcome New Movers Learn more about marketing for dentists and how Our Town America’s new mover marketing and direct mail services can help your practice appeal to residents of all ages in the local community. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

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