But California small businesses, entrepreneurs and retailers could be in for some interesting days ahead as the California Supreme Court has ruled that retailers may no longer ask for consumers’ zip codes, which alters the way small businesses and retailers are able to collect valuable customer information at the time of check out.

While this may cut down on the number of “junk-mail” consumers complain about, many shoppers actually enjoy receiving direct mailings and postcards because they contain special offers they sign up for. There’s plenty talk about the increasing use of email marketing and even social media marketing, but direct mail still very much serves a purpose, especially for local small businesses that reach customers in a ten-mile diameter.

“What’s most interesting in this ruling is that these are customers affected by a decision that seems to overlook the fact that these are opt-in,” said Chrisanne Sternal, head of marketing strategy at UnderstandingMarketing.com and owner of Sternal Consulting.

Tips on how to design a small business promotional flyer:

–Promotional flyers are an inexpensive form of advertising: Small businesses don’t have a large advertising budget. Promotional flyers are a great way to get your message out or promote a special deal without breaking the bank.

–Promotional flyers extend your brand: Be careful to avoid looking cheesy in your flyers. Do have them look clean and professional with clear branding of your company. Have a nice logo, colors, the right tagline and fonts that represent your company. Avoid looking like the pressure cleaner that leaves flyers all over your front door. You know who you are.

–Consider guerrilla marketing techniques: Leaving flyers on the windshield of a car is not the ideal way to employ a guerrilla marketing technique. Heading out to a busy plaza dressed as a fluff monkey, giving children an opportunity to run completely wild towards you, is a good example (assuming kids and parents are your target audience, of course). Additionally, guerrilla marketing will become more valuable over time because it’s a great way to capture attention, and as the U.S. Postal Service decides to cut back on the number of days for delivery.

–Use quality digital photography: Put down the Polaroid, and slowly back away. Good photography can make so much of a difference. This is not the area you want to be cheap.

–What kind of stock: If you have the budget try to put your promotional flyer on a stock that’s going to impress. Use glossy for high-end customers and a nice, heavy stock for standard commercial customers.

–Find illustrations that support your message: People look at pictures and illustrations so much more than they read what you say. Find a way to deliver your message through an illustration.

Watch this tutorial on using Photoshop to create your own flyer:

Part 2

–Strongest image in the top half: Again, since images are so powerful you want to use them right away where you know they’ll first glance.

–Better to use one large image than lots of smaller ones: Size matters when it comes to images on a promotional flyer. Try to use a nice sized image to capture your reader’s attention.

–Group several smaller ones together: But if you must use smaller images, group them together so that they appear to make one larger image.

–Use persuasive writing to interest customers: You didn’t think I was going to say words are absolutely meaningless, did you? Really? Pictures are ultra important here but words can close the deal because what do people do after you’ve gotten their attention? You guessed it. They look for the details in print.

–Where have you heard this before – it’s all about the headline: I may say this a million times on this blog. And I may just accomplish this before 2011.

–Who are you writing for? You’ve really got to know your customer here because if you’re off you can end up wasting a lot of money. Segment your list if you must and only deliver to people you know will be moved by your offer. Also, design your promotional flyer with your customer in mind. Use bright, playful colors if you’re targeting families and soft, classic colors if you’re targeting a more upscale audience. Use this marketing color guide to help you choose.

–Write in terms of “you”: Write your message so that you’re speaking directly to the person reading the flyer. Remember Uncle Same – “I Want You!”

–Tell your customers to do something: By all accounts always tell them what to do. Whether it’s go to a Web site, a store or an event, people respond to a good call to action supported by a great incentive.

–Speaking of the incentive: Entice them with something more than just a great price! If it’s a consumer you’re targeting give away something they’ll love. If it’s a business customer consider giving away information or a white paper on industry research, for example.

–Go easy on the fonts and bold the headline: Try to use no more than two different kinds of fonts in your promotional flyer.

–It’s ok to keep fonts in the family: It is acceptable to use a variety of different types of one font (Arial, Times New Roman, etc.).

Here’s a tip: If you don’t have an eye for design think about contacting your local college or university to see if there may be an intern you can hire for the design work. Hiring an intern will cost significantly less money than a seasoned design professional and you’ll be giving them an opportunity to get real-world experience.

Chrisanne Sternal has been developing marketing strategies for companies of all sizes for more than 15 years. She’s designed flyers, postcards and direct mail brochures for a variety of companies that have yielded a high return on investment. Get a FREE consultation for your direct mail initiatives from Sternal Communications.

Want to add something to this list? Feel free to leave a comment and we’ll make sure everyone shares in your ideas.

1. Call to action is bad or nonexistent: Once you’ve got them reading your piece you’ve got to tell them what you want them to do.

2. Forgetting to test: Direct mail marketing is the art of constant testing. You’ve got to be committed to trying different approaches from everything like design and copy to packaging and offers.

3. Too much fluff and hype: If you sound too much like a used car salesman you’ll end up in the garbage faster than you can say garbage. Practice the art of generating excitement without using too much hype.

4. Bad grammar and no proofing: Yes, the whole world is working off text message language right now, or at least it seems that way. Don’t allow your direct mail marketing to go this route.

5. Can’t grab their attention in headline: Think of the last time you received a direct mail marketing piece. As a direct mail tip remember how you responded to one all because the headline was absolutely catchy?

6. Not studying what works: Direct mail marketing has been around for many, many years and thousands of companies have made a lot of money. Before you do any direct mail marketing you should study what has worked and what has not.

6. No follow up plan: Congratulations. You’ve just sent out a direct mail marketing to your target customers. Now what?

7. Design that doesn’t work: I’d advise against using a tie dye-themed design if your target audience is just not that into tie dye. I’d strongly advise against it, actually.

8. Poor functionality: Your direct mail marketing piece must do more than just look pretty. It must work towards getting the desired response.

9. Bad copywriting: Arguably the most important element of the entire piece. You’ve got to know when to be clever, witty, funny, serious, etc. Know your audience.

10. Targeting not on target: Speaking of knowing your audience, do you really know them? When’s the last time you did a customer audit to figure out what motivates them?

11. Going cheap on the postage: Sometimes it makes more sense to pay a little more to arrive a certain time. Is it worth more to spend more if you ultimately make more? You know the answer.

12. Creative doesn’t hit the spot: In marketing, creativity is ultra important. Think about what gives your creative juices a boost and really spend some time thinking about how to grab your customers’ attention.

13. Not integrating with other marketing: So many small businesses and entrepreneurs have missed out on the chance to tie in their direct marketing with other marketing efforts. Large retailers have become successful at integrating direct mail with email marketing, for example.

14. Lost opportunity to drive traffic to Web and blog: A follow-up to the previous direct mail tip, but today it’s a natural fit to use direct mail marketing to drive people to a Web site, blog, Facebook page, Twitter page, etc.

15. Contests that fail: Contests are a great way to get interaction with your customers. But if the contest doesn’t prompt someone to participate, something went wrong and it can destroy the campaign ROI.

16. Looking like your little brother made it: It may not be the best direct mail marketing piece ever made, but it at least has to look professional. Remember, your name is on it and people will create a perception of your company.

17. Lack of branding: You’ve got to always establish and extend your brand identity, including messaging, design and logo. Make sure every direct mail marketing piece always reflects your company’s branding.

18. Going one and done: If you’re going to just send out one direct mail marketing piece and then expect huge results, don’t waste your time. All you’ll do is create more trash for the earth. Direct mail marketing is a commitment that pays off over time.

19. A printer that doesn’t understand your business or customers: Yes, it matters. A good printer can make your direct mail marketing because they may be able to offer great strategy and insight where you lack experience.

20. Not having a DM strategy with calendar to plan out the year: I can’t underscore enough the importance of NOT shooting from the hip. Above all else, have a long-term game plan in place so that your direct mail marketing can become strategic.

21. Paying attention to package size (too much will waste money while too small won’t get noticed): The answer to this one is different for every company, and every mailing. As a direct mail tip study your campaign, offer, incentive and customer to know which direction you should go.

22. Using phrases that tell people it’s junk mail: Avoid using phrases like “No Gimmick,” and “Financial Freedom,” which tend to set off alarms in people.

23. Bad use of testimonials: The right testimonial can enhance the value of any direct mail marketing campaign. The wrong one can quickly make you look like an infomercial.

Which of these direct mail tips will help you the most in your efforts to design and implement an effective direct mail marketing campaign? Tell us by leaving a comment.

If you’re a small business looking for help with your direct mail campaigns, contact Sternal Communications. We can help you with your strategies, design, list segmentation, printing and measurement. Whether you are just looking for some advice with a one hour consultation or if you need someone to manage and execute your direct mail projects, we can make it happen.

1. Search Engine Optimization: SEO is useful because it’s all based on specially placed keywords that help your blog or Web site rank in Google and other search engines. People and businesses are going to continue flocking to Google to find everything that’s on their minds. But small businesses are still fuzzy on what makes a good keyword and how to use it to rank higher in searches. Add in the importance of long-tail keywords and you’ve got a situation ripe with confusion. Despite all of this, SEO is going to continue to be one of the biggest drivers of online marketing success for small business – and many know it. Plus, there’s lots of places on the Web to help small business learn how to do SEO successfully (ahem, you’re at one of those places). Here’s an additional resource to help you with SEO: Search Engine Optimization Bible

JA says test

UM (UnderstandingMarketing.com) says invest

2. Paid Search: Also known as Pay Per Click (PPC), paid search is the sister of SEO. You still rely on specially selected keywords to drive traffic to your site, but instead of natural placement in Google, you’re competing for the paid placements and ads on the Google pages. PPC works but only if you’re spot on with your keyword selection. Although the prices will continue to come down, those little costs can certainly add up if you’re not on target with your keywords. Because there’s an investment here we’re not as bullish as John, but we still feel you should test it out. For small business marketing advice here’s an additional resource to help you understand paid search techniques: Pay-Per-Click Search Engine Marketing Handbook

JA says invest

UM says test

3. Email Marketing: This is one area we both agree on. Email marketing is a great way for a small business to reach out to customers, existing and new ones, because of two primary reasons: 1) most people still prefer email as their number one source of information, and 2) it’s a relatively inexpensive way to do marketing. These two reasons, coupled with the big opportunities in landing pages for even stronger conversions, makes us very high on this tactic in 2010. Here are a few additional resources for you to do landing pages and email marketing: Landing Page 101, and of course The Constant Contact Guide to Email Marketing.

JA says invest

UM says invest

4. Social Marketing: Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and a host of other social networking tools came on strong in 2009, especially for small business. Every time I went to a small business in the last six months the owner not only told me he/she was highly interested in social marketing, but many of them were already using one or two tools. Look for social marketing to be even bigger in 2010 for small business because of it’s very inexpensive cost for marketing as well as it’s strength in local marketing focus. Here are a few more resources for social media marketing for small business – Twitter, or check out Facebook Marketing, or even take a peek at The Facebook Era.

JA says test

UM says invest

5. Blogging: More small businesses now have blogs either to complement their existing Web site or actually to replace their Web site. Small business online marketing advice says either one can be an effective strategy, even for events promotions. But John makes a good point in saying blogging to drive traffic is different than blogging to drive sales. Using a blog to drive traffic is still a good idea. But even we’re not sold on the notion that you can set up a blog and all of a sudden turn your blog into a cash register. Add in the fact that a blog is most successful when it’s a community and you may want to consider putting on the brakes if you want your blog to be a sales machine. Here is another resource for building a successful blog, 42 Rules of Social Media for Small Business.

JA says let it rest

UM says let it rest

6. Web Presence: This one is a bit interesting since it may not be what you think. Yes, having a Web presence is an important fact. John’s not debating this, nor will we. Where you place emphasis on your Web presence is the discussion here. In 2010 small business will have to change its way of thinking in that it’s all about getting traffic to your Web presence. Rather it’s more important now to place your Web presence where the traffic is. Do paid search on others’ Web sites or even places like YouTube.com, for example. If you know lots of eyeballs will be on other Web sites, you’ll want to consider placing your Web presence there as well. Here’s another resource for you The Online Advertising Playbook.

JA says invest

UM says test

7. Mobile Marketing: An interesting marketing platform that will get more looks in 2010 is mobile marketing. Some companies now have the technology to beam messages to your cell phone from wherever you may be headed. For example, if you are walking through the doors of a Best Buy, imagine if you all of a sudden get a text message on your phone that includes a Best Buy coupon. Small business can take advantage of this kind of technology as well. It deserves more look, though. Here’s another small business online marketing advice resource for mobile marketing, The Mobile Marketing Handbook.

JA says test

UM says test

8. Podcasting: Ask yourself if you can name five podcasts or Internet-based radio shows/stations? If you failed to do so you’re probably in the majority. We like blog talk radio and we also like podcasting. But is it something you’ll want to focus heavily on for marketing as a small business in 2010? Probably not. Podcasting is a technology that has struggled to get on its feet and will most likely continue to struggle in 2010, and it doesn’t help that many small businesses are often intimidated about doing their own podcast. It may still be in its infancy with a bright future, but just not right now. There are some really fantastic shows on blog talk radio and you should put on your PR hat to take advantage of these. Here’s another resource for podcasting for small business, The Complete Guide to Audio and Video Podcasting or also check out Podcasting Bible.

JA says let it rest

UM says let it rest

9. Online Video: Not only are videos fun and easy to watch, but with YouTube also a part of Google, videos are very searchable with keywords and tags. Small businesses should definitely be running to purchase video cameras like the Flip to easily produce videos they can post online. 2010 will be a big year for videos and online marketing. Here’s another online video resource for you, Marketing With Video.

JA says invest

UM says invest

10. Coupons: The use of tools like social media marketing and mobile marketing will make coupon offerings pretty innovative, intuitive and exciting for small business. Technology even makes it easy to utilize coupon marketing for local audiences, too. Even some “older” marketing tools like landing pages, which have proven their worth in providing great ROI for incentives like coupons, will continue in 2010. We’re bullish. Here’s another resource for you in using coupons for your small business, Hug Your Customers, and also Customer Loyalty is Priceless.

JA says invest

UM says invest

Here’s John Arnold’s list.

What are some of your marketing predictions for small business and 2010? We’d love for you to chime in here.

Don’t Lose Touch – The Importance of Marketing Offline

The age of new media is here. The latest buzz in marketing focuses on social media, internet promotions, FourSquare coupons, and Augmented Reality web cam scanners. These are all incredible advances in technology and great ways to connect to your consumers via the internet. It is essential for any business to stay current and involved with new media trends and technology. However, classic marketing efforts like cold calls and direct mail could be what will set your business apart from the crowded online communities.

Stand Out in the Crowd

Email campaigns, social media pages and mobile apps are all great marketing tools. Results are easy to track and the cost is minimal. However, the popularity of online media combined with the low cost also means that your competitors are using these means of communication as well. Classic marketing strategies like cold calls, direct mail, and even in-person visits are becoming rare. So how can you stand out to new clients? Find your target audience in the real world and make some new connections. Go to events, network in person, visit their offices/homes, pick up the phone and give them a call. The possibilities to meet new clients and consumers are endless. You just have to get off the computer and find them.

Create an Experience

Great marketing is about creating experiences for your current and potential clients. There is a saying that people may not remember what you did, but they will always remember how you made them feel. To stand out in today’s market, it is paramount that your marketing efforts focus on something other than parting your consumers from their money. Get creative and think of something special that will make your audience feel good, and in turn, feel good about your brand. The easiest way to achieve this goal (and track responses) is to connect with outside of the online community. Email can be very impersonal. A hand written note will be remembered much longer.

Be the Big Fish in a Small Pond

The internet is a massive marketplace. It is a hard place for any business to make an impact, let alone a small company. While the internet is vital for any company, it is also essential that small businesses make an effort to create a community outside of the internet. Get involved with other local businesses and organizations. Make your own social network. Generating a buzz within your own community will give you the support you need to be a success.

Editor’s Note: Laura Vatalaro is the owner of LV Graphics Studio in the Dallas, TX area. LV Graphics Studio delivers quality design for print and web by utilizing effective marketing strategies for clients. To learn more, please visit the company website at www.lvgraphicsstudio.com