The Twin Sisters of Marketing: Catalog and Magalog

Catalogs are great marketing tools, especially foreffectively can be produced for about $2 per
retail shops. If you run a retail business of anycatalog. And you don't even have to mail it. Give
kind you should consider marketing your productsone to your best customers the next time they
with a print and an online catalog.The U.S. Postalvisit your store and tell them to visit your web
Service conducted a study and found that one ofsite. You'll be surprised at how quickly they
the biggest factors to generating online customerconvert to online shoppers, saving themselves
orders is a print catalog. According to the study,time and, in many cases, spending more money.A
consumers who receive a print catalog in the mailmagalog is similar to a catalog and can be even
enter into 15% more online transactions thanmore effective, even making you money on its
consumers who don't and also spend 16% moreproduction. Some retail businesses can benefit
money.The Direct Marketing Association says thetremendously from this high-powered and
typical catalog shopper is a married woman in hereffective marketing tool.It is much like a catalog
early 50's living in the suburbs, employed earningexcept that it also includes some editorial copy,
about $53,000 and her husband is alsolike a magazine, and some advertising from
employed.Fifty-seven percent of catalog shoppersnoncompeting companies.For instance, let's say
purchase apparel, 51% purchase gifts, 48%you own a bookstore. Each month you could
purchase books, music and videos, 31% purchaseproduce a magalog that you send to your best
home furnishings, and 27% purchase homecustomers. You could include book reviews,
electronics. Other high percentage categories ofcolumns of prominent book publishers who discuss
catalog purchasers include sporting goods, travelupcoming titles and a list of best sellers. You want
services, sports and entertainment tickets,to include copy that your customers will find
flowers, gardening supplies, pet supplies andvaluable. But you can also sell advertising to
food.A simple conclusion can be deducted frombusinesses that compliment yours. For instance,
these figures: If you own a retail store of anyyou could partner with the video store down the
kind, you could increase your sales by targetingstreet and sell them an ad to promote their
your customers with a print catalog. But not justbusiness while helping defray some of the costs
any customer.The best customer to target with aof publishing your magalog. If you sell enough
print catalog is your existing customer - theadvertising to noncompeting, complimentary
customer who shops at your store on a regularbusinesses then you could have your entire
basis. If you don't have a web site, you aremagalog paid for before you print it; then you
behind in satisfying the needs of these customersonly reap the results of your sales.If you own a
already. Add a web site and send a print catalogretail store, you should seriously consider using a
to drive your existing customers online, making itcatalog or magalog to market your products.Allen
more convenient for them to buy your productsTaylor is an award-winning journalist, freelance
(which they are already spending money on), thenwriter and copywriter. He specializes in world-class
you focus the rest of your marketing efforts onmarketing for small businesses. For more
gaining new customers. This strategy can increaseinformation about how to make your business
your profits while cutting your costs so you winshine visit Be sure to check out Allen's
on both ends of the profit-cost equation.And youghostwriting services and sign up for the free
don't have to spend a lot of money on a catalog.e-mail newsletter.
A small catalog that is attractive and used