Direct mail marketing is a tricky business. If you don’t take the time to do it right, you are just throwing your money into the trash. In today’s tough economic market, all businesses need to spend money on advertising. Small businesses especially must be careful how they spend their advertising dollars.
Not all companies can afford to hire an advertising agency for their marketing projects. A great alternative is to deal directly with a Print and Mail house. If you don’t already have your marketing piece designed, then you should look for a mail house that “does it all” … design, list purchase, print and mail. They will make sure that your mail piece is designed in the most economical way for printing and to take advantage of the greatest possible postage discounts. If you are not sure who your targeted audience is, they can use their experience to help with a targeted list purchase. Once you have found the right company, they will take over your project and should provide you with a hassle-free experience.
Here are a few things to think about before you start:
The List:
If you do not already have a mailing list, you need to put some thought into exactly who are the people who most likely need or want what you have to offer. Also, do you want to target people close to your business or are you looking to expand your clientele further from your business? A mail house that deals with purchasing lists on a daily basis will have a wealth of knowledge in this area and will save you time and money.
Design:
Colorful or unusual pictures command attention. If you have a business that might lend itself to a funny, amusing or cute design, these also work well. One of the best responses our company got was from a small postcard with a drawing of a little girl in the rain with an umbrella playing in a puddle with the words “I’ve been thinking….” and on the back of the card, “You should be our customer.” Then we listed the reasons why. People just loved the cute picture and message. Also, remember if you are having someone other than the mail house design your mail piece, make sure they talk to the mail house to be sure that your piece will conform to USPS specifications for discounted postage.
The Printed Piece:
Postcards have been proven to be extremely successful and they are the most economical way to go. The size of the postcard can be important. Bigger is better! A small 4×6 card will not command as much attention as a 6×9 or 6×11 card and the postage cost is the same.
Fliers give you more space to get your message out. It is very important that the front of the flier has a message that entices people to open it.
Letters that are personalized give the recipient the idea that you know they will be interested in what they have to offer. Do not forget to put a message on the envelope that compels them to open the letter. I personally am not in favor of sending personalized letters that tend to deceive people into believing that they are coming from a legal or government office. Also consider enclosing a note pad or magnet with your information in the envelope. These items will remain with the recipient long after your letter is misplaced or thrown away.
Your Message:
This is where many people get stumped. Your thinking should begin with, “What do I have to offer and why should the recipient want to contact me?” Including a unique offer that is hard to resist with an expiration date is a must. You want people to act quickly.
If you are a family-run business, remember to mention this. Most people like to do business with family-run businesses.
If you have a website, be sure to encourage your audience to visit it. Offer an incentive for them to visit your website and give you a contact email address.
Timing:
Use common sense when scheduling your mail project. For example, if you sell holiday items, make sure your piece is in the mail 2 to 3 months before the holiday. If you own an adult dance studio, spring and summer would not be good timing for your mail campaign,. The end of the summer would be your ideal time to get your message out.
Allow Enough Time:
Don’t think that you can wake up one morning and decide to get a great mail project with a great targeted list done in one day. Some companies will promise this, but in reality any successful project takes some time. It is best if you start your project a minimum of 2 weeks before you want it in the mail. A good design takes time and most likely the first one you start with will not be the one that you finally choose.
Keep in mind that you will probably need to schedule more than one mailing to your list in order to get the desired results. Consider 3 or 4 mailing projects to the same list. Your mail piece may change from a postcard, to a letter or a flier, but your basic message will probably remain the same. In the meantime, the recipients have now seen your company name and what you offer several times and will hopefully remember it.
Here’s hoping these tips will help make your next Direct Mail Marketing experience a good one!
Liz Farlow,
Colortec Printing and Mailing
South Jersey Women in Business
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