Hello all, how’s everyone? After the winter I plan on doing a big EDDM campaign. I plan on printing and sending out a total of 15,000 cards. So what’s more important? More people or more mailing? For example, I plan on printing 15,000 cards, I want to target 3 towns so I figured I would mail out 1,000 to each town (3,000 total) and re-mail to the same 3,000 people roughly each month for 5 months. Or would I be better for example, sticking with the same 3 towns mail to 500 people but mail 10 times (every 2 weeks for 5 months) so what do you guys think would be best? This is my first time with EDDM and obviously it’s a lot of money but I’m really trying to grow my business so I’m looking for maximum return on my investment.
I think I would get really annoyed if I got the same advertisement 5 times especially if I got it 10 times
Bout to have someone run lifetime ROI’s for all our EDDM over the years.
I think hitting the right time and carrying through busy season is key.
do any of y’all use BNI instead of advertising traditionally
I would do 5000 homes 3 times a year… And use different cards for each mailing,
so don’t make 15000 of all the same card…
Also do your research and know the best carrier routes in those towns…
Check this out both these items, they both can help you make sure you make logical decisions on eddm. Get both and read them over a couple times
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You can see my concise opinion on the BNI here
Call all the local chapters and let them know you’re available as a substitute for anyone who can’t make it.
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Like a free defacto membership
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your quote doesn’t let me read the rest.
three years ive been in there has generated over 150k granted thats for our other services. it got me referrals and face to faces with people i otherwise wouldnt have met. one of my best referrals partners came not from bni directly but by association.
i just purchased a window biz so we backed out till we can get windows dialed in. its been tough growing by so much overnight.
we have plans of rejoining in the windows category early to mid next year.
too date it’s been the best form of advertising for us. btw ive only advertised a couple times in the last 5-6 years its all referrals
Should be a little arrow in the top right of the quote box that opens everything. And I’m glad you got what you want out of your membership.
To follow up on my story, after ditching the BNI I found another local marketing group with no membership fee that does not have mandatory attendance rules. The barrier to entry is so low that there are always tons of new people to meet, where the exclusivity of the BNI made it so my contacts grew stale after just a couple months. To me it seems silly to be pitching my lines to the same people every week.
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to each is own. meeting formats can be kinda annoying. our group had a lot of old business and we passed alot in referrals.
i would also get work from visitors but i didnt just focus on what they could do for me but whatno could do for them.
ive also given out alot of jobs also.
i liked that you had to pay too join and that it was rigid with rules. each chapter has a different feel though and ours just happened to be the funnest
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No offense to anyone who likes BNI’s. But I have heard from lots of people over the last few years about them.
You have to pay 500-1000 dollars a year to join.
There are strict rules in place that seem a bit demanding at times.
Members are the ones doing all the work for the local organization.
So then what are your member fees paying for? Someone has to be profiting from it. Which is fine, but what value are you getting for the money?
What is so different about a BNI and just having a group of other business people that you trust and refer other types of work to? I have that, and it doesn’t cost me anything.
My impression of the BNI’s I have heard about, is they EXPECT you to market for other businesses in your BNI. Actively marketing with your clients.
Besides I have heard way more unhappy people with the BNI’s than I have heard of happy/successful stories.
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They actually franchise territories and those fees simply go to owner and franchise owners.
i dont care that it cost me 500. one acct we got was $10k/yr we had same acct 3yrs. so that one acct would pay my dues for 20yrs!
who cares about the $1500 in fees in three years that cost me when we’ve done over $150k in those three years from referrals.
i can deal with weekly meetings and goober rules for that kind of dough. plus i was already networking before joining in my almost 9yrs of being solo ive spent less than 3k too advertisers
Well, if you are happy, then that’s great.
To me it sounds like something Amway-ish. I have enough time wrapped up in marketing my business, I don’t need to market for 10+ other businesses in town. And I sure wouldn’t want every conversation I have with a client, turning into a sales pitch for someone else. Nor would I want to be wasting my time doing stuff for a BNI group. That is unless they wanted to pay me my rate for it. Seems like the franchise owner would be doing that stuff. But hey, at least the owner is set up to get paid AND have free labor, right? Pretty genius!
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As a business it is quite brilliant. Another responsibility of members is to recruit new members, so that profit just keeps rolling in.
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yes that aspect is genius
4month trial vs 3yrs is a big difference.
what you put in os what you get out
nuff said
Those statements are true of pretty much all marketing formats, not just the BNI.
OP: Each month for five months is what I would do, though I’m no expert on the EDDM scene
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I was a member of BNI when I lived in Scotland. I found it to be beneficial and did get referrals. I saw some pretty big referrals past in the meetings. On the flip side it can be intimidating at first standing up in a room to make your sale pitch, and then ask for the specific type of referral you are looking for each week. Public speaking is a nightmare for the masses and can makes the greatest technicians lack confidence. Once you get past that, I think it can be a great way to keep you in check once a week, get you talking to other professionals and you may be surprised that you land a huge deal.
