Print in a Multi-channel World --Sherburne

Want to check this out? Send me your e-mail address and I will refer you so you can see your own PURL in action.

According to Panaggio, "One-to-one direct marketing is the single biggest entrepreneurial opportunity ahead of us. The direct marketing/Web combination is gaining a much bigger share of market spend…you have to get into PURLs if you are going to do direct mail. To not do it is just plain dumb." He also added, "The key to our business is not the paper, not the print; it is the ability to track results." And he spoke about how PURLs help make that happen.

Having achieved the $100 million mark, Panaggio's stated objective is to build a $250 million company, and I have no doubt he will achieve that goal. How? By eating his own dog food—by turning the tools and expertise he employs so successfully with his customers to the growth of his own business.

So how can you get started in your quest to expand your own marketing efforts to both grow your own business and educate customers about the powerful role print can play in a multi-channel business communications strategy?

Where to Start?

For many of us, getting started can be daunting. But here is another piece of Panaggio advice: Simple is useful. Start small and test a variety of options and approaches. Track your results to see how you are doing. And these days, the good news is there is no need to build everything yourself. There are many options for buying or partnering to gain access to the expertise you need, and it is more affordable than ever before.

Here's an example: Constant Contact (www.constantcontact.com) is a do-it-yourself e-mail marketing service that claims more than 40,000 small businesses and associations as customers. You can get started for as little as $15 per month or take advantage of their 90-day free trial. Who couldn't afford that? The service provides a range of professionally designed e-mail templates and step-by-step instructions for how to "create eye-catching e-mail campaigns." Try it out, but be sure to blend your campaigns with printed components. After all, that's the message we are trying to get across here—how print can work together with alternative media to be more effective than any one medium alone!