Why your business should invest in direct mail

Like any good entrepreneur, I am always thinking of ways that I can develop and grow our businesses and brands. One of the best marketing strategies does not occur in the digital world. Every week one of my companies sends out over 1,000 pieces of direct mail. We have an excellent response rate, even with a younger demographic target audience.

Think about it; people are inundated with emails, social media posts, and instant messaging. In the digital world, it’s a novelty to receive a large piece of direct response material in the mail. However, there are some differences between what we do in our direct mail and what was done in the old school days.

• We experiment with all kinds of colorful pieces.
• We rarely send a letter.
• The pieces are always vibrant with images and very little copy.

There are a couple of reasons why your company should consider direct response to prospect and grow your business.

• Response rate: Last year, Compu-mail noted: “The household response rate for direct mail is 5.1% (compared to 6% for email, 6% for paid search, 2% for online viewing, 4% for social media). This is the highest response rate the DMA has reported since the Response Rate Report was published in 2003.
• Personalization: When your prospects receive mail (not including invoices), particularly those who are Generation X or older, there’s a familiar feeling. The older generation still likes to receive something in the mail with their names on it. They can play the piece, and there’s something new about it in the world today.
• Generational myth: Believe it or not, a sizable portion of Millennials also like the direct response because it’s something they too can touch and hold. According to a Forbes article, 36 percent of people under the age of 30 like to check their mailboxes, and 95 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 29 have a favorable view of mail, such as personalized cards.
• QR Codes and URLs: Companies have been experimenting with the QR and PURL (personal URL) test, which redirects a person who receives an email back into the digital age. Since most people now have a smartphone, the target audience can scan these codes to get more information.
• Messenger service: If you’re running a particular project or sale, consider using direct mail to reinforce the urgency. My team and I have had high response rates to direct mail pieces that had a deadline to be associated with our companies. One of the key reasons we’ve seen this work is because with all the emails people are receiving, many times they dismiss this form of communication quickly just to go through their email inbox.
• Multi-channel marketing: Direct response is a great way to support your digital marketing efforts. We know that people have to see your brand and logo multiple times for it to start “sticking” in their minds. Direct mail helps reinforce your brand’s digital efforts. Prospects are not only seeing you in the digital world but in the “real world” as well.
• Evidence: Direct mail gives your business an opportunity to try another method of communicating with your prospects. We’ve tested direct response with high-level leads in our target audience, and the new accounts we’ve gotten have paid the shipping costs.
• Easy analysis: Direct mail results are easy to understand. You don’t need anyone on your team to log into a digital platform to pull a report for you. Direct response gives you an easy way to see how much you spent versus the number of new business you got.
• Credibility: Direct mail, because it is familiar and tactile, gives recipients an automatic sense of your credibility. We live in a world of “fake news” and raging debates on social media about content in the digital space that is authentic and real. The direct response cuts through the noise and instantly lends credibility due to investment and familiarity.
• Creativity: Direct response is a great way to experiment with color, size, shape, and different packaging for your parts. Sophisticated marketers are experimenting with many different types of mailings to stand out from a traditional, regular-sized letter and envelope, thus encouraging people to look at the piece.

The Data and Marketing Association (DMA) has reported that direct mail has declined. However, in a digital world where people are inundated with massive amounts of content, direct mail stands out as a creative way to reduce the noise. At the very least, direct mail is a great complement to your digital efforts, and at its best, it’s a great way to get new business.

Some tips on how to start selling books on eBay

If you’re thinking of selling books online, the first place online you should think about is eBay. Products are easier and faster to sell on eBay than on any other online marketplace. If you don’t have an account yet, simply go to eBay.com and register a new one. It is very simple and easy. What to do next is the big question. How do you sell books on eBay?

Start from scratch with zero feedback

When you are new to selling online and you want to sell books on eBay, it would be difficult at first because you have to build a good reputation for buyers to trust you and buy from you. Your first buyer will be your most important client because he will be the first to give you a good answer. A feedback will do wonders. A few tips will help you sell used books on eBay.

It’s important to check your inbox for buyer questions and messages. When potential buyers post questions, answer instantly and clearly. If it took you a long time to answer their questions, they will look for other sellers. An hour will mean a lot.

· Offer many shipping method options when shipping your books. Please provide all the advantages and disadvantages of each shipping method. Give them an estimated time before they receive your package. The buyer pays shipping and has the right to choose which one to use.

If someone decides to buy from you, send them all the shipping information and a copy of the packing slip. Let them know that their purchase is on the way. It is also important to thank them.

When you sell books on eBay, describe the book exactly as it looks. Mention any dog ​​ears, rips, tears, marks, and creases. Also mention the full title and author’s name. If you are selling a book with many versions, list the version and the year it was published. Other books have different publishers that you should also mention. The more information you give in the product description, the better. Answer all possible questions a buyer might ask. Buyers will rarely buy from an online store with vague descriptions. They may not even take the time to send you a quick question and wait hours for your answer.

· When selling used books on eBay, take pictures of the actual books and use them as images instead of a cover image from other sites. The use of real images will give the buyer a concrete idea of ​​what their purchase is like. Take pictures of the front, back, and all sides of the books. It will also be helpful if you post photos of the flaws in the books. If a buyer receives a book with wrinkles and dog ears in the corners, or old yellow pages, and it’s not what he had in mind, he may receive a poor evaluation of quality products.

Leave your sexual guilt at the door

In your sexual relationship with your lover, do you ever feel guilty? Do you hold back from doing or suggesting something new because someone else may feel there is something wrong with it? You have to stop worrying about what your lover thinks, or others, and leave the blame at the door.

Guilt is a huge obstacle for many people sexually. You have been raised to keep sex private and never mention it in casual conversation. In fact, for most people, it’s hard to even talk about sex in the privacy of the bedroom or even during sex itself.

To be truly open and honest with your lover, you must express your feelings about everything in your relationship and especially about sex. Encourage each other to talk openly about her sexual experiences and fantasies. Fantasy can play a powerful role in your sexual exploration and satisfaction, and it doesn’t always have to be something you keep to yourself.

By opening up to your lover about your desires, you may find that they have the same or others that may enhance yours. You will never know unless you talk about it. If they don’t like your ideas because they feel like they’re a little kinky or smutty, ask them what they like and what they fantasize about. Just talking about fantasies can trigger a strong sexual drive in many people.

And the guilt is not limited to sexual activities or fantasies with your lover. It can also be an obstacle in masturbation. The stigma around masturbation for both men and women has been around forever. However, if you really want to become more sexual, you have to look past the stigma and learn to satisfy yourself so you know what really matters to you sexually. And as you get older, your needs and desires change, so you need to be in tune with your own mind and physiology to be able to keep track.

Many people feel that they are losing desire with age. The problem is not always a lack of libido, it is simply a lack of understanding of the sexual self. Dramatic changes in your sexual needs can occur and if you assume that the same old things will work, then you will be frustrated by your lack of response. The guilt comes back. You assume that there is something wrong with you and that you can feel guilty for not having the hot sexual relationship that you once did.

This is again a time to open up to your partner and let them know that previous activities are no longer having the same effect on you. Let them know that you want to expand your sexual horizon and try new ideas. This new exploration can also be a relief for your lover. They may have felt the same way and just didn’t know how to deal with the changes.

Leave your sex guild at the door and open up to your lover. They might surprise you with something they’ve been wanting to try for a long time. Unless you take this opportunity to improve your sex life, you may never find what you’re looking for.

Sony Ericsson G705: is it really intended for this generation?

The fact that mobile phones have become a necessity of today’s people is not gained. Seeing this, every mobile phone company is launching their phones with some special quality features.

Actually, there are dozens of people who love to buy a phone, but they don’t have much knowledge about it. Is it really difficult to choose a mobile phone? No, it’s not like that. You can go with a brand of your own choosing, depending on what features you like best. At Sony Ericsson we have many reasons to satisfy you. Sony Ericsson G705 is a stylish slider phone from Sony Ericsson. It comes with many eye-catching features and some of the features of Sony Ericsson G705 are as follows:

• The Sony Ericsson G705 is a slider phone with a large 2.4-inch screen.
• It has a full HTML browser and high-speed 3G, which makes you feel great.
• On the back of the phone, there is a standard 3.2-megapixel camera with a rounded LED flash. You can also download the photos to the web.
• It has a Wi-Fi connection, so you can easily upload pictures, download music and videos, or create a picture blog from websites.
• It comes with HSDPA and Wi-Fi connectivity. Thus, you can enjoy good web browsing speed.
• You can connect the Wi-Fi card to broadband Wi-Fi hotspots anywhere in the world.
• The Sony Ericsson G705 comes with a good range of music features like media player, FM radio and many more for downloading sheet music of music tracks. With music features, you can enjoy anywhere in the world.
• Not so much, for entertainment you can also get the benefit of Bluetooth stereo sound. It means that you can listen to the music of your choice without headphones by simply connecting via Bluetooth.
• It comes with Li Po 950 mAh battery and BST 33.

Overall, the Sony G705 offers many advantageous options in one package. The Sony G705 comes in 2 colors. One is Silky Gold and the other is Majestic Black, and both colors make it look gorgeous. Therefore, if you are going to buy a phone, you can buy G705, because it is really designed for this generation.

What kind of images do modeling agencies want?

If you are really passionate about modeling and want to impress a modeling agency, the best way to do it is undoubtedly to submit the best photos. We reveal some top tips on what photos modeling agencies look for and some guidelines you need to follow.

simplicity is not boredom

Contrary to what your instinctive idea may be, modeling agencies are not looking for extraordinary photos or fancy clothes! This can work against you. First of all, the agency might think that you are an inflexible person who is only interested in a particular style of fashion and modeling. They may also perceive your effort as arrogance. Agencies are looking for new material that they can shape, and more importantly, a humble person that they can cooperate and work with. No agency wants to sign someone they think might be difficult to work in harmony with.

Therefore, always submit photos in simple clothing and minimal makeup. Solid, dark colors like maroon and blue would avoid too many distractions and put more focus on you, your body, and your facial features in the photograph.

Avoid distractions

Avoid too much photo clutter and noise in the background. Your background should be as simple as possible. Remember that modeling agencies are looking for YOU and not anyone else, so only you should be in your photos, and if all else fails, find a plain white wall and use it as a background.

no edits

Modeling agencies are full of staff and staff who are Photoshop gurus due to the nature of the industry. They’ll spot your edit on a photo from miles away. So don’t try your luck with Photoshop or any other software. No editing should be necessary to make you look good in a photo in any case. Also, if you edit and get called for an interview, imagine the disappointment you’ll be giving the agency on your first day. The best way is to go natural and be known for your authentic looks and confident personality. A credible agency will have the creative brain to imagine you in makeup and clothing of varying degrees and intricacies without your physically wearing them.

social media

If you are really interested in modeling and want to dedicate your life to it, the way you post on social media is also very important. Modeling agencies are often online and digitally savvy to keep their agency relevant with the times. They are likely to do some background research on you if they are interested in you. Having said that; do not post studio-quality shots or photos online. Modeling agencies don’t want you to portray your social life as a professional network. Post casual photos and selfies that show you can look good without trying too hard. Show that you know how to have a good time and have a vibrant personality.

So there you have it, the best quality photography that agencies are looking for. Also, be sure to check out the photo submission guidelines and make sure you adhere to them. Agencies will typically need at least one face and one body shot, and may have other specific requirements as well. Ask a trusted friend or family member you know to take the photos for you. Send clear, simple, well-taken photos, and you’ve surely got your ticket to modeling!

How to stop being so shy

Many people think that if they can stop being shy, they will be more successful in life. These people are probably right. Shyness limits a person’s ability to take risks and assert themselves both socially and professionally. Some people are naturally shy as young children, and other people find that shyness becomes a bigger problem as they get older. Either way, shyness does nothing to further a person’s goals and must be stopped. Quitting can be difficult unless a person seeks help to gain more self-esteem and stop being shy. Effective anti-shyness techniques will redirect your thinking and give you more confidence in your social and professional interactions.

How a person becomes shy

For some people, shyness may be a genetic trait, and for others it may be a learned behavior. Since the late 1980s, there has been some research indicating genetic links to shyness in some people. These different genetic links are currently being studied.

Other people may suffer from shyness because they feel uncomfortable in certain situations. This may have developed because they were never taught how to act in those situations or because they suffered harsh teasing or an embarrassing incident in those types of situations in the past.

Self-esteem

Shyness is also linked to self-esteem. A person suffering from low self-esteem is unlikely to assert themselves out of fear of rejection or embarrassment. Boosting your self-confidence could go a long way in ending shyness.

Shyness has real and painful consequences.

People who are shy or shy are often not successful personally or professionally. It’s hard to make friends or find a date if you’re afraid to talk to others. It’s also hard to assert yourself enough to advance professionally if you don’t have the confidence to do so.

Trust yourself enough to seek treatment

For these reasons, it is important to seek treatment. However, many people avoid treatment because their shyness prevents them from talking to people. Fortunately, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Hypnotherapy do not require people to talk about their feelings or other sensitive issues.

Rather, therapies focus on how to change your thinking to prevent feelings of shyness from having a detrimental effect on your life. Instead of being hampered by shyness, NLP and hypnotherapy will help you become confident and outgoing.

Stop being shy: the treatment is effective

Whether the cause of your shyness is genetic or learned, NLP and hypnotherapy will help you gain confidence and get rid of your shyness. Often, you’ll begin to see the effects of the treatment in as little as two to three one-hour sessions.

The difference in your life will be amazing. Your mind will be retrained to be confident and you will be able to do your best without fear due to your NLP and hypnotherapy sessions. So if you are ready to stop being shy and start living the life you were meant to lead, then it is time to learn about these effective methodologies.

The history and origin of dates

In the far, arid desert a healthy fruit grows on date palms that nourishes everyone from the most hardened athletes to the most delicate babies. Whether you like Sukkari, Saggae, Ajwa or Medjool, the variety of dates is as wide and diversified as the ocean. With more than 500 types of dates, Sukkari is our most prized possession when looking for a moist, sweet and caramel flavor, while Ajwa is the destination for medicinal healing. Saggae dates are a recent addition for those who prefer a less sweet date than the Sukkari date, and for those who love a stringy, dense but moist date.

The origin of dates is unknown due to ancient cultivation, but it is believed that they were cultivated in the Middle Eastern region around 6000 BC. C. Fossil records show that the date palm has been around for at least 50 million years.

Since their discovery, the dates have spread widely in many regions and were spread by the Arabs to Spain, Italy, Southwest Asia, and North Africa. The Spanish then spread them further into Mexico and California.

date palm

The date palm has separate male and female plants. Only fifty percent of the seedlings will be females that are grown from seed, but because they are grown from seed, their seedlings are often of lower quality. Most industrial plantations use cuttings from hardy cultivars. Medjool is the main cultivar producing particularly high yields of large, sweet fruit. Plants grown from cuttings will fruit 2-3 years earlier than seedlings.

The productive life of the date palm is limited to the years when the tree is smaller and the fruit is easier to harvest. Although the date palm is capable of living up to 100 years or more and can reach a height of between 15-30 meters. Its crown of green leaves grows between 3 and 6 meters long.

Date pollination method

In a natural environment, dates are pollinated by the wind. However, in commercial orchards they are hand pollinated. Natural pollination occurs with approximately the same number of male and female plants. On the other hand, a male can pollinate up to 100 females. The male date palm is valued as a pollinator, allowing farmers to use their resources for many more fruit-producing female plants. Some farmers do not even keep male plants, as the male flowers are available in local markets at the time of pollination. Hand pollination is carried out by skilled workers using ladders, or in some areas, such as Iraq or Saudi Arabia, they climb the tree using a special climbing tool that wraps around the trunk of the tree and the farmers back to hold it in place. to the trunk while climbing. Less commonly, a wind machine may blow pollen onto the female flowers.

The date seed and how dates grow

Dates contain a single seed about 2-2.5 cm long and 6-8 mm thick. The type of fruit depends on the content of glucose, fructose and sucrose. The Sukkari seed is much larger than the Saggae or Ajwa seed.

Dates grow in large clumps that develop under the leaves and can weigh up to 40 pounds. Large trees will produce more than 1,000 dates each year, although not all ripen at the same time, so multiple harvests are required. To obtain fruit of marketable quality, the date clusters must be grated and bagged or covered before ripening so that the remaining fruits grow and are protected from the weather and pests such as birds.

The stages of ripening dates

Dates, in addition to having different colors, flavors, and textures throughout their ripening stages, also have different Arabic names for each stage.

Workshops Weeks English Arabic Description

First Stage 1 week – Hababook – Dates are small, round and light green in color with horizontal stripes.

Second Stage 5-17 weeks – Kimri Green Date – Dates become oval, greener and more bitter.

Third Stage 19-25 weeks – Red/Yellow Date Khalal – The next stage is the early ripening stage where the dates are yellow or red, have grown to their full size and have a crisp but dry taste with a slight aftertaste sweet.

This is where you would get a barhi date with a crispy outer layer.

Fourth Stage 20-28 weeks – Rutub Wet Date – At this stage the date is ripe, soft and moist. At this stage you are enjoying the delicious sukkari dates.

Final Stage 29 weeks – Dried Date Tamar – Final stage of maturation. At this stage you will find the date saggae, ajwa and medjool.

The last three stages of ripening are when the dates are picked, fumigated, cleaned, sorted, packaged, and then sold to the consumer. Barhi dates are the yellow clusters often found in grocery stores, which are crunchy and a bit astringent because they are at the Khalal stage. Once the crunchy yellow flesh begins to soften, it is sweetened into a Rutub like our famous Sukkari dates. Rutub requires refrigeration to prolong this stage, before they transform to their final stage of a dried date. Saggae, although it is a dried date, is very soft and moist compared to other dried dates.

6 Reasons Why Some People Have More Instagram Followers Than You

You cannot ignore the power of Instagram. It’s a social media giant and a fantastic place for businesses and brands to connect with their followers and maximize sales.

But for every person or business that has a large responsive following, there are thousands more that don’t. Instagram can be powerful, but you have to be smart about how you use it.

1. Share eye-catching images

Instagram is a photo sharing site. So above all else, you want more followers on Instagram to invest some time in making sure your pictures are really good. Also post content that is interesting, as well as well-composed and eye-catching photos.

2. I like the images

Do not forget that Instagram is a social network, so it is important to interact with others. To get more Instagram followers, start by liking lots of pictures in your marketplace to get people interested in following you. Leaving comments also helps. But make sure they are genuine and not spam! And don’t forget to follow the accounts you like too!

3. Schedule your photos well

Research shows that the best time to post on Instagram is at 5pm on Wednesdays. This may or may not be correct for your page. Depending on your niche, the demographics of your followers, and other things specific to your niche and content, Wednesday may or may not be a good day for you. Finding the best time to post for your audience takes time to learn, so keep track of the likes. and comments on each photo, and start looking for any trends that happen at different times of the day.

4. Use hashtags

Using the right hashtags can really help you gain followers on Instagram. Lots of people search for certain hashtags, and your images have that hashtag, it will be there waiting for them. Hashtags can help your content reach a wide range of people who may not have anything to do with your account, in other words, they don’t specifically follow you. By simply using a few hashtags, you can significantly increase the reach of your content.

5. Host a contest

Post a funny or captivating photo to your account and offer a prize to a follower who submits the best caption. Use apps like Heyo, WishPond and AgoraPulse to run your contest.

6. Link to other social networks

If you have followers on other social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, invite them to follow you on Instagram. Make it easy for people to connect with you in multiple places.

What is an abstract noun? – 7 activities that focus on identifying abstract nouns

Abstract nouns refer to a state, concept or feeling and cannot be perceived by any of the five senses. If you want your students to be able to identify them, your students should spend time playing with them. Here are 7 class activities that will get your students exploring and manipulating abstract nouns.

1. List 10 on the board and ask 1-2 students at a time to come up and act. For a fun twist, the student in front can be shown the word and have the class guess what it is. Here are 10 words you could use: anger, fear, love, jealousy, joy, sadness, wealth, poverty, marriage, and slavery.

2. Write abstract nouns on the board and ask your students to think of those that have the opposite meaning. Here are 10 words you could use: trust, stupid, sanity, pride, beauty, calm, crime, curiosity, laughter, and happiness.

3. Write 3 headings on the board: Feelings, Ideas, and Qualities. Challenge your students to list abstract nouns under each heading. This works especially well with small groups that are competing against each other: give them 30 minutes and a large piece of paper to write the lists.

4. Many abstract nouns refer to feelings. Challenge your students to think of similes for happiness and unhappiness. Let them think of the words on their own for a few minutes, and then let them look them up in a thesaurus. They should think of words like joy, delight, satisfaction, excitement, pleasure, gladness, enjoyment, satisfaction, elation and laughter for happiness and sadness, disappointment, misery, sorrow, depression and pessimism for unhappiness. To extend the activity, each student can be given one of the words to write in a sentence and share with the class.

5. Write sentences that combine abstract nouns with concrete words. For example, affection is like a night light. Ask your students to write down or discuss the reasons why this is so. Their suggestions might be that they both make you feel safe, help you see obstacles, need to be fueled by something, don’t cost much, and come in different forms. You could give it a try, isolation is like a cheesy pizza, happiness is like a new book, or freedom is like a warty toad.

6. Scramble the letters and challenge your students to figure out what they are. Try RGNAE (anger), OJY (joy), ARAMRIGE (marriage), OERFEDM (freedom), HLEWAT (wealth), ETIXECEMNT (enthusiasm).

7. Write them on sticky notes and hand them out to small groups of students. Challenge each group to post the notes in an appropriate place in the classroom. This works well if the children are given time to tell the class why they put the notes where they did. Love can end up in a heater (because both are warm) and loneliness can end up at a table in the back of the class.

Activities like these, which give your students the opportunity to practice identifying and using abstract nouns, will strengthen your students’ ability to use them in their own writing.