Here’s the top 3 questions from members about cheaper alternatives to the print brochure.
The Answer: No
Question: Regarding a second mailing to best customers list…what about one full catalog/brochure and the second mailing is a postcard with a QR code (with text such as “Register now!”)? Paper and postage are pricey; curious about spending the money on a second mailing. -F.R. (thanks for these good questions, but you don’t need to know their names)
Why No
1.Multiple mailings to your customers always yield a better ROI (cost versus profitability) than even one mailing to a non-customer.
2.For more than one class or event or program, post cards do not generate nearly the same registrations and income as a second mailing of the full brochure to your best customers list.
3.Do the math. Or send us your numbers and we can do the math for you.
The Answer: NO
Question: What do you think about make your brochures more brief and adding a QR code? -B.M.
Why NO
1.Too brief and you don’t get registrations. We know that courses with no titles, or fewer than 40 word descriptions, do not generate sufficient registrations worth the savings.
2.QR codes do not generate the same income as a complete brochure.
3.Income always exceeds and pays for the cost of a brochure and targeted distribution.
There are 11 ways to cut brochure pages without losing registrations. Members can get it by emailing info@lern.org Subject: 11 Ways
The Answer: YES
Question: What is the ratio to physical versus virtual brochures today, and what do you expect for the future? -M.M.
Why
This is an interesting question and the first person to ask it. It is an important question to ask.
1.Physical and virtual brochures are Not either/or. You should do both.
2.We expect for the future, at least for the next 10 years, that the print brochure will still generate 70% of your registrations and income. We expect that dropping the print brochure and only having a digital brochure will continue to result in large losses of both registrations and income for those programs that drop print.
3.Do Both a print brochure and a digital brochure.
The Answer: HECK NO!
Question: Thoughts on doing frequent targeted postcards/flyers vs a one-time full brochure to a broader audience? -T.F.
Why HECK NO!
Great question, T.F.
1.Dropping the full brochure for a broad audience will result in massive declines in registrations and income. It is the same as eliminating the print brochure.
2.You may go out of business. You definitely will have to cut staff and programs to survive at the lower income level.
3.Post cards are excellent for one-time events and single programs for a targeted audience. Do them for single programs where
a) The fee of the program is high enough to cover a print post card; and
b) You have a mailing list of individuals in the target audience.
For more brochure questions, or more data and rationale, members can email info@lern.org. Subject line: Ask LERN.
