The 50 Best Tips of 2008

24. Act on new postal requirements quickly.
In March 2009, the USPS will implement new delivery address placement and format requirements for flats (standard size catalogs). If your catalog doesn’t meet the new requirements, it could be disqualified for Standard mail rates. See http://pe.usps.com/federalregisternotices.asp.
Kathy J. Siviter, Postal Consulting Services
Understanding Postal column, “Watch Out for This New Rule … It Could Co$t You Big Time,”
July, Catalog Success

LEGAL MATTERS

25. Conduct a nexus self-audit.
Every cataloger should undertake a nexus self-audit to identify potential nexus-producing activities. Your self-audit must examine all major business functions, including sales and marketing; order processing; product acquisition; fulfillment; and outsourcing agreements.
George S. Isaacson, Brann & Isaacson
Legal Matters column, “How to Conduct a Nexus Self-Audit,”
January, Catalog Success

26. Minimize unclaimed property risks.
Get a handle on your liability by identifying the types of unclaimed property you’re holding, determine whether unclaimed property reports have been filed with state abandoned property offices and estimate the amount of your company’s potential liability.
George S. Isaacson, Brann & Isaacson
Legal Matters column, “State Escheat Laws — Your Lurking Peril,”
May, Catalog Success

SEARCH

27. Landing pages rule.
Double profits by creating targeted landing pages for visitors from paid search ads, e-mails and URLs printed in catalogs.
Larry Kavanagh, DMinSite
“Nail the Landing,”
April, Catalog Success

28. Brand vs. nonbrand paid search marketing.
Analyze your paid search campaigns both with and without your branded terms. Challenge your paid search agency or in-house team to drive profitable sales growth out of your nonbrand portfolio.
Alan Rimm-Kaufman, The Rimm-Kaufman Group
E-Commerce Insights column, “14 Hot Ideas in Free and Paid Search,” J
anuary, Catalog Success

CREATIVE, COPYWRITING

29. The comparison sell.
The goal should be to show people why your product is different and better than another. Take your catalog from being mere products and copy on pages and turn it into a “paper salesman.” Create a demonstration.
Carol Worthington-Levy, LENSER
Copywriting column, “Compared to … What???”
January, Catalog Success