Discover How To Use Direct Mail Marketing
Direct Mail can help you launch a successful advertising campaign that effectively targets your current and potential customers.
Direct Mail is a valuable, cost-effective way to tell your customers who you are, and what your business offers. Get to know Direct Mail, and let your customers get to know you.
A Direct Mail campaign offers customers a chance to learn about your business. It can also:
· Promote interest in a new product or service
· Generate sales and orders
· Drive traffic to your store, Web site, etc.
· Cultivate long-term relationships
· Build and increase brand recognition
Customers respond to mail that addresses their interests and needs. All it takes is a simple, effective Direct Mail campaign to get people to your door.
Benefits of Direct Mail
Direct Mail offers a targeted way to reach your current and potential customers. It drives customers to your business or your Web site, and it has advantages over other advertising medium such as:
Direct Mail is:
- Targeted. It allows you to focus on your specific audience, directing your campaign to the market you want to reach.
- Personal. Direct Mail can address customers by name. You can craft messages that are tailored for them, addressing their needs and appealing to their interests.
- Flexible. Direct Mail can be sent in a variety of formats, including letters, postcards, or brochures. You can be creative with colors and graphics, and even offer a free sample of your product.
- Tangible. Customers can hold your mailpiece, referring to your message as often as needed. Coupons or samples included in your mailpiece help encourage customer interaction.
- Measurable. The results of your Direct Mail campaign can be tracked by counting the responses or inquiries it generates. You'll know what worked and adjust your plans accordingly.
- Cost effective. A Direct Mail campaign makes your advertising dollars go further, because your targeted message goes directly to the people you want to reach.
Tips for Direct Mail
The follow tips can help you develop a successful Direct Mail campaign:
1. Set your goals
2. Plan your budget
3. Increase response rates
Step 1: Set Your Goals
Determine how your Direct Mail campaign will help your business achieve its goals. Keep in mind that your objectives should be specific, measurable, and attainable, with a fixed timeframe.
What are my goals?
Your goals are as unique as your business. You can use Direct Mail to help you:
- Promote your business name
- Find new customers
- Drive traffic to your business
- Create excitement about your new products and services
- Increase your sales
- Encourage customer loyalty
What should I offer?
Your offer must align with your goals. It is what will attract your customer's attention, build interest, and encourage responses. Make sure your offer is valuable and relevant to the customers you target.
Ask yourself:
- What product or service do my customers need?
- How will it help them?
- How is it different from similar offerings on the market?
- What do I want my customers to do when they read my Direct Mail piece?
Developing a strong, attractive offer will help you accomplish your goals.
Step 2: Plan your budget
Plan your budget around your goals to make it easy to measure the success of your campaign. Determine the most cost-effective method to develop your Direct Mail campaign.
How Much Will a Direct Mail Campaign Cost?
You need to determine how much it will cost to:
- Build, buy, or rent a mailing list
- Write and design a mailpiece
- Print your mailpieces
- Mail piece preparation
- Send your mailpieces (postage)
When answering these questions, remember to consider that different sizes and types of mailings serve different purposes. You will need to decide which is the most efficient size and format for your mailing (i.e., a postcard highlights a sale while a flyer provides greater detail).
Step 3: Increase response rates
You can get your customers to respond to your offer with a number of attention-grabbing concepts. Make it difficult for them to say no by doing one or more of the following:
- Use a targeted mailing list that can include the following information:
- Name
- Address (including ZIP Code(tm))
- Telephone number
- Date of Birth
- Gender
- Occupation
- Personal data (children, hobbies, etc.)
- Email address
- Include a free sample in your offer
- Send follow-up mailpiece (3-4) pieces
- Create a sense of urgency in your offer, such as a time-sensitive bonus
- Provide free delivery of your product
- Include a coupon
- Offer an extended service guarantee
- Target a specific neighborhood with Zip Code maps.
- Phone Follow up the mailings
What kind of response rate should I expect?
*a typical response rate is between 3-6%, but if you use the tips above your response rate could increase considerably.
Remember, Direct Mail can help you launch a successful advertising campaign that effectively targets your current and potential customers.