Why Direct Mail?

Direct Mail lets you target the people with the most potential to purchase your product or service. It gives you more format options than any other medium. And it provides results that can be measured and analyzed so you can adjust your spending for maximum cost-effectiveness.

 

Direct Mail is an effective medium:
Direct Mail is a powerful business-building tool that lets you speak to customers and prospects one-to-one.

Direct Mail can:

• build brand awareness and get responses
• close a sale started by another medium
• generate awareness for a new product launch
• get leads for your sales force
• build store traffic for a special event or promotion
• build customer loyalty that will last a lifetime
• test different offers and executions

 

Direct Mail lets you target your exact audience

Direct Mail you can:

• identify and reach the right prospects for your message
• talk to each customer as an individual
• tailor your message to different target groups.

 

Direct Mail offers you more flexibility:

Direct Mail can :

• postcards to get your message out quickly
• letters that establish a personal relationship
• newsletters that keep you in touch
• samples so customers can try your product for themselves
• almost anything you can think of that will make your message stand out

Direct Mail results can be easily measured:
Direct Mail takes the guesswork out of advertising and lets you analyze results as you go along so you can:


• stop spending money on unresponsive prospects
• allocate more money to prospects

 


52 GREAT IDEAS FOR YOUR
DIRECT MARKETING CAMPAIGN

Direct mail is one of the most important pieces of your marketing plan. Today's mailing regulations can get complicated--postage rates are changing and the flood of mail makes it harder to stand out. The right message is very important and must get to the target prospect in the right way on a frequent basis. Capturing your reader has to happen fast and your reader must be motivated to take action.

Here are 52 effective direct mail marketing tips to ensure that you get the right message to the right target--in the right way.

    1. Give a free gift to increase response
    2. Use short copy to tease the reader to read further or respond
    3. Minimize the use of buzz words
    4. Make your offer easy to respond to
    5. Prove any claims with details to add credibility
    6. Offer a free trial to eliminate risk
    7. Hire a professional copywriter for your content
    8. Hire a professional graphic designer
    9. Make your offer easy to understand at a glance
    10. Have your direct mail reviewed by an objective third party
    11. Use colored paper to make impact
    12. Consult with a direct-mail specialist
    13. Use a reply card or other reply mechanism
    14. Include postage-paid return cards or envelopes
    15. End a page with the middle of a sentence to encourage more reading
    16. Personalize as much as you can
    17. Keep track of target recipients, replies and follow-up
    18. Keep paragraphs short
    19. Offer a free-trial period
    20. Keep the sales pitch positive and highlight the benefits
    21. Include a call to action; tell your readers exactly what you want them to do
    22. Use a P.S.—it’s one of the most frequently read parts of the copy
    23. Make it easy to purchase: credit cards, terms, etc.
    24. Offer a discount for a quick response and order
    25. Put testimonials at the top of the content and by the call to action
    26. Use typestyles that are easy to read, not a mix of them
    27. Use free information, free samples and a free demonstration as a marketing hook
    28. Offer a free consultation
    29. Include a toll-free number if you have one
    30. Get your readers involved with a contest
    31. Put in a photo of yourself or an associate's to personalize it
    32. "Free" is still a motivating word--use it and highlight it
    33. Guarantee customer satisfaction
    34. Include case studies and success stories
    35. Order your mailing list or compile it way in advance of your execution date
    36. Test your list and use "Address Correction Requested" to clean your list
    37. Outsource things you don't do best: printing, mail prep, design, etc.
    38. Put yourself on all mailing lists
    39. Work with a list broker to tighten list specifications
    40. Test different copy, headlines and offers
    41. Use graphics on the outside of envelopes
    42. Measure results and calculate ROM (Return on Mailing) dollars
    43. Code your mailings to measure response
    44. Use color
    45. White space is good--a clean look is professional and easy to read
    46. Print in large quantities to take advantage of cheaper printing prices
    47. Mail to PR contacts
    48. Self-mailers are read more than stuffed envelopes
    49. Postcards are very efficient; usually both sides are viewed
    50. Put your website address on all mailing pieces
    51. Odd shapes work, too
    52. Include a business card in a letter