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Rev Up New Mover Marketing During Hot Moving Months

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
How to Market during Summer Moving Months Our Town America

May is National Moving Month — Our Town America’s favorite time of year! Mark the start of the summer moving season by implementing a new mover marketing program to add loyal customers and boost sales. Summer is right around the corner, and the end of the school year heralds the beginning of the busy moving season. As many as 56% of Americans move each year and nearly 70% of all moves take place in the summer. People pick summertime to move because the weather is optimal, schools are on vacation, and workplace productivity slows.  The surge of summer moves put a crimp on the moving industry last year, and many of the top moving companies struggled to keep up with demand. Like many other service providers, moving companies felt the labor crunch and had difficulty finding reliable employees. Approximately 63% of moving companies reported a drought of drivers during the busy summer months in 2021.  Tap into the New Mover Market to Increase Profits As summer rolls around, local companies can welcome the influx of new residents and increase foot traffic by adding new mover marketing into their marketing strategy. Our Town America is the nation’s premier new mover marketing franchise. Our franchise owners help small businesses in their local community tap into the new mover market. Our Town America enables small businesses to convert new residents to loyal customers by sending them a welcome package filled with proven offers.  Here are some of the benefits of launching a new mover marketing program this summer. 1. Strike First. New mover marketing allows businesses to capture new residents before they form loyalties with competitors. One of the first things new residents do when they move is explore their new community to find local businesses that provide the services they need. New movers scout the area for a grocery store to stock their refrigerators. New residents also need to find a hair salon and a dry cleaner to help them put their best foot forward at their new job. Ordering pizza while unpacking boxes is the norm for many new residents. Having an upscale Welcome Package filled with proven offers from these establishments arrive on their doorstep gives them a place to start. Our Town America’s Welcome Package helps build brand awareness, and people appreciate the opportunity to give businesses in their new area a test drive. We get new customers through the door and allow you to give them a superior experience as usual. 2. Accurate Mailing Lists. A variety of companies offer mailing lists to help businesses reach new customers. Unfortunately, many mailing lists offer low response rates and are outdated or inaccurate.  Our Town America’s new mover marketing lists convert. We update our lists each month to ensure we capture accurate information enabling you to deliver your message to new residents. Our Town America compiles lists of individuals who recently filed some sort of address change. Then, we make sure to filter out any duplicate names or addresses, which allows us to deliver a direct mailing list that is about 95% accurate.  3. Trackable Solution. Being able to track your return on investment is an important component of any marketing strategy. It’s easy to track results of a new mover marketing program because customers bring in their offers for redemption.  Our Town America streamlined the tracking process by developing our TruTrak® mobile app. TruTrak® makes it easy for businesses to track ROI and gather detailed demographic data about their customers. It can be downloaded to your smartphone and allows you to validate and scan redemptions at the point of sale, or at your convenience.  Learn More About Our Town America Approximately 27.1 million people moved in 2021. The rise in teleworking is giving people the opportunity to relocate. People are moving primarily for a lower cost of living or to be closer to family. Other considerations include better schools and more job opportunities. New movers can help your business thrive this summer.  If you want to target this unique demographic by implementing a new mover marketing program or to learn more about Our Town America, click here. 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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Unique Ways Restaurants Can Use QR Codes to Drive Sales

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Restaurants Use QR Codes to Drive Sales Our Town America Marketing

Modern Restaurant Management Magazine — As the impact of the pandemic wanes, restaurant owners should evaluate the contactless service options they implemented to keep customers and staff safe to see how they can help drive sales. When restaurants got the green light to reopen their dining rooms, they implemented a host of safety procedures to prevent the spread of germs. Restaurants across the country shelved their paper menus and turned to digital options to reduce touchpoints. To go contactless, customers scanned a small black and white square called a QR code on their mobile device to see a digital copy of the menu. Although the new tool required many restaurant staffers to serve dual roles as waitstaff and technical consultants, using QR codes was a resounding success. Some restaurants even took safety a step further by eliminating in-person ordering and offering contactless payment. At least 45 percent of Americans preferred reading the menu, ordering, and paying with their phone to reduce touch points during the pandemic, according to an online survey of 2,081 people conducted by Appetize. Contactless options are also helping restaurant owners weather the labor shortage. Nearly three out of four restaurants said automated tools and integrated apps are helping them fill the gaps during the current labor crunch, Square reported. The digital provider recently partnered with Wakefield Research to survey 500 restaurants and 1,000 consumers. QR codes are nothing new. QR codes were invented in 1994 by Denso Wave, a Japanese-based subsidiary of Toyota, to track vehicle parts during manufacturing. They hit the mainstream back in 2002 when technological advancements enabled a QR-code reading feature to be added to mobile phones. While the adoption of QR codes ramped up gradually, they became ubiquitous during the pandemic as people relied on their phones to do business. While QR codes are a great tool for contactless service, they have a wide variety of uses, particularly when it comes to marketing. Restaurants can capitalize on the growing familiarity of QR codes to help drive sales. Here are a few easy ways you can provide better customer service and increase profits by using QR codes. Feedback. One of the best ways to connect with your customers is to listen to their feedback about their dining experience. Having great online reviews can also help drum up business. At least 63.6 percent of consumers are “likely” to read a Google review before visiting a business. Restaurants can use QR codes to solicit feedback by guiding them to Google, Yelp, Facebook, and TripAdvisor, where they can type their opinion on your restaurant’s food and service. QR codes are a great way to collect data on customer experience. Direct customers to an online survey regarding their dining experience by using a QR code. Direct Mail Campaigns. Despite the growth in online marketing through email and social media, direct mail remains one of the best tools for promoting your restaurant. Zoom fatigue and crowded email inboxes make a tangible postcard that arrives in your mailbox stand out. Every Door Direct Mail® (EDDM) postcards and new mover marketing campaigns are great tools for getting the word out about your business. EDDM allows you to send postcards to an entire zip code or filter your options by age, income, or household size. New mover marketing gives your restaurant the chance to capture new customers before they form loyalties to other businesses. Adding a QR code to your mailer can provide customers with more information about your eatery. The landing page for your QR code might be your menu, your location details, or get creative and showcase a video clip of your chef creating a new dish in the kitchen. The opportunities are endless. Boost Social Media. Approximately three out of 10 United States adults are “online almost constantly,” the Pew Research Center reported. Facebook has more than 2.9 billion users worldwide, including nearly 177 million people in the U.S. Clearly, social media allows you to reach potential customers where they spend their time, but growing your following can be an uphill battle. Add a QR code to your marketing materials leading people to your Facebook page. If your restaurant is on multiple social media platforms, you can create a QR code that displays multiple platforms on one mobile-optimized page. Promotions. Drum up traffic to your restaurant by using a QR code to guide people to a new special or BOGO offer. Having the offer on their phone will make redemption a breeze. Book Reservations, Join Waiting List. As new technology advances and customers are able to book reservations and join your waiting list online, make their life easier by providing them with a QR code to point them in the right direction. Housekeeping Details. In addition to digital menus, ordering, and contactless payment, QR codes are a great tool for other housekeeping concerns, such as Wi-Fi login, hours of operation, directions, and dress code suggestions. QR codes are no longer just for menus. The consistent application of QR codes can help you maintain safety standards, streamline operations, fuel marketing efforts, and improve customer service. 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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Direct Mail Marketing Options: Saturation Postcards, Targeted Postcards, New Mover Marketing

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Direct Mail Marketing Postcards

Choosing the best platform to make the most of a tight marketing budget during uncertain times can be daunting for small business owners. Despite the increasing dependence on social media, one-click purchasing and online recommendations, direct mail marketing remains one of the most effective tools for boosting sales and developing loyal customers. Direct mail is said to be easier to understand and more memorable than digital media. It requires 21 percent less cognitive effort to process, and elicits a much higher brand recall, according to a study conducted by Canada Post Corp. Direct mail is also more likely to drive behavior than digital media, the study revealed. At least 70 percent of consumers say direct mail is more personal than online interactions, and 39 percent of consumers try a business for the first time because of direct mail, reported Fundera, a financial resource for small businesses. There are more than 30.7 million small businesses in the United States, according to the U.S. Small Business Association’s most recent report released in 2019. Small businesses created 1.8 million net jobs in 2016 and employed 59.9 million people. Our Town America offers a number of direct mail solutions to help small businesses promote customer loyalty, add new patrons and appeal to new area residents. But maybe you need some direction to figure out which type of direct mail program is best for your business needs. Easy & Affordable Method to Reach Community Members without a Mailing List Every Door Direct Mail® is a complete neighborhood mailer designed to reach every home and address in the selected ZIP codes without relying on a mailing list. EDDM® is a cost-effective saturation marketing method that allows you to filter by age, income and household size. Our Town America’s full-service EDDM® program includes printing, service preparation, postage and delivery. As people have been staying closer to home these days, EDDM® is a great way for local businesses to draw customers by delivering them a message directly to their home. Generate Customer Loyalty by Reaching out to Chosen Mailing List Targeted Postcards help celebrate existing customers by aligning with their motivations and goals. It’s a great method for businesses to send birthday specials, highlight new location openings and offer holiday specials. Targeted Postcards help form a connection between the customer and the business, building brand loyalty. During slow economic times, some customers rely on the brands they already trust, according to Harvard Business Review. It is important for businesses to reward their devoted customers with special offers or a simple holiday greeting or reminder of an upcoming sale. Our Town America uses your mailing lists to send Targeted Postcards. Make New Residents Feel at Home Moving to a new home during a time when social distancing guidelines are enforced can make it difficult to turn a new house into a home, but New Mover Marketing helps businesses make a great first impression on new residents by welcoming them to the area. It also gives residents the opportunity to support local businesses. “People are very loyal to their veterinarians. For us to grow just from people changing veterinarians would be a very slow growth,” said Dr. Sherry Weaver, owner of Animal Hospital of Towne Lake in Woodstock, Georgia. “Really, we’re much smarter specifically advertising to the people who are just moving in.” Our Town America’s New Mover Welcome Packages are filled with hand-selected proven offers. The 48-year-old company prides itself on offering the most accurate new resident mailing list in the country. Each Welcome Package contains only one business in each industry to ensure exclusivity. Our Town America also provides businesses with access to a proprietary mobile app that records redemptions, triggers an optional follow-up postcard and efficiently tracks return on investment. No matter the particular direct mail marketing method you choose, Our Town America will provide your business with an affordable solution to draw customers in. Learn more about how we can help your business grow today. 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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Millennials are Moving to a House Near You, Restaurants Should Get Moving to Greet Them

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Restaurant Marketing New Movers

Modern Restaurant Management — When you own a restaurant, you’re often considering and painstakingly planning new entrées to add to the menu, but are you spending the same amount of energy thinking about the new customers who may soon be ordering from it?  When you own a restaurant, you’re often considering and painstakingly planning new entrées to add to the menu, but are you spending the same amount of energy thinking about the new customers who may soon be ordering from it?  Likewise, you could be losing a lot of Millennial customers, too, if they’re moving to a house that’s far from your place of business. You may not often think about it, or notice, but people are likely moving in and out of your neighborhood all the time. We’re a very mobile society. Estimates suggest that 35.5 million Americans move every year, far more than many countries such as those in Europe. That means you often can gain customers (new movers) and lose them, too (customers who move away). If you aren’t already marketing to new movers, the transient nature of our society is something you and, well, every restaurant owner should consider when marketing. After all, we’re all creatures of habit. You probably have a lot of loyal customers –but you may struggle to attract new people who have lived in the area for some time because they’re loyal to your competitors. It’s just human nature. People find a routine that they like, and they stick with it. But new movers? They don’t have habits and routines yet. They also don’t have a favorite restaurant –yet. That’s the argument for restaurants –or any local business, really –marketing to new movers. You want to find potential loyal customers and bring them in to try out your place, and hopefully get them to return a second and third time before they put down roots and start picking their favorite restaurants, which may or may not end up becoming your place. You also need those new movers, to make up for the loyal clientele who moves away. Fortunately, the good news, according to the Our Town America new mover survey, is that new movers are very interested in finding restaurants when they move in. You just need to make sure that you make it clear that you want them to find you. Marketing to the New Mover There are a variety of factors that appeal to any new mover when they move to a new city. When asked in Our Town America’s new mover survey for the reasons a city becomes their dream city, 33.1 percent of respondents listed “affordability” as being important, 59.7 percent cited “good scenery” as being important to them and 54 percent said “good weather.” As for how the dining and hospitality industry did, over a third of respondents (38.2 percent) said that it’s important to them that the “restaurants are phenomenal.” In other words, if the restaurants are top-notch, that helps make a city a dream city. Market your restaurant as one that has phenomenal food and atmosphere, and if you can make it affordable, that’s all the better, at least judging from the results of the survey. But the main takeaway from the survey is that Millennials moving to your neighborhood are as eager as you would hope to discover amazing local restaurants. The question that you should be asking yourself as a restaurant owner is –are you doing enough and are you equally eager enough to find new customers? 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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