I saw 2 things last week.
One made me excited.
The other made me cringe.
Thing 1: How To Win A Customer’s Heart (And Wallet)
I was running on my usual route last week when I saw one ofthe best pieces of old school marketing that I’ve seen in a long time.
A flyer.
Yes, a flyer.
Let me explain.
The house that I was running by was for sale. And on the gate was a flyer from a moving company offering to help them move.
It was brilliant.
Location + Design
It was designed as a doorknob flyer, so it stands out from other flyers you might receive in your mailbox. You have to look at it, at least pull it off your door handle or fence to throw it away.
Bam.
YouMoveMe has earned your attention for at least 2 seconds.
And they know exactly what to do with them…
Message + Call To Action
- The message was clear: “We hear you’re moving…”
- The call to action was clear: “Call us today.”
- And the incentive to act now was clear: “Get $50 off.”
Timing + Target Market
The timing and target market was perfect.
YouMoveMe didn’t drop or place the flyer on every house, only houses that are for sale. Because when you’re selling a house, it’s inevitable that you’ll move.
In doing that, they were able to focus on customers who had a problem they could solve, and didn’t waste time, energy or resources trying to convert people who would never become customers.
As a home owner, when you’re selling a house your focus is usually on selling the house, not the aftermath of moving. If YouMoveMe can agree to move you when you’re ready, it’s one less headache for you to deal with. So instead of their offer being viewed as “another promotional’ flyer,” it’s viewed as “a relief.”
They clearly understand what it means to remove a customer’s pain point.
And, YouMoveMe does it while getting ahead of their competition, as it’s likely that the home owner hasn’t started looking for moving companies yet. So, if the follow up matches the caliber of their positioning, they’re set.
Chance Of Closing The Sale
- If someone calls YouMoveMe and the phone service is great, chances are they’ll close the sale.
- If YouMoveMe follows up every flyer with a phone call to those who haven’t reached out a week later (they can get the number from a local directory once they have an address), chances are they’ll close the sale.
- If someone doesn’t call but instead looks at their website, chances are they’ll also probably close the sale.
Because…
Their website has the same branding and clean messaging as the flyer, with case studies and testimonials from previous customers.
They have their phone number on every page, which increases conversions by at least 10%. (Remember when we talked about that?!)
And instead of showing movers putting boxes into vans, they capture the heart of moving – a family looking happy and relaxed on their way to their next adventure.
A Seth Godin Worthy Campaign
The focus and execution of this campaign gives me hope.
The flyer was delivered with the right message to the right person at the right time in the right place.
It was the perfect piece of old school marketing.
That’s why it didn’t surprise me to realize they’ve been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, Inc. and The Financial Post.
YouMoveMe is clearly doing something that’s winning customer’s hearts.
Thing 2: When Old School Marketing Doesn’t Work
I was on the ferry and came across another example of old school advertising.
Unfortunately, this one made me cringe.
Location + Design
Awful.
It’s an advertisement facing away from seats on the ferry, in a random corner where few people would see it.
The only reason I noticed it is because I always look at how companies are advertising and marketing, so I make a point of seeing what’s going on.
I can tell you, no one else looked at it twice.
However, if they did…
Message + Call To Action
BC Notaries focuses on selling what they do, “Power of Attorney & Wills” and “Real Estate Transfers,” not what they can do for you. For example, “Manage Your Estate With Confidence” or “Sell Your Property With Ease.”
As we’ve seen time and time again, selling the nuts of bolts of what you do doesn’t work. As YouMoveMe has discovered, it’s better to focus on the solution.
I’m happy to see that they do have a call to action (“Find a Notary in your area”), which is better than many billboard ads, however it’s tiny, in the bottom corner and doesn’t compel you to act.
The design is also dated, and the stock photo doesn’t give you a sense of trust, which is crucial in their industry.
Timing + Target Market
The lack of focus or target market is obvious.
While the ferry is a high traffic area, other than the fact that everyone has the goal of getting from destination to another, their similarities end there. This campaign is like having a boring billboard on the wrong side of a moderately busy highway.
It has a low chance of converting.
Chance Of Closing The Sale
Sure, you might be standing with your back to the window of the ferry, ignoring the gorgeous view, look at the ad, realize you need a notary, and then pull out your phone to go to their website.
Since their site is optimized for mobile, making it easy to read, you might take another step to find a notary in your area, and hopefully make an appointment. And in that meeting hopefully the notary can convert you to become a paying customer.
That might happen.
But it’s more likely that you’ll pass by it, and when you need a notary, you’ll do what most of us do: ask for a recommendation or look them up online.
That’s where good content marketing could come into play.
If you Google “BC Notaries,” their website comes up. However, the branding isn’t consistent with the advertisement, there’s little content to keep you engaged, and there isn’t a clear call to action to help you find what you’re looking for.
Sad News Bears
I was unable to reach them to learn how well the advertisement was converting, however it would be hard for them to track conversations, as the website the advertisement directs people to is the same website address that’s listed everywhere else. And they don’t have a phone number they can track that’s specific to the advertisement.
They might have more luck investing the resources they used on that advertisement in creating online content that targets the problem their potential customers are solving.
While they might be a fabulous organization, and truly help and inspire their customers, their advertising and follow up is indicative of the poor marketing practices that many organizations still carry out.
Final Thoughts
There is always opportunity to improve.
If BC Notaries can focus their messaging, targeting and improve their follow up, they have every chance of success.
What became clear from these examples is how important it is to target the right customer with the right message at the right time in the right format.
It’s one of the key ingredients to successful content marketing.
Curious what the other one is?
Find out here.