Carol Worthington-levy

What to test? When to test? How to test? Questions for the ages! It's a little hard for me to tell you without knowing what your mail quantity is, but I'm going to suggest something that may take away the sting of an A/B split test. First, do a control test vs. an A vs. B test. That's right, a true test will take equal-sized blocks of your housefile and devote each one to a control (i.e., no offer) vs. an A and a B.  

Review the space ads you're placing now. What's the single thought you want consumers to have when they see your ad? Is there an offer? A deadline for the offer? Is it clear what you want readers to do after looking at the ad? If you're not sure, don't hesitate to reach out for a quick critique. With a stronger campaign in place, make every ad dollar you spend work its hardest!

Lackluster, nondescript and misinformed creative is a problem that’s actually getting worse despite the sophisticated tools creatives have at their fingertips. This malady is rampant in the design world. It’s often caused by thoughtlessness or lack of experience or training on the part of those who are given the job of design, copy and production of your email program, catalog or website.

The most substantial fallout from postage increases, higher costs for paper and printing, and a weakened economy is the reduced use of mail in cross-channel marketing campaigns.

I read in the news that this past Black Friday revealed a new consumer: one who's cash-only and who arrives at the store with shopping lists in tow to keep their focus narrowed so they won't get distracted into spending more than they planned. Ouch!

Regardless of the channels in which you sell, testing is invaluable to your business. And offer testing, in particular, is misunderstood in both practice and power. Yet testing seems complicated and time consuming. Is it worth it? The answer: You can't afford NOT to test.

I recently came upon an interesting article in The Wall Street Journal about how we, as consumers, feel about customer service. And frankly, the score isn't good for most companies selling products and services.

A creative brief is an organizational tool that every project needs to stay on track. It’s based on a simple form that’s been refined through the years within each organization that uses it religiously -- and that's what makes it work.

Most multichannel sellers have a small group of extremely loyal customers who buy year in, year out, or come back annually making substantial purchases. These are your biggest fans, and you'd be surprised to realize how much more they spend than your other customers, and thus how important they are to you.

In both consumer and B-to-B direct marketing, one of the most misunderstood processes is creating effective lead generation efforts — whether they take place on the web, in email or by mail.