If you’re looking for a revenue-generating powerhouse for your business, you’re looking for direct mail. Direct mail campaigns are the Old Faithful of marketing—businesses count on them because they’re dependable and promise a consistent ROI.

You can push direct mail’s ROI from consistent to record-breaking with a focus on personalization. Some online marketers mistakenly think their methods are more personal than direct mail. But thanks to Internet cookies, over-sent emails and Google Ad Words, consumers are turned off and tuning out. Direct mail bests digital marketing tactics in the area of personalization because, to the consumer, it feels more human.

The simplest way to personalize direct mail is using variable printing to address your business’s leads by name. But you can go even further than that.

The key to effective personalized direct mail is to get as much useful information as you can from your customers and prospects. Use sales records, surveys and social media to collect good data about your mail leads.

Now it’s time to personalize your direct mail piece. To craft a message that’s relevant to the prospect without being creepy, you’ve got to use your data carefully. Let’s say, for example, that your jewelry store wants to market diamond engagement rings. You’re working form a list of young people who you assume—or hope, for your business’s sake—are single (and you should know that from your data).

It makes sense to write copy that speaks to a buying audience in the mail piece you will send to males. On the other hand, the mail piece sent to females should feature different photos and copy. Although who will buy and who will receive such a gift varies, catering the message of the direct mail according to gender is a subtle method of personalization.

As this examples shows, the best marketers have to interpret the data and use it in a way that tactfully shows consumers that your business is just what they need. But you don’t have to be selling jewelry to personalize direct mail skillfully and in a non-intrusive way. Think about your audience and how their demographic information may affect their buying habits or business needs.

Work from your recipient data to go beyond names in personalizing your business’s direct mail. When you personalize your direct mail piece with a name, you’re working to catch your prospects’ attention. Go one step further—and one-up online marketers—by letting demographics inform your direct mail piece.

There is a time for everything in the marketing business. A time to stick with your current marketing strategy, a time to change your plan just a little and a time to try something completely different. The beginning of the year brings an exciting time to implement new strategies that could ultimately improve your company’s bottom line. Here are some ideas to help get your marketing in gear for 2012.

QR Codes
Technology rules the world these days, and consumers want information at their fingertips. QR codes are just that, a quick response code that your clients will love. The small square codes can contain a large amount of information, and anything that you would like to program into them. You can place them on direct mail, business cards, posters and even buildings. In terms of marketing, you can direct customers to a coupon, contact information or a link to a special promotion on your website. The possibilities for creativity are virtually endless.

Personalization
Nobody likes to be treated as just another number. And with variable data, your customers won’t feel like a number at all. Variable data printing allows you to personalize your mailings towards each of your customers. The more information you have on your customers, the more personal you can get. And in today’s social media world, there’s more information to get. This marketing strategy allows you to deliver messages that matter to your customers, meaning they won’t automatically ditch your mail because they find it irrelevant.

Content is King
With all of the information we ever need—and then some—readily available to us online, many think the traditional printed newsletter is dead. Oh, contraire. Consumers are information hungry and a well-produced, quick-read newsletter is just the ticket to keep your brand on your customers’ mind.

Presenting information is a key part of marketing your business, and communication is the key to success when it comes to presenting. But it doesn’t matter if you have the best product or idea in the world. You need your prospects to understand your pitch. No matter what your goal is, if you can’t present your information properly it just won’t click with your audience. If you’re looking to impress with your next presentation, avoid these presentation don’ts.

Don’t Read Your Slides
We’ve all been to this presentation. As you sit there wondering why you showed up when the presenter could have emailed you a list of bullet points, you probably lose interest because they handed you a printout and you can just read it later. Instead, keep your audience interested. Use keywords and phrases that keep your audience wanting more elaboration. Pass out note-taking materials before you start so that your audience will jot down your main points and feel obligated to stay intrigued in your presentation.

Don’t Phone it In
Think back to that monotone professor you had that made you fall asleep, no matter how interesting you found the subject matter. The same can happen in your presentation. If you aren’t excited about what you’re presenting, then your prospects won’t be excited either. Don’t be afraid to use some humor if appropriate for the subject matter. Make sure that overall, your presentation team has a certain spark that will please the potential customers.

Don’t State the Obvious
If your audience already knows the information you’re trying to feed them, they will lose interest within the first few minutes of your presentation. Give them something they don’t know, and show them why you deserve their attention. There’s a reason behind your presentation, and the audience is there to hear it. So give them something new and exciting to keep them hooked.

Don’t Use Different Styles
If you’re trying to put together a book, you wouldn’t use different fonts on every page. It seems pretty self explanatory, but make sure that you use common features so that your presentation is pleasing to the eye. Make use of a common color scheme, but don’t go too colorful and loud. Your information should be the main focus, not rainbow colored fonts.

Don’t Rely on Spellcheck
Having misspellings or any grammar flaws will quickly lose credibility with your prospects. If you can’t get the presentation right, how are they to trust you to do work for them? It can be easy to rely on spellcheck, but that doesn’t mean spell check will catch everything, especially if sentences don’t make sense. Make sure to look over your presentation multiple times for the best results.

All of these presentation don’ts can be avoided by practicing your presentation in front of coworkers or even family members. Have them tell you what you can improve on and what you may be missing. By recognizing these flaws, you should be able to see better results. And always remember to gain feedback from your audience so that you can continue to improve your presentation skills.

Many employees come back from the holiday break with a renewed ambition to do their best. So take advantage of this opportunity to channel this energy into your marketing plan. After all, marketing your organization is everybody’s business.

Push the Envelope
You might find that your company has been doing the same marketing for years, simply because that’s how it’s always been done. If that’s the case, it’s time to question your company’s tactics. There’s one certainty: things change. And such is the case with marketing. There are a variety of new marketing mediums you can incorporate into your marketing strategies. Take a look at how your competitors are using new tools like social media, variable data printing and QR codes. Then determine how you may be able to use them to grow your business.

Figure Out What Works
It’s great to know what is working from the past year’s marketing plan. One of the easiest ways to do this is to simply ask how you’re doing. Seems simple, right? That’s because it is. You can conduct surveys online, make phone calls or even ask customers in-person.

Once you gain feedback from your customers, you have to actually listen. It can be difficult to hear that something you thought would be a promotional success didn’t work out as well as you had planned. But remember that it’s better to make a change to your marketing for the betterment of the company’s bottom line.

Be Positive
When considering a new marketing plan, it’s important to consider your Return on Investment (ROI). According to Web Pro News, it can be beneficial to look at each marketing activity individually and determine if you had a positive ROI rather than evaluating a comprehensive budget. If not, it’s time to implement a new strategy for the places that are lacking. Keep the positive ROI activities the same, or think of ways that you can improve them.

We can’t fault you for focusing on adding customers to grow your business. In fact, it speaks to the ambition that drove your business to the success you currently enjoy. But as the year wraps up and you’re running out of time to sign new customers, we’d like to redirect your focus to the people writing your paycheck each month—your current customers.

We’ve all heard over and over again that it costs more to add new customers than to keep existing ones. That makes upselling to your current customers critical to keeping your business in the black. Upselling keeps you relevant to customers even after you solve the problems they initially came to you with, and it makes your business relationship more profitable.

So rein in your marketing efforts toward the client you already have. Keep reading for four tips on increasing sales with upselling.

Be Inclusive
If you assume that your customers are aware of all of your products and services, you’re only hurting yourself. It’s not their job to assess what they need from your business’s suite of services. It’s yours. So don’t just market new services to leads. Include current customers in your mailing list when promoting a special. Alert clients to the new product you just rolled out. Never underestimate the potential for new business in an old client.

Happy and In It for the Long-Haul
Not losing current clients is too humble a goal. Not only do you need to keep them, you need to keep them happy. Offer customers training and support to help them get the most out of the products and services you sold them. The trust you’ll build by taking the time to educate them will prove invaluable when their looking for upgrades down the road.

Just Checking In
Make it a priority to stay on current customers’ radar, because so much of the upsell depends on your being attuned clients’ every wish or need. Keep in touch to stay in the know about the challenges they face, their changing target audience and their biggest worries as a business. Talk to customers regularly. The conversation should be a low-pressure, sales pitch-free discussion about their problems. Listen to them carefully then identify upselling opportunities consistent with their needs.

An Elephant Never Forgets (But Clients Do)
Remind customers of all your company offers to help their business grow. Write a personal letter to clients in whom you see potential for spending more on your services. Include a list of everything your business offers, with the products they’ve already purchased checked off. It’s a subtle way to show clients that you can fulfill more of their business needs, even ones they might have missed.

Share these ideas for increasing revenue through current clients with your sales and marketing team. Focus on the art of the upsell for a last-minute boost for your 2011 income.

As for social media sites, LinkedIn is too boring to bear for many individuals. But for businesses, the professional networking site is a goldmine. That is, it’s a goldmine for businesses that know how to use it. Keep reading for four ways your business can use LinkedIn for greater lead generation.

#4 All Aboard
Encourage your staff to participate in your LinkedIn marketing push for the best results. Your company’s visibility will be higher when more professionals associate with your company on the site. Tell your staff to claim their own vanity URL so that it includes their names rather than random letters and numbers no one will remember. Make sure your staff maintains a professional image on LinkedIn, too.

Don’t let your team treat LinkedIn like Facebook or Twitter by sharing party pictures and silly personal information. Prospective leads will be unimpressed and far less likely to give you their business.

#3 Get the Word Out
With all of the effort you’re putting into marketing your business on social media, it’d be a shame to neglect publicizing your LinkedIn presence. Make a focused effort to spread the word about your availability on LinkedIn. You can promote your profile on your blog and Twitter feed. And print QR codes on the back of your business cards to drive traffic to your profile. And don’t forget to include a link to your profile in your email signature. Finally, add clients as connections to see their contacts (also known as your new prospects).

#2 Group Think
Position yourself as an expert and get noticed on LinkedIn by contributing to active group discussions. Don’t waste your time on groups with many members but little to no participation, either. Avoid discussions full of sales pitches—quality leads won’t waste their time there. Attract promising leads adding thoughtful, expert responses to questions. Don’t pitch your services on LinkedIn—save that for the follow-up.

#1 Follow Up
Using Google Analytics, track who’s viewing your company website. Then check
LinkedIn for executives you can pass along to your inside sales team. Likewise, track those viewing your LinkedIn profile and your staff’s—potential leads may already be researching your company. Keep leads interested and attentive by following up with a phone call, email or LinkedIn’s InMail.

Lead generation on LinkedIn definitely requires an investment of your time. But if you and your staff concentrate on engaging with professionals from relevant industries on the social media site, your list of prospects will grow and your sales will soar.

From the well-respected brand that has been around for ages to the small business that is just taking off, branding is a vital part any business. Whatever stage of life your company is in, video is a tool that could be utilized to brand and market your company. If you’re not a video pro, don’t stress. These tips will help you use video to reach consumers you’ve never found before.

Find an Angle
Finding your angle applies to video in two ways. Don’t do video because all the cool kids are doing it. Find an angle you could use to achieve your marketing goal. Whether you’re creating a demo or doing a special promotion, the video needs to serve a purpose with a clear reason for the viewer to do something as a result of watching. Also, consider the tone of your video and correlate it with your company culture. If you’re a fun group, you could make a humorous video. But if you’re seen as a prestigious company with a longstanding traditional brand, you’ll want to portray that in the video. Once you’ve found your angle, it’s time to find your angles with the camera.

Lights, Camera, Action
If you’ve never done a video to market your business, do some background research. Find some other companies to see what types of videos they’ve been producing and determine what you like and dislike about them. You should always shoot for professionalism, but you don’t necessarily need professional equipment. Many companies shoot their own videos these days. You probably have a budding videographer on your staff. You might find that investing in an outside business to help can be a good investment.

You Can YouTube
After you’ve made your video, it’s time to let the world see all of the great things your company can do. YouTube is a great resource for businesses. You’ve probably been shown funny videos, looked up music videos or watched clips from your favorite movies. But YouTube is also a great resource to market your business. Once you have it posted to YouTube, you should post it on your website and link to it in social media. If you can make your video noticeably different, then you will get more views and your popularity will grow. So get out there, think outside the box and shoot a video that your business can market and take pride in.

Thanksgiving has barely passed, and yet planning for 2012 is already overdue. But it’s not too late to treat your marketing strategy to a much-needed makeover. All of the fresh starts and New Year’s resolutions that accompany a brand new year make it a great time to implement a new and improved marketing strategy. So forget the old standard resolution to lose weight. Instead, decide that 2012 is the year you’ll trim the fat on your marketing strategy. Read on for five steps to your 2012 marketing strategy assessment.

Articulate Your Goals
How will you craft a more effective marketing strategy if you don’t know what you’re working toward? Go over your business plan to identify areas to which marketing can contribute. Check your current marketing strategy for any tactics that aren’t related to those goals. Revise your strategy to ensure that it’s doing exactly what you need it to.

Pinpoint Weak Spots
Improving your marketing strategy according to your business’ goals naturally leads to addressing weaknesses. Recognize the areas that need a little help and market the company with those in mind. If your company needs to increase visibility, adjust your marketing plan to do just that—focus on word-of-mouth initiatives, customer rewards and SEO. If client retention is far from your strong suit, plan customer loyalty programs and invest in advertising that promotes your excellent customer service.

Know Your Audience
Before you can woo your audience into buying your product or subscribing to your service, you’ve got to really know them. Can you paint a picture of who would buy your product? Do you know how much they’re willing to pay? What does it take to convince them? Answer these questions and adjust your marketing strategy accordingly.

Measure Up
The tighter the money, the more careful the consumer. Get used to the fact that when consumers spend less, they scrutinize your business and your product more carefully than ever. Does your marketing strategy speak to your expertise and your company’s credibility? If not, what can you do to fix that? Maybe it’s spotlighting testimonials of happy customers, or rewarding customers who refer leads. Maintain a content-rich website and develop a PR strategy to showcase your trustworthiness and persuade the tight-fisted to bite the buying bullet.

Know the difference
Your business plan and your marketing plan are two completely different tools. The former describes the whole of your business—your customers, your budget and your goals. A far more focused document, the marketing strategy, consists of the concrete steps your business takes to achieve the goals in your business plan. Both tools work best when they’re separate but in harmony.

Guide your marketing strategy revisions according to these five considerations, and you and your business will have more to celebrate next year. Get to it!