Permission based marketing

If you have ever asked prospects to drop a business card in the bowl to win a prize at a trade show, stop now! Has anyone actually ever won that iPad at the conference? There is a more effective way to get their contact information and add to your mailing lists, and your customers will thank you!

Business card bowl raffles violate what I term "the number one rule of direct marketing."

Those who drop in their card at your trade show are looking for freebies. They are not looking for your weekly email blasts, or your post cards in the mail at Christmas time. And they certainly do not want to buy what you're selling.

Your targeted efforts should be permission-based, and while you will work harder to find those who actually want to receive your mail (or e-mail whatever the case may be), you will be hitting closer to the target if you do.

Try these tactics instead:

1. Put out a clipboard and invite visitors to sign up for your monthly email newsletter and other offers. Sounds trite, but with the right offer, coupon, etc, customers will gladly sign up for your list and they won't send your messages to JUNK or SPAM either.

2. When you meet someone at your networking or chamber events and exchange business cards, why not ask them outright if you can add them to your e-newsletter list? There's no pretending here. Be sure to make notes on their card and deliver what you promised. If you promised coupons in their e-newsletters, be sure to include them.

3. Place a subscribe box on your Web site or social networking site. There, customers can freely sign up with out the pretense.