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7 Secrets to Winning the Direct Mail Game
If you want to find lots of new customers, here's seven things you'll want to be sure to check before you mail the first piece.
1. Look at your direct mail as your recipient will look at it.
This is much easier to say than to do. To create...
Avoid Direct Mail Suicide: Life Saving Insights
Keep your direct mail from going directly to the trash can by
sending a postcard magnet mailer. Stand out from the
competition, get long term quality exposure and increase sales
with one powerful, affordable product.
On their 10 year...
Avoid Direct Mail Suicide with Postcard Magnet Mailers
Keep your direct mail from going directly to the trash can by sending a postcard magnet mailer. Stand out from the competition, get long term quality exposure and increase sales with one powerful, affordable product.
On their 10 year...
Direct Mail Marketing: Is It Your Choice?
Direct mail marketing is a system of marketing that is directed at specific people. In direct marketing, the advertisement is directed to a specific individual. This is unlike marketing that is open ended such as a billboard or a television...
Eight Common Direct Mail Mistakes.
Some companies that use direct mail to sell their products and services are like the blind man in the dark room looking for the black cat that isn't there. They repeat the same mistakes, and enjoy the same poor results. Here are their eight most...
How to Convey Trustworthiness in Direct Mail Marketing Sales Letters
A person or business that might buy from you is called a prospect. But they might just as accurately be called a skeptic. We live in the age of the spam filter. And call-display. We live in what fellow-copywriter Herschell Gordon Lewis calls, “The...
In B2B Direct Mail Lead Generation, Work Backwards
Business-to-business lead generation is one of the few times in life when you should start at the end and work backwards.
Before you write a single line of copy or design a single element of your direct mail package, sit down with the sales people...
Making Direct Mail Work for Small Businesses
If you own a small business, then you know the value of affordable and effective marketing. Unfortunately, many traditional and online advertising methods are becoming quite expensive. This article will explain direct mail guidelines and...
Smart Alternatives to Direct Mail
From LAND OF ODDS
We at Land of Odds get many questions about what glue to use with rhinestones and other beading and jewelry-making projects. We're craftspersons and silversmiths, and we have a shop where we sell rhinestones, beads,...
Smart Alternatives to Direct Mail
Bob Cortez
The most frequently asked question I receive as an Internet home business consultant usually goes something like this; "I would really like to start my own home business on the Internet, but I don't know what." The...
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10 Elements Every Direct Mail Piece Should Have
Don’t want your direct mail to end up in the trash with the rest of the unread mail?
Studies show an effective direct mail campaign should draw a .5 to 1 percent response.
These 10 tips will help you get the results you want:
1. A clear, bold headline.
On the envelope or front of the mailer there should be one central message. The best way to achieve that is with a bold, clear headline that’s not cluttered up with other text. A good guideline is to have the headline fill up at least 15% of the front of the mailer.
2. A graphic that supports the message.
The graphic should be easy to understand and add to the message the headline is trying to convey. For instance, if you are trying to get people to list their home you would want to show a home with SOLD sign clearly visible out front. That graphic reinforces the message more than a simple picture of a home.
3. Color that pops.
Make the headline and other text stand out by using a color that stands out from the background color. When you look at the card, ask yourself, "What do I see first?" If your answer isn't the headline, you might want to tweak the colors.
4. Subheads that lead into text.
If you have a couple of paragraphs of text with no lead in, there’s nothing to entice people to actually read the copy. A subhead will give people a place to start reading. If you have only a 100 words or so you may be able to get away with it, but if the text gets any longer than that the average reader will want to have some guideposts along the way.
5. Benefits, benefits, benefits.
One of the biggest
errors people make in advertising is stating features, rather than benefits. For example, never assume recipients know what benefit can be derived from a lower interest rate on their mortgage. Let them know how their monthly payments will go down.
6. The offer.
An offer is always a good idea and should represent a specific reason to call now, such as “Limited supply” or “Interest rates are climbing.”
7. Your company name and logo.
Although this needs to be on the mailer, it shouldn’t overshadow the offer. Customers care most about what you can do for them.
8. Call to action.
Tell prospects exactly what you want them to do. “Call today for more information” or “See us online” are two of the most common desired actions.
9. Contact information.
Provide your name, phone number, and Web address directly following the call to action. Whatever you ask prospects to do, give them the means to do it easily.
10. Return address.
A return address ensures you’ll get returned mail from the post office and sends a message that you’re an established professional. People feel better knowing the company they’re dealing with has an actual location.
About the Author
Joe Niewierski, VP of Marketing & Promotion at PostcardMania, became published after graduating with a BA in Advertising from USF. Joy Gendusa founded PostcardMania in 1998; her only assets a computer and a phone. In 2004 the company did close to $9 million in sales and employs over 60 persons. For more free marketing advice, visit her website at www.postcardmania.com.
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