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Avoid Direct Mail Suicide: Life Saving Insights
Keep your direct mail from going directly to the trash can by
sending a postcard magnet mailer. Stand out from the
competition, get long term quality exposure and increase sales
with one powerful, affordable product.
On their 10 year...
Direct Mail
A simplisitic look at direct mail and what to expect.
Where does junkmail come from? Junkmail is the result of businesses sending out advertisements to a select group of people in the hope that at least a small portion of those people will...
How to Introduce a New Product Using B2B Direct Mail Lead Generation
How do you generate sales leads with B2B direct mail when your product is not only new but also changes the category?
I am talking about the challenge being faced by Steve, a subscriber to Alan Sharpe's B2B Direct Mail Tactics newsletter. Here is...
The Seven Vital Steps You Must Know To Ensure Direct Mail Success
1. Your Most Valuable Asset
A mailing list of valued customers is the single most important asset you have. Loyal customers will spend an average of five times more in your business than new customers. Plus it costs ten times more to acquire...
Top 10 Tips for Growing Your Business with Direct Mail Postcards
Introduction: Why Use Postcards? If you've priced out display advertising or Yellow Pages listings, you know that they can add up to big money in a hurry. Quite often, these valuable promotional tools are beyond the budgets of many small and...
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Using Direct Mail to Improve Business
Direct mail continues to be a very targeted and effective way to market to customers. It's far more likely to be read than e-mail promotions. Especially when coupled with offers, such as coupons, the medium can be a very cost effective method of promotion.
There are a number of necessary fundamentals. First, you must have an objective. It may be to increase store sales. Perhaps an offer such as a free gift will do the trick. Just be sure to have a clear purpose. It reduces the chance of passing along a confusing message.
Then, you'll need to have a mailing list. Perhaps you have a customer database you've been collecting. This is obviously a good group. Additionally, there are list brokers who can help you get lists that are very targeted, in terms of geography and interests. These are useful for attracting new customers, while your database is great for increasing purchases from your core of customers.
The next step is creating the piece. Working internally or with outside freelance copy writers and graphic designers are possible routes. Letters should clearly explain benefits. Use "you" instead of "we." Offers should have deadlines to
create a sense of urgency.
Then, working to get your materials printed and mailed is the next step. If the mailing is small, a local Kinkos and some stamps may do the trick. If it is a large mailing, you may want to work with a printer and mailing house. They have economies of scale and equipment that will allow you to obtain postage discounts from presorting.
Last, but not least, track response. This may be as simple as collecting coupons. If 10 people responded out of 100, you know the response rate right there. Then make changes and test future mailings to improve return on investment.
Direct mail is often overlooked. However, it is a very effective medium. Many even use it very effectively to drive traffic to their website. As a small business, it is worth considering. The USPS.gov has a wide variety of resources available if you are interested in more information.
brettdalybusiness.blogspot.com
About the Author
Brett Daly is a Marketing Specialist for a software firm in the mailing and printing industries. He has an MBA and a B.S. in marketing with a minor in political science from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
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