3 Things You Can Do To Improve Your Direct Mail
If it takes Carnac The Great to figure out your direct mail offer, chances are you're not getting much bang for your buck. Direct mail remains a viable and effective means for businesses to get their message out—if they follow a few simple rules. Innovative Marketing Resources has been in the direct mail business for 18 years. We've seen a lot of really great campaigns - and some real duds. These three tips will help you get the most bang for your buck on your next direct mail campaign.
Mail to the Right People
Seems obvious, right? A lot of businesses waste money by mailing material to people who aren’t even good prospects. If you sell swimming pool supplies, you’re not going to sell much if you mail your catalog or flyer to someone who doesn’t own a pool. That means taking an active role when renting a mailing list and having a good picture of your ideal prospect in mind. You get what you pay for. The less specific the list, the less it will cost. But you’ll rue the day you cut corners on your list when you consider the money invested in printing, postage, and mailing services to send materials to people who have no interest in responding. And what if you use your own in-house list? Make sure your list is “clean”. Eliminate duplicate addresses and bad (invalid) addresses. While it’s fine to mail to someone who hasn’t purchased from you in a while, don’t waste your money mailing to someone who has moved—or simply isn’t interested anymore.
Give Customers a Reason to Respond
Beating your own drum does not cause prospects to respond. Nobody cares how great you think your company is, or how great you think your products or services are. Customers care about one thing. How you can help them solve their problems. Your form factor, creative, message and your offer all have to resonate with this one thing. Saving 10 percent isn’t much of an incentive anymore. Making someone open a plain white #10 to see your offer may land you in the circular file. If you make a stand-out offer to solve your prospects problem, and provide assurances against a poor experience, such as testimonials or a guarantee — those things make the beginning of a dialogue that can turn into a sale.
It’s All About Action
No business does direct mail just for the joy of it. Businesses mail because they expect something in return. Unfortunately, many businesses aren’t clear about what they expect in their direct mail. What specific action do you want prospects to take after they receive your mailing? A clear call to action is essential. If you want people to call, you need to tell them to call (and make sure the toll-free phone number is prominently displayed and staffed by a cheerful person who is ready to answer questions). If you want people to request more information, make sure you have a URL or QR code clearly displayed that will take your prospect to a landing page (not your homepage) where they can quickly find exactly the information you've promised.
Direct mail works. But like anything else worth doing, you have to do it keep at it and learn from your experiences. These proven tips can help your next direct mail campaign begin a dialog with prospects who can turn into customers. What direct mail tips have you found effective?
