Is direct mail still effective?
Is the internet is going to kill direct mail?
Yes! It's still effective (maybe more now than ever) and no, the interent is not going to kill direct mail.
Probably not in my lifetime, anyway.
The fact is, the more businesses throw money at the internet, the less clutter there is in each and every "real" mailbox.
Yeah, the mailbox that every single person with a home owns.
So there's less clutter in the mailbox. Everyone has one.
Do you think mail can and is still effective?
Of course.
People still read mail. There are surveys coming out now that prove people prefer to be marketed through the mail than through email.
There is still something a lot more personal when it comes through your real mailbox than your virtually over-stuffed, spam-filled inbox.
Nope...mail isn't going anywhere.
The main benefit of using direct mail for your small business is, when done right, it can actually make a sale.
Brand advertising and a majority of print ads, on the other hand, don't make a sale but attempts to build a brand.
And what does making a sale with direct mail mean?
More money.
Period.
Here are a some powerful ways to use direct mail:
- Create a buzz about your new business, product or service. Postcards are an inexpensive and effective way to create “awareness.”
- Generate sales and orders. Traditional sales letter packages or even mini-catalogs can make direct sales for you through the mail.
- Build traffic for your store or office if you’re looking for “walk-ins.” Self-mailers and postcards with a strong offer can generate traffic. Try offering an incentive such as a free gift with high value just for coming in.
- Generate new sales leads (sales letters are often the most effective format for creating a personal, one-on-one conversation with a new prospect.
- Bring news of a "private" sale to your best customers Letters work well, but postcards can perform well for quick announcements or sales and be very cost effective.
- Maintain relationships with present customers. Once again, personal letters work well (are you seeing a theme here?) You can even give your customers short, informative tip-sheets or mini-newsletters to help stir up interest in your product or service. Photocopying an informative article and sending it off to your customers with a short note is also a nice way of “keeping in touch.”
- Re-establish relationships with old customers.
- As tie-ins to other forms of advertising
Use Direct Mail to Grow Your Retail Business
Retailers seem to be one of the most successful segments using postcards to increase store traffic. One of the local jewelry stores in my area send out a special "invitation only" to our house for pre-sale events. My wife always finds a way to get there to buy a little more jewelry.
A two-step approach can cost a little more up-front, but the ROI will increase significantly. What you do is mail out a basic postcard telling your customer of prospect to be on the lookout for a special letter. It's often called a "teaser" mailing.
Then follow that up with a second mailing which would be a sales letter announcing a special sale, a new product, monthly discounts available with the letter, etc.
The trick is to be creative and find ways to drum up excitement for your retail business using the mail.
Building a customer base for your Service or Professional Businesses.
Newsletters are a great way to stay in touch with your customers and develop new customers with your "expertise" presented in the newsletter.
You should also always be looking at ways to gain referrals from your present customers. With direct mail, you can simply ask them to help you!
By sending a simple letter and offering a free gift of high-perceived value, you can outright ask them to tell the world about how wonderful your business is! Offer a gift or even special discounts on your services for every five people they refer to you.
And when you contact the referrals they gave you, you’ll have less of a hard time getting “in” when you mention that their friend “Bob” told you to contact them.
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