One of the benefits of a search engine optimized web site is that it works for you around the clock. It also generates incoming leads for products and services that you may not be equipped to handle. I can't think of a better problem to have! It is so nice to pick up the phone to call your friends and send them some business.
An occassional mailer will contact NextMark for some creative counsel, but most often we receive inquiries from SOHO direct marketers seeking a reputable list broker to guide them through the customer acquisition process.
Thanks to companies like Google and Commission Junction, the referral process can be made easy through their hosted affiliate programs. Many companies are creating their own programs by developing co-branded web sites and automated html generators. Ultimately, these programs may be leveraged to make the online experience a bit more friendly.
We've decided to test a few affiliate programs with NextMark's mailing lists search tool with the hopes that the convenience of these links will make it easier for our existing users and new visitors to reach their market.
Printing and Postcard Mailing Solutions
Mailing Lists and Email Leads
Create and Send Direct Mail Online
These programs are non-exclusive.
The NextMark Direct Marketing Glossary also provides several hard to find definitions related to affiliate marketing and affiliate programs.
According to msnbc.com, the ice storm hit New England hard today.
"An ice storm knocked out power Friday to 1.25 million homes and businesses from Maine to Pennsylvania, closing schools and tying up travel, and authorities say it could take days for all customers to get service back."
A few of the hardest hit areas were not far from leading direct marketing service providers. Here's a count of power outages posted just a couple minutes before noon this morning:
NH — 326,000
MA — 350,000
ME — 203,000
VT — 31,000
CT — 16,000
A state of emergency was declared by the Governor of Massachusetts Deval Patrick, while the Eagle Tribune reported the following observations:
"A power outage that resulted when two trees fell on power lines on Great Pond Road lasted in some cases nearly 12 hours and affected 750 utility customers, a National Grid spokeswoman said."
"It chopped the pole in half and took the wires down," North Andover police Sgt. Thomas McEvoy said of the incident."
Fortunately for NextMark users, all of our list research, order processing, and financial systems performed without interruption. This continuity would not have been possible without our data center's rigorous commitment to ensuring an optimal environment with uninterrupted power and network connections. Here are just a few of the benefits that help our clients sleep at night:
N + 1 redundancy for virtually guaranteed continuous operation
State-of-the-art fire suppression systems
Multiple points of entry, control systems, and backup generators for delivering uninterrupted power to the equipment
Diverse power routes and redundant switching infrastructure for ensuring optimized connections – both in terms of speed and performance
Multiple levels of physical and logical security measures for a secure environment
In the time of disaster, NextMark and mIn employees may be working in the dark with a cold cup of coffee, but your mailing list research and order processing solutions will be up and running – rest assured.
One economic benefit of the information renaissance is that you can promote yourself, your company, or just about anything else for free. The introduction of YouTube 2005 was the latest of three significant developments including social networks and podcasting. I just checked and there were more than 60,000 new videos uploaded so far this week, and it's only Thursday!
Change Is Here!
These remarkable changes in media were here long before Barrack Obama was elected, and he and his campaign team were wise to leverage them. Many list marketers are also taking advantage of these new media channels as the rise of direct marketing freeconomics leads to an increased level of online lis research activity from mailers and list brokers in the public domain.
We all need to work smarter nowadays. The proliferation of online content has changed the world we live in and created a new playing field for direct marketers. Are you in the right training program to compete?
In about 425 years you could view all of the videos posted on YouTube, or you could view ours in less than five minutes. Click here for the complete series of online NextMark video tutorials. You may also want to visit our Direct Marketing Bookstore and check out a hard copy of one of our top picks. There are also some good resources there to learn more about direct mail, email, and multi-channel and database marketing.
The benefits of electronic commerce can be achieved without using DMOS. Marketing service consumers ("buyers") can interact directly with marketing service providers. However, the problem with this scenario is the number of connections required between buyers and providers which forces the constant "reinvention of the wheel" by both the buyers and providers.
As shown in the diagram above, each buyer has to establish a separate connection with each marketing service provider. Likewise, each provider has to establish a connection with each buyer. For example, in the case of 1,000 buyers and 100 providers, 100,000 separate connections would have to be established!
These connections are not trivial. Connecting to a web service is not much work. However, establishing a business class connection that is secure and reliable is quite significant.
The alternative to the cobbled together "point to point" approach mentioned above is the use of DMOS to facilitate communications between the buyers and providers.
Buyers need only one connection with DMOS to access all services available through DMOS. Likewise, marketing service providers need only one connection to DMOS to enable all DMOS buyers to utilize their service.
In essence, DMOS makes it easy for buyers and suppliers to conduct business.
But DMOS is much more than a matchmaking service. It provides the infrastructure that makes it possible to conduct secure and reliable business electronically.
The responsibilities of DMOS include:
Directory– provides a registry of services available through DMOS
Authentication – validates the identity of parties involved with a transaction protecting against impersonation
Authorization – restricts access to services to protect against unauthorized access
Confidentiality – ensures that requests and data are delivered confidentially through encryption to protect against eavesdropping
Orchestration – coordinates the workflow of many tasks in a business process to avoid omissions and errors
Message Delivery – guarantees the delivery of messages and data are delivered to ensure that no critical information is lost in transmission
Transformation – transforms requests or data into the format required by the marketing service provider performing the task
Monitoring – monitors the availability and performance of services to ensure high availability
Integrity – ensures that requests or data is not tampered with in transmission
Non-repudiation – provides assurance that an agreement or service request cannot later be denied by the parties involved
Auditing – keeps a log of service activity to provide insight and accountability of the service
And more…
Without DMOS, you would have to implement all of these services yourself or be exposed to significant security and service risks. This implementation requires a monumental amount of work. The implementation is so big that it often makes projects like this not feasible. This is probably why we've not seen much electronic commerce in the field of direct marketing.
With NextMark DMOS, you get all of these services by simply connecting to DMOS. So, you can focus on your business. Service providers focus on service delivery. Buyers focus on their marketing campaigns (and not technology).
You can blame Thomas Edison for starting it. Although certainly one of the greatest inventions of all time, Edison's invention of the phonograph in 1877 had a cultural dark side. As predicted by John Philip Sousa, it started us down the slippery slope that has turned us into media-consuming zombies. Sousa said,
"The time is coming when no one will be ready to submit himself to the ennobling discipline of learning music. Everyone will have their ready made or ready pirated music in their cupboards."
These fantastic inventions benefited society in many ways. However, they also led to a cultural decline that was certainly not intended by the great inventors.
When I was growing up in the 1970's, we only had 5 television channels run by ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, and a local independent. The executives at these networks controlled our culture. They decided what we saw and, to the best of their ability, what we bought. Everything was filtered through these networks.
Although I did not realize it at the time (because I must have been a zombie, too), that was a truly dark age. There were only a handful of media outlets: 5 TV stations, maybe a few dozen radio stations, and a few local newspapers. Our thoughts and opinions were being strongly influenced (controlled?) by a very small group of very powerful people. Thank God there was a library!
But things started to change around 1980.
No, I don't mean the widespread adoption of cable TV and the explosion of new television channels like MTV, ESPN, and the Weather Channel. Sure, there are now lots more stations on the dial, but it's still on the order of hundreds of channels controlled by even fewer very powerful networks.
Instead, what I am referring to is a series of innovations that started in 1980:
1980: IBM introduced the personal computer. This enabled you to create and distribute documents and media, albeit in a very limited way.
1988: on the heels of ARPAnet, the Internet was first allowed to be commercialized. This enabled you to connect to every other computer in the world.
1993: the first widely-used web browser, Mosaic, was introduced. The web browser enabled you to view virtually any document or media available through the Internet.
1997: the first blogs were introduced. This enabled you to publish your own "newspaper" or "magazine."
1998: the first comprehensive Internet search engine, Google, was introduced. The search engine enabled you to find any document on the internet.
2000: the first encyclopedia anyone can edit, Wikipedia, was introduced. This enabled you to publish your knowledge.
2002-2004: the first widely adopted social networks, such as MySpace and Facebook, were introduced. This enabled you to broadcast your life.
2004: podcasting was introduced. This enabled you to start your own "radio station."
2005: the first free video publishing service, YouTube, was introduced. This enabled you to start your own "TV station."
Meanwhile, throughout this period of innovation, personal computers have been getting more and more powerful. Virtually every computer purchased today has the ability to create a video (or audio or any other kind of document). That's huge!
Why is this significant? Now, you and everyone can be a media producer. In fact, I just last week produced my first documentary "Salmon Sunday". If I can do it, you can do it. And lots of people are doing it: according to Wikipedia, as of April 9, 2008, YouTube hosted 83.4 million videos on 3.75 million user channels. Compare that to the ~100 channels on your TV.
These technology advances have "changed politics forever." It has enabled you to participate in the the political process in ways never before possible. Examples from the recent presidential process include "Yes We Can" (14 million view in 9 months, 64,754 ratings, 85,931 comments), "I Got a Crush… on Obama" (12 million view in 5 months, 30,432 ratings, 65,433 comments), and one of my newest favorites "Obama and McCain – Dance Off!" (4.3 million views in 1 month, 16,300 ratings, 22,416 comments). (note: I would have included republican or other party examples, but I could not find any good ones. I expect this will change in the next presidential election!)
Don't want to be a media producer? That's okay. You can still participate by making comments, posting reviews, sending links, and otherwise. Amazon is a great example that enable you to influence others' purchasing decisions. In fact, in many cases, you are contributing through your behavior that influences collaborative filtering mechanisms employed by Amazon and NetFlix.
And you can access all this great new media anytime, anyplace. It's no longer limited to the "idiot box" and the network's schedule. It's everywhere you are with the advances in mobile phones and other mobile technology.
The day has passed when you were forced to be a media consuming zombie with no influence. It's a new world where you are a media producer and participant. This is changing society in ways we've yet to imagine.
Need more proof? In 2006, Time Magazine named you as their "Person of the Year". Despite the early criticism of their choice (no offense), I think history will look kindly upon their prescience. Our society is no longer controlled by a handful of media elites. You can truly influence society. There's no longer a barrier.
Sure, times are tough right now with the bad economy, the war in Iraq, and all that's going on. If you are reading this blog entry, you are part of the new cultural renaissance. It's a great time to be alive. Be thankful!
In case you are one of the last holdouts still wondering if we are living in an information age, check out this video, Did you Know 3.0, created by Karl Fisch, Scott McLeod, and Jeff Brenman and updated for 2008. Among many other things, it predicts that "by 2049 a $1000 computer will exceed the computational capabilities of the entire human species." Wow! Check it out:
It's scary how quickly knowledge becomes obsolete. Better turn off that TV and keep learning!
NextMark has found a new partner to help you create and send direct mail! If you are looking for an email list then the email list finder is a great place to start. However, if you would like to create and send direct mail through the USPS, then take a visit to Zairmail. NextMark's new affiliate partner provides you with online tools that make direct mail easy.
Email List Finder
Did you know that you can find information on over 15,000 e-mail lists using the free mailing lists search tool?
Did you know that you can also find information on over 55,000 postal mailing lists using the free mailing lists search tool?
You now have convenient access to targeted mailing lists, direct mail and postcard templates, and everything else you need to grow your business using direct mail marketing. There is also a free sample mail kit that contains all the information you need to get your direct mail campaigns off the ground.
As discussed in "Needed: Direct Marketing Operating System", the direct marketing channel is currently lacking an systems infrastructure. We're striving for a solution with the DMOS platform. When it's available, DMOS will make it easy for direct marketers to purchase direct marketing services from a variety of vendors. It will also be easy for direct marketing service providers to provide their services through DMOS.
Direct marketing service providers will be able to publish the availability of their services through the DMOS directory – a structured and searchable directory organized by service categories. Think of this as a turbo-charged version of the yellow pages specifically tuned for the direct marketing channel.
What is the relationship between DMOS and the service providers? I believe that "federation" is a term that aptly describes the relationship. According to the Concise Oxford Dictionary, a federation is
"a system of government in which several states form a unity but remain independent in internal affairs"
Although not typically used in describing relationships between businesses, I believe the concept of federation is appropriate here.
The DMOS platform will unify direct marketing services. It will enable buyers to find and procure direct marketing services. It will enable vendors to deliver their services through a common platform. DMOS will provide some "governance" to ensure that the marketplace runs smoothly. Some examples are user authentication, security, directory services, service monitoring, integrity, confidentiality, etc.
However, each marketing service provider will "remain independent in internal affairs." They will be completely responsible for the delivery of their services. DMOS will help buyers to find and request a vendor's services, but the vendor will be responsible to negotiate and fulfill the buyer's needs.
This federation relationship reminds me of a shopping mall. The mall owner is responsible for the security and infrastructure. On behalf of the buyers, the mall owner will ensure a safe and easy place to conduct business. Each seller is responsible for running their own store.
From a business perspective, the concept of forming federations has been around since the first bazaar was established centuries ago. Electronic marketplaces are relatively new, but recent advances in computer technology have made them feasible for even small businesses. Other more complicated industries, such as manufacturing and travel, have implemented federated marketplaces.
I believe that an electronic marketplace for direct marketing is feasible because of the highly electronic nature of the business. Unlike most other industries, almost every aspect of the direct marketing process can be performed electronically. All that's needed is some "glue" to combine and orchestrate all of these electronic processes.
It's about time direct marketing had a federated marketplace. Don't you agree?
The United States Post Office (USPS) is now requiring mailers to update their list more frequently. According to Direct Magazine, "Under the new regulations lists must be updated 95 days prior to the date of a mailing. The previous requirement was 185 days."
"More frequent mailing list updates to correct the addresses for customers who have moved is another step mailers must take to reduce undeliverable mail and the need for forwarding. New Move Update policies requiring mailers to update customer information within 95 days of mailing will be effective for First-Class Mail and Standard Mail in November 2008."
What's their motivation? Very simple: there's a lot of money to be saved. According to the Plan:
"Estimates of the amount of mail that is undeliverable-as-addressed (UAA) are in the billions of pieces, resulting in well over $1 billion in postal costs each year and enormous waste and unnecessary expense for mailers. Addresses that are incomplete or out of date affect service as well as costs. Even when incorrectly addressed mail can be delivered, it is commonly delayed and re-routed multiple times."
The USPS' goals are also very significant:
"The Postal Service‘s goal is to cut the 2004 cost of UAA mail in half by 2010. To achieve this goal, it is working with mailers to validate address information and improve the quality, accuracy, and timeliness of address lists."
Direct marketing is perhaps the most powerful form of marketing available today. The Direct Marketing Association states that "each dollar spent on direct marketing yields, on average, a return on investment of $11.69, versus ROI of $5.24 from non-direct marketing expenditures" in its 2008 Power of Direct Marketing report.
Need more proof? Look no further that Barack Obama's recent presidential campaign. His successful campaign "rewrote politics" because he tactically outmaneuvered his opponents by reaching voters quickly and directly through direct marketing — particularly through postal mail, email, and texting — instead of slowly and indirectly through mass media.
This direct marketing is powerful stuff. Why doesn't every organization use it to reach their market? Because it is difficult and expensive. It's a complex manual process known only to industry insiders.
To illustrate how complex direct marketing can be, here's a diagram of the process to obtain a single mailing list:
There are 36 manual steps to this process! Now imagine that you are running a campaign where you are renting 10 outside lists, merging them with a house file extract, printing 200,000 pieces, putting these addresses on them, and putting them into the mail. That's hundreds of manual steps! And a lot of delays and opportunities for mistakes.
With all this complexity, it's a wonder we get any mail out at all. But we do and that's a testament to the hard work and diligence of the vendors serving the direct marketing channel.
However, it's expensive.
All this manual work drives up the cost of delivering a direct marketing program. As a result, the direct marketing channel is only open to those organizations willing to make a very significant investment. Vendors can't afford to service micro-campaigns. It's relatively the same amount of work to send one million pieces as it is to send one thousand pieces.
The reason all this work has to be done manually is because the industry has no infrastructure. The direct marketing process is effectively held together with "bubble gum and bailing wire" – disparate systems, spreadsheets, phone calls, emails, faxes, re-keying orders, etc.
What's needed is a Direct Marketing Operating System.
Direct Marketing Operating System (or "DMOS") is the name we've been using here at NextMark for the last eight years to denote the technology infrastructure that will facilitate the direct marketing process. There are lots of good reasons for the complexity of this process: approvals, privacy and security of data, etc. That intrinsic complexity will remain. What will change is the amount of effort and time required to deliver a direct marketing campaign.
The technology needed for this technology infrastructure is available and proven: web services, xml, service oriented architecture, etc. It just needs to be applied to the direct marketing process. That's what DMOS is all about.
DMOS will enable direct marketing service providers with an easy way to promote their services and integrate their services with the rest of the process. Vendors will operate more profitably than ever before because orders will be delivered electronically and serviced efficiently with button clicks rather than manual re-keying.
DMOS will make it easy for organizations to utilize direct marketing services. Using direct marketing services in a campaign will be about as easy as filling your shopping cart on Amazon.com or your favorite website. You won't need to know about all the supply chain logistics to place your order. And you won't have to wait a long time to get the results.
Don't worry — all the checks and balances will be in place (in fact, improved) and there will be more need than ever for trusted advisors (i.e. consultants, list brokers, list managers, agencies). This is not about disintermediation. It's about integration.
The benefits? The immediate benefit is faster, easier, and more profitable direct marketing. The longer-term benefit is the opening of the direct marketing channel to all organizations big or small. Direct marketing will be more approachable. As a result, the industry could more than triple in size – that's big!
Do you agree that the industry needs an infrastructure? What can we do to deliver it?