Having a calling card on the web

I was listening to my favorite podcast, the Tropical MBA, and this week they talked about how essential it is for now and the future to have a personal calling card out on the web. I really do think that it's important to see what someone is all about when they're providing services, and this idea is taking it further than just having a LinkedIn profile/resume.

Credibility is so important, and having a personal blog or portfolio online is a way to build that social proof. If I have nothing online, and someone is going to work with me, they don't have any way to check to see if I'm a good person or what I stand for, unless they have personal references. These personal references are indeed powerful, but unless you have a super-connected network willing to vouch for you (say if you're new to the industry or new to the job market), you won't have these references to work for you.

Enter the blog/portfolio. A quick search can show the style and quality of your work, the beliefs you have about whatever topic you choose to illustrate, and then hopefully some social proof will be built.

The great MarieForleo.com

This of course ties together with the concept of personal branding. You need to tie yourself to a brand (for example, if I connected my personal brand to my city guide websites), or to a personal website (for example, if I did something like My Name .com).

This week there was also an article launched on ThinkTraffic on personal domain names. It showed some great examples of personal domain names. I thought it was interesting that on all of the examples, a large photo of the individual featured prominently as part of the design. There is also a good deal of personality added to these (as a focus on the individual should).

The personal website is something that all entrepreneurs and self-employed workers should have, and it's becoming more and more important as time goes by. Definitely worth starting up now!

Direct marketing vs digital marketing

Wait, what IS that?

The other day I was trying to get an Illinois drivers license (I currently have an Ohio one). It's always a frustrating experience, and always takes about 2 hours longer than I think it's going to take.

The first frustrating thing was that the website wasn't updated with the current documents that I needed (wait - I need my passport and my original social security card?!).

The second frustrating thing was that I didn't actually have a MAILED bill that has come to my house to prove my residence. All of my bills are paid online, I tried to explain to the long-nailed government worker. After a long sigh, she said that my printed-out statements and bills would suffice, although she made it clear that the State of Illinois "would like" me to use bills that have gone through the United States Postal Service, and that in the future I should "try" to bring in something that has been mailed in.

Anyway, so this mailed vs online experience along with a couple of articles that I read this week have inspired me to ponder: 

Is direct mail still a viable way to reach your audience? 

Basically, it depends on the audience you're trying to reach.

If you're broadcasting your message to the masses, direct mail is probably NOT a good way to do things. It's expensive, and it's all over the place. You can target to a certain geographic location, sure, but then you can't really target down to be that selective in your audience. However, if you're going for SPECIFIC people (i.e. you know their names and addresses), this is a real way to stand out.

On Danny Iny's blog, Firepole Marketing, I read how Write Ahead got a 4,967% return rate on their direct mail campaign. Basically, they targeted a list of 180 of their customers and tailored specific offers towards them. In the age of internet, this really gets peoples' attention!

I was thinking about if I would feel the same way if I got something in the mail from someone that I had a relationship with online. I think I would have a positive reaction to getting REAL mail - and I think it would strengthen my connection with the previously all-internet connection with the company.

The article also mentioned things like inviting people from your list to a seminar using nice stationery and nice envelopes, or using a thick recipe-card-style mailing to inform list members about a new cookbook you've made.

Joe Polish, a now-famous internet marketer who got his start marketing for carpet cleaning businesses, in this video describes how he gives his 'VIP' clients special attention by sending them direct mail. And... it works!

Basically, it all comes down to a TARGETED LIST of actual people that you know have a pretty good chance of getting to your stuff. Whereas an email might not get to them, a piece of REAL mail just might!