Just a couple notes on the all important mailing list. I use Excel to keep things in order. I have columns for First and Last Name, Company Name (for galleries and such), Address, Town, and zip code. I also have a column for updating when that person bought the pot or visited the pottery or a show last. That way I know who's who and if I haven't seen or heard from them in 3 or 4 years then I delete them.
Email is also a great tool and it's cheap! I use Vertical Response to keep my customer email lists. The email sign up on this blog also goes to my Vertical Response account for me to use. Other programs such as Emma and Constant Contact are good too.
I really believe in the power of marketing directly to people. I use the postcards and email campaigns to advertise my Home Sales. Of course now days this blog is a great advertising tool as well as FaceBook and my Fan page on Facebook. I've never had any luck with advertising in newspaper or on community bulletins on local radio.
I have used the local newspapers in another way other than buying an ad. I've called the Lifestyles editor on a few occasions to get them to come out with a photographer and do a story on me. This gives them something for the paper and it's free advertising for me!
One more marketing tool is a Newsletter. I did this for several years and it worked great. I got the idea from Joe Bennion in Spring City, Utah. Joe is a pottery hero of mine and I had seen his newsletter a few times before I finally contacted him and got on the mailing list. A newsletter is a way to get more information to the people. There's also more room for photos. We used it much like Joe does, as a way to talk about the pottery but also to talk about our lifestyle. I liked the real personal nature of it and people really responded to it. It does take some time to put together and takes a first class stamp so postage is more than postcard. So it's a bit more expensive in printing costs and postage. We did it twice a year for a while and then once a year. I'd like to do another soon.
Okay, well that's pretty much all I've got for now. I hope this was helpful in some ways. If I think of more I'll post later on in the week.