Just Ask for It

it's things like that card that should remind everyone that social media just rolls up into the bigger program of marketing and not everything needs to be twitter, digg, or facebook to be effective. traditional marketing works just fine, even today, even to people like you and me.

If I got that message online I'd say it was an AutoDM and unfollow! how strange that receiving it offline would be fine. Just goes to show how the two areas of marketing differ.

Good marketing because you can use it for a bookmark. Not so good if it came in the mail. I appreciate, and pay attention to, unique ideas for 'asking for it.'

Yet another example of how easy it is to build a relationship of trust when you focus on what is important to your customers instead of what is important to you. Educating you on other things that might help you explore your interests was a service to you, but a profit center for them. That's perfect synergy!

Glenn K. Garnes

This is really good. We also waiting this innovative ideas in our country, Turkey. We also hope this economic crisis will provide an increse on quality of books and other medias.
Thank you Chris.

It is really difficult sometimes to have that simple idea and be brave enough to do it. I often get student work handed in, done simply, but then totally wrecked because they added 'extra' unnecessary stuff. They do this because they don't think there is strength in simplicity. There is.

Can I add - I don't usually like anything in my books / magazines. They tend to fall out and I chuck them before even looking at them :(

Thanks for sharing this, Chris. I suppose the next step is that the bookstore could customize the insert card by the category of book you picked up/purchased.

I'm on the fence about this one. Getting me to care about the book publisher is a stretch. It's all about the relevancy, immediacy, author and buzz of the book title. I don't think it hurts them to try. Except, like Christine, I tend not to like things other than bookmarks in my books. Now hey, there's a novel idea. Refine the size/form factor of the message into something that's a win-win for the publisher and the reader. Thanks for sharing, Chris.
Bridget
@bcavanaugh

Hey, I just now noticed that Susie also made the bookmark suggestion. Courteous minds must think alike!

Attention to detail is such a remarkable quality in anyone, not just marketers. I'm a big fan of the thank you card. I don't do them enough. Thank you emails, Facebook messages or Tweets are just not the same.

I agree with several comments already made, but especially Yianni's. Thank you's and attention to detail should be practiced by everyone. I was raised to hand write thank you notes, and somewhere in my "hurried" adulthood, I have slipped. I cannot stand automated (Twitter) responses, and although a thank you e-mail is nice, it is never the same as a handwritten note. The e-mails go into my trash file where the hand written notes are displayed on my desk.

Chris - 6-18 months from now, this card will have a QR code on it. You take a picture of it with your iPhone and it takes you to a page where you input your email address to be notified of upcoming releases. Paperwork is reduced, there isn't a data entry person on the other end, and you don't have to take the time to fill it out, buy postage, and mail it.

The next 12-24 months are going to be about integrating new technology into traditional methods. Paper is still effective. Sometimes we all forget about the mainstream audience, who *gasp* is still doing things the same way. Until the product adoption curves for a lot of what we consider second nature hits the late majority and laggards, we can't forget about them.

@bradjward

Chris, I thought for once I would comment on your blog. Usually just go and post a link on Twitter. I love reading your posts! Yes, I think marketing can be very simple. As a consumer, it's that quick connection, smile, or heart felt tug that you get from a handwritten note or a card in the mail. I never thought that marketing had to be complicated, but that it should spark emotion and some kind of action. Paper can still do that and like other marketing tools, there's a time and a place. With all of the technology that surrounds us, and I'm a firm believer that social media is effective because you can connect easily and bypass all of the complicated and meaningless messages, I still open my mail and respond to genuine communication that will help or inspire me. For me, with any kind of marketing it must be simple and it's about the human connection.

Keeping it simple and combining print and online marketing. I have not seen a lot book placements like that however it makes a great book mark and sends a message. Win-Win.

With all the technology and social media exploding today, its the simple things that matter to consumers. As Deidre said its all about creating that spark and emotion and with social media it allows people to connect easily and inspire people.

Nice tactic. Looks simple. I bet they agonized for ages on how to do it.
Is it a careful line to tread between prompting folk to help themselves, and intrusive marketing?

I wonder what ratio of people loved this tactic, against those that hated it?

It's made me think how this physical-world tactic can be used in the digital-world to the same effect. Most blogs and sites 'thank' their visitors and prompt them to subscribe to RSS and email (or follow on Twitter, or whatever), and this is successful to an extent, but is there more we can do to prompt visitors to take action AND enhance the experience?

It's what we call "classy" marketing :)

A soft sell, but not really, since, if you liked the book, you were already feeling really good already, and they just re-inforced that feeling a little bit more by saying, "Hey, thanks for supporting us. Here's how to feel good again-when you're ready".

Awesome.

Thank you to a client or existing customer is mandatory. Any way you do it, is great. Better yet, do it more then once. Asking for the business is mandatory as well. Don't be shy.....ask at every contact.

Chris,

'warm marketing' kind of like a bagel and slippers on acold winter morning. That is a great way to interact and passively call to action.

Respectfully,

Nicholas Chase
www.twitter.com/nachase

I think a lot of times people spend to much time trying to turn their marketing efforts into something BIG and Flashy that they usually end up clouding their message and confusing the consumer. To me, the simpler the message is, the easier it is to understand, the more effective it will be...and that's exactly what the publisher did.

I like this idea - simple yet effective. And yes, you could use it as a bookmark. Books are tactile, so the paper/bookmark is a good idea. If I had received an email or a postcard from the company, I would have been less impressed. Putting it directly inside the book does not disturb you from what you were doing.

That's an interesting point Andy Bailey made about the auto-DM analogy.

My wife is an avid book reader and collector so she would love this. If she was on Twitter and received a DM saying "Thanks for following, here's our site, please subscribe" would that be seen as an auto-DM message, as opposed to the same one that's on view here?

It's not really less personal than the offline approach yet we do seem quick to criticize a similar approach on Twitter. Go figure...

I agree with @bradjward comments about integrating new technology with traditional methods. I remember hearing about the idea of taking a traditional college print magazine and reinventing it by providing extended content like videos, podcasts, etc. related to the articles in the print magazine. What a great way to combine the effectiveness of two mediums.

In a similar to vain to Andy Bailey - the card is great.

It's all about differentiation though - whilst this would be deemed a script DM and unfollow on twitter, it has value offline.

Those focusing on the Social Media space need to think of how they can differentiate themselves from the masses who are using auto follow back, and auto DM scripts.

I had a similar thing happen to me today...I received a letter in the mail at my office. The envelope was transparent and my name and the office address was printed on the card inside. The card's image was glossy and bright, with background and font from the Twitter site. The text said "Following you on Twitter".
I knew right away who had sent this card before reading the message inside. Entrepreneur Steve Tingiris started the company Enthusem that sends out "personalized" cards that you can design online with just a few clicks. They send the card for you and it is supposed to be a throwback to traditional snail mail that will impress the recipient and catch their attention. Just like everyone has said already in response to your post, this tactic is meant to differentiate the message from all of the spam you recieve via email and tweets and automatic responses.
Personally, I have always loved a handmade card and I was not too impressed by the Enthusem concept. The personal touch is completely removed when the sender only has to click their mouse a few times to send the card. But the premise of catching attention with a unique form, like a card in the mail, is an interesting one. Your bookmark message surprised you, and made you stop and think about the act of marketing that was taking place. I did the same thing with my card (and on the inside it basically thanked me for following the company on twitter and invited me to try the service for free). I may not like the content, but the form was a visual and tactile shock and I will not easily forget the gesture or the name of the company!
Sorry for the long post, but I found this story particularly relevant, and I should probably just talk about it on my blog :) Thanks Chris.

Hi, Chris. They got you at thank you. Sometimes, that's all it takes to humanize a business relationship and make you feel all touch-feely. :)

We must be in sync Chris

http://thefuturebuzz.com/2009/03/03/simplicity-...

;)

I agree that the simple approach is best, especially for existing customers. You can communicate your objectives with very few words, and chances are they are going to trust you more for taking this approach.

Christine, I couldn't agree more. There is strength in simplicity, and people are often afraid of it. Simple is harder than complex.

Thanks for sharing this, great marketing strategy done here and it will constantly be seen if being used as a bookmark.

I'm from the old school and while I appreciate today's technology I still find the thank you card to be most appreciated by my clients. It has brought new business and acknowledgements by my clients of the true professional I am. Can you believe I still hand write them too! A much added personal touch.

I, too, have purchased books with similar thank you cards inside...a very nice touch. Also I have a favorite author I follow and I signed up for his email notices when he publishes something new. The notices are incredibly well done, thanking his readers for following his work and hoping they like his newest work and inviting their comments. What I like is that this author's email is not a simple "here's my new book, go buy it" marketing notice, rather it has the nice-ities: thank you, please and I invite you to....makes it personal.

Very refreshing experience. If only more marketing was that way. I get frustrated with the messages that are blasted everywhere.

With so many people pushing the "social networking" end of marketing today it is nice to see someone still "kicking it old school". Bottom line is you have to test test test. Putting a card like that into your product (in this case a book) costs next to nothing to do and can have a huge back end to it. It is a great idea as long as it is trackable. How else are you going to know if it works? As a marketer you have to remember to try different ideas and track everything. At the end of the day when you look at all your data do more of what is working and drop off the ideas that aren't producing as well and keep coming up with fresh ideas. If you want someone's business remember to ask for it! If you don't ask you won't get!

To me it is interesting to note that in Chris's story and Analisa's story the approach was made offline.

Time to remember that the real world still exists, folks. Sometimes it is too easy to hide behind the monitor and keyboard.

Think creative. Go for it.

Saying thank you is always welcomed. I guess it's just whether it's done with an ulterior motive in mind... like...
Hey Thanks... Now Join my Newsletter.....

OR

Thanks.... Now Consider Buying this.

Perhaps the most personal form of online 'thank-you-ing' in my experience is to post a handwritten post card/ note to online customers, that literally says thanks.... and nothing much else.

I've found this surprises people, and the resulting 'talk about/ referral' factor is high as a result. Getting personalised and sincere mail these days is rare. And a valuable form of marketing.