I have found that when a customer knows me or feels like they know me, they will purchase item(s) 9 of out 10 times. A customer that is new to the store that percentage decreases to almost 4-10 times. Creating a familiar or common bonding ground is imperative to small business success. Elizabeth Bighorse www.moodswingsonthenet.com

Great point! This is why 1:1 printing works well (when done right), too -- the customer feels like the marketer knows them. You don't have to be interacting with customers on a personal basis for them to feel like your company knows them. Just look at Amazon! For a nuts-and-bolts primer on 1:1 printing for marketers, check out "1:1 (Personalized) Printing: Boosting Profits Through Relevance" at www.digitalprintingreports.com.

Word of mouth remains the best advertising. A fabulous recommendation from an existing satisfied customer generates new business that will not only repeat, but also generate another earnest recommendation, etc. Would like to know more about personalizing marketing by mail - or email.

If you want to learn more about personalizing marketing by mail, look back through my old posts. A lot of the basics and best practices are there. I also highly recommend the Print on Demand Initiative Case Study Archives. The association requires membership, but the case study archive alone is worth the money. It includes best-in-class case studies on digital and personalized printing going back to 2000. You can also do an Internet search on "variable data printing," "personalized printing," or "1:1 printing" and get the names of a few printers or marketing companies offering these services. Pick their brains for awhile. And, of course, there is the primer on personalized printing I wrote specifically for creatives, SMBs, and marketers that gives a comprehensive introduction to the technology, the applications, and best practices, including case studies and hypothetical ROI calculations. You can get more info at www.digitalprintingreports.com. As for personalizing by email, the issues are largely the same, just in an electronic environment. The point with 1:1 is that it's about creating relevance using databases. Whether it's print or email, the fundamental drivers are the same.