The How-To's of Direct Mail Marketing
As popular as e-mail marketing, the Internet and other "new" methods of reaching target audiences have become, many people often forget one of the most effective marketing techniques — direct mail. In fact, anecdotal reports show that due to the barrage of these new techniques, people almost cherish getting an actual piece of marketing collateral in the mail.
Companies like online and e-mail marketing because it's fairly effortless to develop and easy for someone to forward to someone else. But, a direct mail piece can also be circulated and let's face it, usually looks much more professional. And, you can do things like die-cutting specific shapes, having "pop-ups," etc. to get people's attention.
As with any marketing tactics, there are things to consider when deciding to produce a direct mail campaign. Obviously, direct mail is more expensive than simply creating a flyer and e-mailing it to potential clients. When deciding about direct mail, you need to think about what the return on your investment must be. Taking into account how much they will pay for your product or service, how many new clients will it take for you to pay for the campaign? 10, 100, 1,000? According to the Direct Mail Association, the response rate in 2005 for direct mail was 2.77 percent. Even the best campaigns typically don't have a response rate higher than 5 percent. Make sure your mailing list is large enough to take this into account.
Here are a few more tips to remember:
A one-time mailing probably won't be effective. As with all marketing efforts, the recipient has to see your message multiple times before it sinks in. An exception to this is special events. However, even with an event, you still want to have additional contact with your audience, via public relations, e-mail, word-of-mouth, etc.
Make sure your message is appropriate and easy to understand. Know who you are marketing to and what messages will reach them. Text about iPods probably won't make sense to senior citizens. Also, while you want to get someone's attention, don't let cute and gimmicky overshadow the actual message.
When writing your message, don't forget to include a "call to action." Give the recipient a reason to respond: "First twenty callers receive a free one hour consultation," "Call now for a 10% discount," etc., etc.
Remember that the quality of your direct mail piece is crucial. We received information about advertising in a national publication. The letter was poorly photocopied on a machine that was obviously running low on toner. It made us wonder about the quality of the publication they wanted us to advertise in.
Your distribution list is critical. If you use your own list, make sure it is current. Or, you can purchase a mailing list. You can be very, very specific in obtaining your list, drilling down to your exact market.
As with all marketing efforts, it takes a concerted effort to get your recipient's attention. A study conducted recently by Fallon Advertising found that every day, the average American is exposed to almost 3,000 messages! They pay attention to just 52 of these messages, only read 24 of those in detail and respond to just four of them. Make the investment of time and money to make sure your marketing efforts count.