The Magic of Keep-in-Touch Marketing

Yesterday I received a phone call from an acquaintance that I've met once or twice but haven't seen in over a year. She wanted to let me know that she was referring me to a client of hers who needed help with his Web site copy. Although I hadn't thought about her in months, she mentioned that she'd received a postcard from me for the past two quarters - and that's why she instantly thought of my services when her client voiced his need. Although it wasn't really magic, it sure felt like it. That's the magic of keep-in-touch marketing - people remember you and feel like they know you, and eventually, they often give you business or refer others to you.

Want to develop some "keep-in-touch magic" of your own? It's easy. You've probably got a number of names in your contact database, but when was the last time they heard from you? If you're like many business owners or marketers, you spend more time looking for new business than keeping in touch with your current and former clients. But nurturing the relationships you already have is crucial to growing a successful business. And finding a way to keep in touch with those contacts on a regular basis is integral for keeping yourself and your business on their minds.

Many of the best methods of "keep-in-touch marketing" involve writing - and that may be why lots of businesspeople don't do it! But writing doesn't have to be a chore; just keep in mind that the point is simply to keep in touch, not necessarily to make an immediate sale. If you approach keep-in-touch marketing as just that, a method of staying in contact with friends and associates, you'll take the pressure off yourself to craft the perfect sales pitch. And there are a number of methods for keeping in touch, so you can choose the ones that work best for you and your business. Here are a few to think about:

Postcards. As in the example mentioned above, simple postcards can do the trick without investing much time or money. Use them to communicate upcoming sales, new products, or simply to remind people of your services and the value you can offer. Thank-you notes. More personal and less regular than other forms of keep-in-touch marketing, the old-fashioned thank-you note can work wonders for your business. I once heard the owner of a successful travel agency say she writes at least one thank-you note every day, and people always remember, often saving her notes for years. Send personal thank-you notes when someone takes you to lunch, gives you a referral, or provides a service that helps you do your job better. Be creative - there are numerous reasons to thank people. You can do the same with congratulations notes.

Newsletters. Electronic newsletters or print newsletters are perfect vehicles for keeping in touch with your clients and prospects. You can use them to provide useful information, industry news and tips, and build an ongoing rapport with your readers at the same time. Miscellaneous Mailers. Mailers can include anything from an announcement of an upcoming sale to a holiday greeting. A local company that designs diamond link bracelets sends reminders just before Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and other special occasions to those who have bought starter bracelets from them. The clients are reminded of a great gift for the upcoming occasion, and the jewelry company usually gets a lot of business.

Whatever method you use for keeping in touch, keep in mind that your main idea is just to remind people that you're still around and that you have value to offer. Of course, it's always important to write correctly and creatively, and to provide your contacts with useful information, but for these projects your main purpose is simply to keep in touch.

Get started, and experience some "magic" of your own!

Nancy Jackson creates powerful marketing communications for companies of all sizes. For tips on better writing and communications, subscribe to her FREE newsletter, "Marketing Tips from The WriteShop," at: http://www.writeshoponline.com.

____________________

Advertisement: Honest Riches - Click Here!

Advertisement: Lost AdWords - Click Here!

Advertisement: Get $1 Million A Month In Google Pay-Per-Click Ads Free! - Click Here!

Advertisement: Who Loves Money? - Click Here!

Advertisement: SEO Elite, the GrandDaddy of SEO Software - Click Here!

---

Fundraising Letter Envelopes: How To Make Them Irresistible

Readers spend only a few seconds deciding the fate of your direct mail fundraising appeals. Either they open them on the spot, set them aside for later,... Read More

Integrity and Marketing - Finding the Right Balance

When marketing themselves to leads and prospects there are five common mistakes people make, all which can be easily avoided by finding the right balance to maintain... Read More

Shopping Comes Back To The Community

THE GREAT BRITISH TRADITION OF STREET MARKETS IS UPHELD AT STREETTRADERSUNITED.COMHammer Force Ltd, a Croydon-based online service provider offers people who enjoy an alternative to... Read More

Self-Promotion on a Zero Budget

Recently, I've received a few e-mails from people asking me for advice on how to get started in the writing biz. When I stop to think about... Read More

Budget Marketing: Managing Your Marketing Money Wisely!

There's a saying that half of all marketing efforts are wasted, but it's impossible to tell which half!I know from hard won experience how easy it is... Read More

The First Rule of CRM for Financial Services

Things have to change. Cross selling is not going to happen simply by installing new CRM technology. A corresponding movement from a transaction mentality to the underlying... Read More

The Six-Step Process That Grows Your Business

1. Examine your clientele and define your ideal client. Of all the customers you've served in the last couple of years, who are the ones you most... Read More

Marketing Plans... A Simple Approach To Get Off The Marketing Roller Coaster

Are You Riding The Marketing Roller Coaster?If you're like many of the small business owners or independent professionals I meet, then running and marketing your business can... Read More

What Your Customers Want

Your customers don't know what they want. And to assume otherwise is folly. When you begin relying totally on customers to be your product development department, you... Read More

Why Target the Matures

The "Matures" are the generations that came along between 1909 and 1945. Born to and tempered by economic uncertainty, older Matures were nurtured by the New Deal... Read More

Marketing in Business and Commerce in the New Consciousness

The point is what you give to another you give to yourself; the reason being that there is only one of us. You are apart part of... Read More

Big Money With Folios

One of the easiest, if not the easiest, ways of getting startedwith a profitable mail order business of your own is through thepromotion and sale of money-making... Read More

Marketing With Business Cards

Many businesses today overlook the importance of business cards as a very powerful marketing weapon. Their business cards contain just a name, company, address and phone number.... Read More

A Look at Color Brochure Printing

Brochures have become vital in today's workplace, serving a wide variety of purposes. Some are quite complex and others are simpler; color brochure printing is one of... Read More

The 5 Musts of Marketing

For most of the small business owners I work with, marketing has become the equivalent of a four-letter word. Inevitably, when I ask the question, "Do you... Read More

Direct Marketing ? Brand Identity Guru Tips

If your company doesn't have a direct marketing program in place, a direct marketing agency can create one for you. A direct marketing company provides small to... Read More

Reinventing The Wheel

Revolutionary ideas have always been the mark of mankind. It's what made us superior to animals and prove that we are the dominant species of this planet.... Read More

Sell Your Name, Not Your Product

Do you know what the majority of people sell? I could not tell you what Michael Green sells, but if he does sell something, then I would... Read More

The Day I Learned to Start Saying No

It was the fall of 1998 when I had just started my first business as a marketing communications writer. Most of my clients hired me for newsletters,... Read More

The Role of Marketing for Boards of Directors

Small and emerging companies often do not put together a board of advisors or board of directors for many reasons. Some entrepreneurs believe that businessmen and women... Read More

Systems - Marketing Your Business Successfully

Business Systems that work for anyone, are a fundamental necessity for any networking venture. While most people rely upon their own company business system or plan for... Read More

After Your Postcard Mailing: Follow Up with Finesse

I've heard a lot of people lament the fact that they just sent out a big postcard mailing, and, alas, no one called. Hey, it's happened... Read More

Small Business Marketing Tip - Focus on a Niche or Target Market

I think selling and marketing today often feels a bit like talking to a brick wall and that in interesting metaphor to help grasp the importance of... Read More

Looking for Sky In All The Wrong Places

Ever sit with a single puzzle piece of clouds and wonder how you will ever put the entire sky together? Life as an entrepreneur is often just... Read More

Test Marketing--How to Increase Your Direct Mail Marketing Response by Using the Internet to Test

I've discovered a really fantastic way to discover what works best in direct marketing, BEFORE doing traditional direct marketing. Use these internet tools to find what works... Read More

The Lone Wolf is Blind

When Advertising, it's not always better to be the lone wolf.Before using a certain medium to advertise, consider those that went before you. If you are thinking... Read More