© 2001 © 2002 © 2003 
WUN Publications, Inc.

PetalsNCents Marketing Ezine ~ December 9, 2003
Written and produced by Heidi Richards, "America's Small Business Mentor™." "Helping Small Businesses Bloom"

ISSN #1537-9841
Publisher: Heidi Richards ~ Heidi@PetalsNCents.com 
http://www.HeidiRichards.com
http://www.EdenFlorist.com

PetalsNCents Marketing Ezine is the first (and possibly only) florist-to-florist marketing ezine in the world with readers in all aspects of the event industry from around the world. Although we cater to small to mid-sized businesses, many of the ideas in PetalsNCents are applicable to businesses of any size! This is a monthly ezine providing you with creative marketing ideas to "Grow" your business. Thank you for allowing PetalsNCents into your in-box. For subscribe/remove procedures & privacy statement, scroll to end.

In This Issue:

MarkeTips - Marketing Tips to Enhance Your Business

MarketShare - Readers' Questions, Comments and Ideas

MarketArt - Industry trends, news, and design tips

BUSINESS - Easy Websites and Business For Sale

MarkeTime - Marketing Calendar

Dear Readers,

As we approach a new year, we have time to reflect on the past and count our blessings for the many “gifts” we have received throughout the year.  I am thankful for my readers, for your input and comments throughout the past 3+ years, and for your loyalty.  I am thankful for the wonderful people in my life, my family, my friends and my colleagues.  I am also reminded of a beautiful passage spoken by Nelson Mandella during his 1994 Inaugural Speech my father recently shared with me which goes like this:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of the Universe. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing so enlightening about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are born to make manifest the glory of god, which is within us. It is not in just some of us, it is in all of us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fears, our presence automatically liberates others.” 

Thank you Dad, for this wonderful reminder of our brilliance.  May each of us shine brighter every day! 

This month's issue is about postcard marketing. Postcards are a wonderful way to communicate with customers and prospects. My staff and I use postcards for almost everything.  To wish customers a happy holiday season, to tell them about new products and services, to announce new books I have written, to thank them for their business - their referrals and their loyalty, and to stay in touch.  My postcards have pictures of flowers, places, my staff and even ME!  If you are interested in seeing them, reply to this ezine with POSTCARDS in the Subject line and I will email you samples of a few of the postcards we have created. 

Wishing each of you a wonderful holiday season and the very best for the New Year!

Warmest regards,

Heidi Richards

LOOKING FOR A UNIQUE GIFT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON?

Purchase the printed version of "Networking is More Than Just Passing Out Business Cards  - 91Tips to Increase Your Circle of Influence" and receive an electronic copy of two of my other best selling tips booklets as a thank you for ordering.  

They are:

"Is Yours A Frisky Business?  - 71 Marketing Ideas to "Grow" Your Business 
AND
Is Yours A Frisky Business (part 2)?  61 More Marketing Tips to "Grow" Your Business

PURCHASE SEVERAL COPIES OF THE BOOKLET AND GIVE THEM AWAY.

1. Send a booklet to your clients/volunteers/donors at year’s end as a thank you for their support throughout the year

2. Use a booklet as a thank-you gift for an appointment.

3. Mail a booklet to those on your prospect/donor list to stay in touch with them.

4. Offer a booklet free with any purchase during a promotion campaign, or with a certain purchase amount, or even when opening a new account.

5. Distribute a booklet to prospects at a trade show.

6. Provide a booklet to people and organizations that can refer business to you.

Click here for sample tips and to order!

If you purchase 6 or more, the cost would be as follows:

1-5 $4.95 each
6-24 $3.95 each
25 or more $3.00 each
(includes shipping)

For quantities over 100, send an email with tips booklets in the subject line and your phone number in the body of the email. I will personally call you to give you the BEST POSSIBLE PRICE and to take your order. We will even personalize them for you.

* MarkeTips

Postcards²

The power of postcards can be exponential.  When you incorporate postcards into your overall marketing campaign, they can bring in more business than nearly any other direct mail campaign will. Think about it.  Have you ever received a postcard in the mail?  And when you did, what did you do?  If you are like most people, you turned it over to see what it was all about.   If the contents piqued your interest, or had any value to you, you probably even saved the postcard.  If it had an offer attached, you may have even taken advantage of the opportunity to purchase something, you either needed/wanted or something you might not have purchased had the offer not come along.  Postcards get noticed and read.

Postcards Work!

Postcards are an excellent opportunity for you to increase your business and brand recognition.  They are one of the least expensive marketing tools you can use.  With a little imagination and creativity, you can see the power of postcards.  You can test market on a small scale.  If the offer works, you can then create an entire marketing campaign around postcards.  If it does not work, you can redesign the offer and test again.  

The Benefits of Marketing With Postcards

Getting your two cents worth.  Not only are postcards an inexpensive way to reach your target market, they are inexpensive to have printed.  If you print them in-house in black and white on color card stock, they could cost you less than two cents a piece to produce. You could have an outside company produce them for you for as little as  $.35 a piece. We do everything electronically and have our four-color (two sided) cards reproduced by www.4over4.com.  We design our own postcard using in-house pictures we take with our digital camera or with graphics from www.clipart.com, sending the sample to 4over4.  They create a proof, generally the same day, print within the next two to three days and ship.  Postcards are fast. We usually get our cards within 7-10 business days (in the USA).  I suggest that no matter where you reside in the world, you contact your local printer and see what she/he can offer.  Send me a message (heidi@EdenFlorist.com) and I will send you some samples of postcards we have designed.

Time is money. Post cards are quick and easy to mail.  How often do you write a sales letter, and find yourself editing it over and over until you get it just right?  Because postcards are short, they are more efficient.  You write only what you really need your customers/prospects to know.  And postcards also demonstrate how much you value the recipient’s time. Your biggest challenge will be coming up with the right message and finding just the right graphic. 

Postcards are convenient.  You can mail as many post cards as you want, as often as you want.  They are versatile.  In one mailing, you can find prospects and gain repeat business. They can be used in a variety of ways to promote your product or service. You can use them as hang tags for your products and even mini info sheets.  You can mail them or even pass them out.  Send me a message (heidi@EdenFlorist.com) and I will send you the article Postcards to the 10^th Power – describing many of the ways you can use postcards.

You can duplicate the process over and over.    Bed, Bath and Beyond, Linens & Things, and  Joann Fabrics are just three of the companies I know who send postcards on a regular basis.  They usually include a percentage or specific dollar amount discount.  This month you may not take advantage of the offer, but say next month, you decide to redecorate.  You need sheets, pots and pans or even towels.  The postcard arrives.  You redeem it.  It works.  You need to make a costume for a New Year's party to which you were just invited.  Joann Fabrics postcard arrives. Voila!  Instant savings.

Postcard response rates are easy to track.  You can tell the recipient that they can “bring the card in” to receive the discount.  Or you can use a special mailing code they must give you when placing their order.  And they have no cost until your customers redeem them.  Of course, you want them to redeem the card. 

Postcards get past the gatekeeper. If you design them with a personal look and personal appeal to the customer/prospect, the gatekeeper dare not throw it out. 

Unlike traditional advertising, when you advertise with a postcard, your competition does not know what you are advertising.

Remember Postcards are an excellent opportunity to boost sales, create greater name recognition, and support your branding campaign. Start and stick to a regular postcard mailing program, and watch your business grow. One last thought:  If you incorporate a follow-up process in your postcard campaign, you can increase the response rate by more than 100%.

Next issue: Postcards² - The Layout.

* MarketShare

An idea contributed by a Reader

When I was working in Real Estate I used the self-adhesive magnetic backings to turn my business cards into refrigerator magnets.  Then I would plaster them all over my car and everything else around town that was made out of metal, including pay phones, restaurant napkin holders and supermarket refrigeration units.  I would park my car at the local mall and tourist attractions, and often nearly all of the magnets would be gone in a couple of hours.  I even had people get out of their cars behind me while stopped at red lights and take a magnet.  I can attribute several listings and sales to my magnets, which only cost me a few cents apiece to make. - Lisa Smith, Sales & Marketing Specialist, Oceans Resorts www.daytonahotels.com

ps.  Eden Florist (www.EdenFlorist.com) also uses this idea with great success.  When we first started using our business card magnets, we landed a great opportunity from a local radio station, because one of the station marketing managers was driving behind my company van at a time when she was looking for a flower shop to partner with in her “Trip to Holland” sweepstakes featuring Heineken and Tulips (of course).  She jumped out of the van, took a business card and called us when she got to the station.  We got great exposure, and the account!

This section is devoted to our readers' comments, ideas and questions about marketing your business that have worked for you. We will post your Q/C/I in subsequent issues of PetalsNCents Marketing Ezine (and our experts' answers). Please reply to this email with your Q/C/I.

* MarketArt - Industry trends, news, and design tips

In a recent issue of Flowers and Profits, Susan Fiesta of the Window Box in Chesire, CT, had this to share, "Don't throw away those nets used to protect the heads of flowers! Use them as bracelets to tie a balloon onto and put around a child's wrist."

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* MarkeTime - Holidays from www.123greetings.com 

December is National Human Rights, Love Your Neighbor, Read A New Book, Bingo, Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention, Stress-Free Family Holidays, Tie, Safe Toys and Gifts, and Universal Human Rights MONTH!!!

The buzzzz about OccuPLAYtion...

"Occuplaytion is a great little book! I love the little 'pick-me-ups' and suggestions." - Bonnie L. Mackey, CPA -

"What's Your OccuPLAYtion is so much fun. My staff and I have been reading different parts of it each day. When we are through, we will place it in our Learning Center Resources so that any employee may check it out."
- Carlin Murray, Manager, Corporate Learning and Development -
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* Are You Enjoying This Issue?

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Our goal for 2003 is to increase readership to 10,000. With your help our goals will be achieved. 

Keep those comments coming. I personally read and answer EVERY email I receive. Just email me at Heidi@PetalsNCents.com or reply to this email. I'll get back to you right away.

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© 2001 © 2002 © 2003 WUN Publications, Inc.
Heidi Richards, CPPM, CLL, Author of "Rose Marketing On A Daisy Budget," "South Florida Network Directory of Women's Business & Civic Organizations," "What's Your OccuPLAYtion™ 149 Ideas to Increase Job Satisfaction, Reduce Stress, and Get More Out of Your Work and Your Life," "Yes Is Only The Beginning," plus the Ezines "Self-Marketing News Ezine," "Creating A Legacy Nonprofit Ezine" "PetalsNCents Marketing Ezine," and "Ramblin' Rose by Eden Florist & Gift Baskets Ezine."