Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing

Coupons have been around for a long time. Recently, they have moved firmly into the digital world where a new generation of users are downloading them to computers and mobile devices.
In this week’s episode of the Duct Tape Marketing podcast I visited with Steven Gray of Money Mailer and Brent Dusing of CellFire.
Money Mailer [...]

With the rush to capitalize on the new media hype, don’t forget your older, wiser, more mature options.
Targeted direct mail, with a telephone follow-up and a useful, information rich, call to action is more effective now than ever.
The competition in the mailbox is pretty slim these days, so creating smart campaigns that take advantage of [...]

The race to be the biggest, baddest, boldest email marketing service is a grueling one. There are a handful of providers that do a lot of things right and would make a very good fit for most small business marketers.
So, the decision on using one over another usually lies in a detail or two. Is [...]

Direct marketing pros will tell you that a great offer, sent to a lousy list, will most likely get lousy results. But finding great mailing lists is tough, particularly for the small business owner. Compiled lists from companies like InfoUSA are better than nothing, but often produce less than desirable results in terms of [...]

When it comes to direct mail letters, getting the envelope opened is a very big part of the game. I get asked often what should go on the outside of an envelope to get a prospect to open the letter.
As always part of that depends on the list. If this letter is being sent [...]

MailChimp is a very simple yet effective email marketing tool. It is a service that essentially allows you to easily create and send HTML emails to groups big and small.
They have take the work out this task and maybe even injected a little fun in the process. One of the core points of difference is [...]

Standing out in the crowded mailbox is one of the chores facing any direct mail campaign.
I’m a big fan of the regular old direct mail letter in the regular old #10 regular envelope. Problem is, that delivery mechanism can be, well, regular.
One of my secret weapons (okay, not really so secret, just rarely used) [...]

Getting your opt-in email opened is one part of the equation, but you can’t get them opened and read if you can’t get them delivered.
Sparklist, an email marketing service provider, is offering a handy email deliverability guide, Opt-in Email Marketer’s Checklist for Inbox Delivery that features 10 very solid recommendations to help increase your email [...]