Business retailers and the public are often against skateboard parks and yet a skateboard park will mean less skateboarders breaking the law and causing problems in shopping centers. It also means less cost and security guards to chase them away. It will also alleviate the cost of police who are often called because of the skateboarders.

Skateboard parks makes sense but it is hard to gain public support and therefore one of the best things skateboard park planners need to do is to send out direct-mail marketing campaigns to the local citizenry and public to explain the new skateboard park proposal.

Additionally, the skateboarders themselves and their parents may volunteer their time to help get an initiative on the ballot, lobby local politicians or even show up at City Hall for the planning commission meeting. With public support a new skateboard park in town is possible and feasible and it will eliminate many problems.

This is why I recommend direct-mail marketing advertising in those little coupon book packages that are sent out to people in various zip codes. If the public within a 15 mile radius gets these little cards explaining the skateboard park, then you will watch your support for the project grow and then your town can finally have a skateboard park.

Currently we live in the greatest nation ever created in the history of mankind. When you study the data and look at all the numbers and statistics the United States of America is clearly the greatest country ever built in all of human recorded history. Our republic has liberties and freedoms that no other nation can claim. But freedom is not free and we need to remind our citizens of that fact.

Every town and city should have a veterans hall to honor those who have served in our military to protect this great nation. Often getting support for a veterans hall is not difficult but everyone needs to be alerted of the veterans group in your area. One way to do this is to use public service announcements on the radio and another great way we have found in supporting the veterans groups is to send out direct mail packages.

The simplest way to get volunteers for a veterans hall and public support is to send out direct mail in those little coupon packages that go out to people in specific zip does. If those coupon packages with the direct-mail marketing inside are sent to all the citizens within a 15-mile radius this will have a positive impact on the new volunteers coming into the organization as well as donations and public support. Please consider all this in 2006.

Successful Database Marketing campaigns are designed using the correct focus on three of the most important main elements. First and foremost is the database involved. Also significant is the proper type of communication used. Finally, establishing a clear and measurable action step is required.

The quality of the list used in any marketing campaign is crucial. Data is easy to find. Quality data is much more difficult to locate. The old adage “garbage in, garbage out”, applies directly to the results of a program where the initial quality of the database in inferior. With so much consumer and/or business lead information available on the market, it is important to take the time and expense if needed, to compile the best list of leads to fit the type of campaign you are working on. Remember, a good list takes time to develop. There must be a constant concerted effort to maintain updated current information with a focus on quality over quantity. A fine tuned database is worth its weight in GOLD.

Given the current state of government involvement in consumer marketing, choosing the proper type of communication is imperative. While direct mail pieces are very economical, their success rates can usually be measured in the low single digits. The use of promotional products can dramatically increase the impact of most marketing packages. From kitchen trinkets to refrigerator magnets, the cost of these inserts are minimal. In some cases the trinkets can be less than the cost of 1st class postage.

It’s important to establish a measurable way to tell if a marketing campaign is working. Having a goal for the program is vital. More importantly is being able to tell if you have reached your numbers. Many business persons complain that they didn’t get anything off their last marketing campaign. Yet, when questioned, they usually aren’t sure of exactly what goal the campaign was trying to achieve. Whether it’s calling in on a toll free number or logging onto a website, make sure there is a specific measurable action step required for the prospects that were prompted to act by your marketing piece.

Marketing is a never ending process. Businesses that maintain a high quality database will be rewarded by a continued growth in their sales. The use of the proper communication vehicle that contains a measurable action step will allow for the constant adjustments that are required for any successful database marketing programs.

Mark Filardi has worked helping other business grow using database management for over 25 years.

The most successful campaigns have utilized promotional products. [http://justtrinkets.com/]

Trade shows, direct mail campaigns and business handouts can be more effective by using “Trinkets”

One of the most common ways that carwash owners like to advertise their business in their local communities is to use direct mail marketing advertising in those little coupon booklets that are sent out. These work very good however, there are few things that you should consider.

First, you do not want to give away too much of a discount and then have all those people show up on a busy Saturday when you are already slammed with customers. Instead you want to make an offer where they have to come on a Monday to stare Wednesday to receive a discount. If the booklet of coupons comes to the home on a Thursday this is not so great for your business. But if it is delivered on a Monday with a big coupon discount, only to be used on Mon-Wed then this could be quite good.

Additionally, if the forecast is for heavy rains and you give away too much of a discount then the rain will stop and all of a sudden everyone will show up and want a carwash and the people who received a direct-mail marketing coupons will also show up at the same time and that is exactly what you do not want; more business.

I have talked to some carwash owners who at the last minute will pull their coupons in the coupon book because there is a huge forecast for rain the day they will be delivered and that means as soon as the weather clears everyone will be at their carwash anyway and therefore the coupon will not help their business only make matters worse because there will be too much business all at the same time. Please consider all this in 2006.