First thing is you should understand is what direct mail is not.
It is not “advertising” through the mail. Putting an “ad” in the mail is what businesses do without understanding what it means to target an individual with a direct marketing message.
Direct mail is not a brand building technique where you “flood the market” without even knowing who your market is.
It is not a fancy brochure in an envelope.
It's not like an advertising campaign based on numerous "impressions" and alternating channels delivering various messages to build a brand.
Direct mail is not “junk mail.” Junk mail is any piece of mail sent to a prospect who is not part of the actual target market. I am happily married with children and I constantly receive solicitations for dating services.
What Direct Mail is …
Once in a while, there in the pile of mail, free newspapers, and “junk mail,” something catches your eye.
Something that actually interests you and says "take a look."
You open it up and start reading. And it's probably not because it has some fancy pictures. You take a look because it's something that has to do with you. It's a piece of mail that pertains to something that really interests you. It could be something that solves a problem or improves your life.
It's highly targeted and the smart business person who sent it your way understands they just put an offer for your product right in your hands. They didn't roll the dice and hope you see their ad in the paper.
They put it right in your home.
And the chances are, if they've spelled out the benefits and made you an offer you can't refuse, that you very well may respond.
Direct mail … at it's best.
Here's a definition of direct mail:
Direct mail is any sales vehicle that is sent directly to an individual within a specific and highly defined, target market.
I can assure you that if you learn as much as you can about direct mail, it will be the biggest vehicle to help you grow your business. Understand the techniques involved and used by direct marketing professionals and organizations and the time you invest learning will pay off handsomely.
It could be a well thought out and highly targetedpostcard or a sales letter. It can be a catalog or a small booklet. Direct mail can be anything that can be sent through the postal service and put right in the hands of your target customers and prospects.
If someone’s home is for sale and they receive a letter from a moving company – that’s direct mail.
Direct mail is all about finding your specific target market and getting your information and offer in their hands to make a sale or solidify a business lead.
Direct mail allows you to establish a conversation with prospects and build better relationships with customers. Understand that direct marketing – and marketing as a whole – is a process. Often, it is trial and error. But because of the nature of direct mail, you are better able to understand what is working and what is not working (see "testing" on page XX).
Direct mail can – and has been proven – to increase the income of millions of small businesses.
Learn it.
Understand it.
And watch your business grow.
Why is Direct Mail so Great for Small Businesses?
You send out a mailing and ask for a response. That response allows you to know exactly how well your mailing campaign performed. It's so easy to be able to tell what precisely is working for you and what is not. If you send out 100 pieces of mail, whether it's letters or postcards, you will know by the number of responses if it worked or not. This form of measurability can't work with too many other general advertising mediums.
It gets delivered right to your prospects office or doorstep.
There aren't many other forms of marketing that allow you to put your message right in front of your customer. Direct mail is the perfect solution. You won't have to "hope" your target customer randomly see your message on a billboard or in the newspaper.
It's personal.
You get to put your message right in your prospect's hands and speak to your target directly. One of the reasons why letters typically out-pull other forms of marketing is because
It's targeted
Unlike a newspaper ad or a billboard, it's not a shot in the dark hoping that someone who may be interested in your product or service will see it.
It's affordable
You can get a basic postcard in the mail for almost nothing. A direct mail sales letter sent on its own can cost a little more than the price of postage (and bring you a wonderful response).
It's going to get there!
Direct mail gets hand delivered. It's not going to be "blocked" by a filter or sent off into cyber space because of a computer glitch. |