Direct Mail is Not Dead Mail

Direct Mail is Not Dead!
You can use mail to effectively and efficiently market your product or service. There are many factors to consider before you develop a direct mail campaign. The most important is the list you are mailing to. Is the list up to date? Are the names and addresses current? Are the contacts on the list the decision makers for the product/service you are promoting? Lists can be obtained from many sources. The first and best choice is your company’s database of existing and potential customers. The more information you collect from your customers, the better you can target your list for a specific promotion. If you are a new business or do not have a target customer list, you can work with a vendor to provide a list for you. Lists are available for very specific demographics. For example you can purchase a list for women aged 30-50 with a college education and a specific income range. Business lists are available by geography and financial criteria like sales volume and number of employees. You can also select business data by industry specific information like all landscapers or lawn care companies.

After you have a good list there are other criteria to consider. The timing of the mailing piece is important. You should not offer lawn care services in the fall, or snow removal in the spring. This may seem obvious but, make sure the timing of your offer is pertinent. Try to be specific, like reaching out to potential trade show attendees before a convention to drive traffic to your booth.

The next important consideration is the offer. What are you offering the customer? Is it of value? Try to determine something that will be of value to your audience that will make them take action to obtain it. For example if you are a preschool or daycare offer free activity ideas for parents and their child. If you are a business consultant you might offer a free hour of consulting time to uncover opportunities. Your offer needs to be a value to your audience.

Finally, you need to consider the call to action. What does the recipient of the mailed piece have to do to receive the offer? You must make this simple and convenient to them. Do they call and request the offer? Do they need to bring an entry to your booth at a trade show? Do you direct them to a web page? The call to action should be related to your product or service.

There are four key issues to consider for any direct mail campaign that will help to increase the response rate. First and most important is the list; second is the timing of the piece; next is the offer and finally there is the call to action to obtain the offer.

A recent article in the January 12th Wall Street Journal “Firms Hold Fast to Snail Mail Marketing” (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748703481004574646904234860412.html#mod=dist_smartbrief?mod=dist_smartbrief) stated that despite the proliferation of email marketing many companies are returning to direct mail. Effective direct mail pieces can result in increased opportunities for your business.