Rocks in Baggies

“Tie message to medium to audience”. Sort of a marketing mantra, but even so, sometimes it seems to get a little lost or mixed up. There’s a lot of fuss being made over email versus direct mail, or print advertising versus radio or television advertising, or live events versus online events. What’s most effective? Which one has the greatest ROI? How can you measure results…execute more efficiently…get people’s attention?

There is plenty of ‘straight wisdom’ to be found on these topics. Even the government gives advice via the SBA.

However, for each situation, organization, and product/service push there is probably a slightly different answer. And maybe the best thing to use is a simple message copied on lime green paper placed in a baggie (to protect against moisture) and weighted with small rocks to keep it from blowing away.

”Is she serious?”, you are likely wondering. Yes. That’s exactly how my gardener got my business. A humble approach to be sure, but a great way of applying message-medium-audience. The eye-catching baggie was in my driveway where someone dropped it – and when I picked it up to throw it away, I glanced at the message and thought, “Great! I need a gardener, and this must be someone in the area…saves me looking up a service in the phonebook.” A similar method of simplicity worked for my housekeeper. She put her business card in my mailbox. Not mailed. No postage. Hand delivered. I happened to need that service and there it was – right where I would think of it most: at home. Like the baggie/rock combo: In my yard.

Not high tech, to be sure, but I know that these industrious advertisers picked up several new clients on my street alone. By delivering the right message to the right audience in a way that was easily accessible and not cluttered by competitive noise.

For myself I’d like to remember that beyond endless GoogleAdWords, email campaigns, and list purchase – there are other effective marketing tactics that reach the right audience.