If At First You Don't Succeed - Try, Try, Again.

When I was growing up my parents often encouraged me to try something more then once. One of the best lessons occurred when I tried to ride a bicycle.

I was 9 when we moved to the suburbs. Coming from Brooklyn I had never ridden a bicycle. Unwilling to admit to my new friends I didn't' know how, I borrowed a bicycle, got on; rode, briefly and then I fell.

Ok, so I actually rode directly into a mailbox, suffering multiple minor scrapes and a huge blow to my ego. But I got up, got back on, thought about what I did wrong, and tried it again, and again. Today, bicycle riding is still one of my favorite activities.

There is a lesson here for small business owners. Your first marketing attempt, eMail or direct mail may not necessarily generate the results you hoped for. Instead of abandoning the strategy, get up, review what you did, make changes, and try it again.

For example - with both direct mail and Email campaigns, consider re-mailing. There is much research which says the second contact may actually generate more responses and inquiries then the first.

Sometimes people are simply too busy when your correspondence arrives. The email drifts to the bottom of the in box. The postcard or letter is buried at the bottom of the stack of junk mail.

Resending it may allow it to arrive at a more convenient time. With eMail I recommend scrubbing your list before you resend. This involves creating a new group which does not include anyone who opened the first email before you resend. This is only possible if you are using an email tool which allows you to track your open and click through. While there are many viable tools, we use Constant Contact because it is both affordable and easy to use.

With direct mail, you have no way of knowing, and research actually shows response rates go up with a second mailing as people who were intrigued, but did not act on the first offer, call after the second one arrives.

Also, there is a possibility your mail was not opened because your tag line wasn't compelling. Consider a modification before you try again. Or consider splitting your list, and testing two tags the first time. Then follow up with the one which received a more positive response.

Marketing is trial and error. There is no exact science, and what worked a year ago may not work today, so you have to keep practicing!

If you want to enjoy bicycle riding, you have to try and try again. If you want to "enjoy the results of your marketing, you must do the same thing!