1. Personal
Unlike an advertisement in a trade publication, which can be read by anyone, your sales letter arrives at your prospect's place of business as a piece of personal communication from your mind to his. Also, unlike any other medium, direct mail can be personalized (Dear Mr. Smith) and customized to each reader ("As an IT manager, you know that . . ."), showing your prospect that you know about him by name and understand his business in particular.
2. Cost effective
Advertising by its very nature is expensive. To reach a lot of people, you need to spend a lot of money. Direct mail, on the other hand, only targets the prospects you want to reach. Instead of pitching your product to a huge audience of potential buyers, you aim your sales message only at prospects most likely to buy.
3. Breaks through the clutter
Your ad can easily get lost among dozens of competing ads in a trade newspaper. Your sales message is also easily forgotten on radio or television unless you repeat it many times, which is expensive. But a simple letter, addressed to your prospect by name and arriving on her desk in the morning mail (which she must open), cuts through the media clutter and gets her attention.
4. Measurable ROI
Direct mail is one of the best mediums for measuring the return on your marketing dollar (or pound or yen). Simply code your business reply cards, and count how many return to you in the mail. Then calculate how many of those replies generate a sales meeting or a sale. Now you know immediately-and exactly-how effective your mailing has been. Direct mail numbers never lie.
5. Predictable
One advantage of knowing the success rates of your past mailings is that you can predict the success of future mailing. If you mail the same package with the same offer to a similar group of prospects at the same time of year, you can predict how many responses you will receive, and how many of those will translate into sales.
6. Can be improved through testing
Because you can measure your direct mail results, you can also test your mailings. Test one package against another, one list against another, one offer against another, and you'll discover what works and what fails. That way you'll spend your marketing dollars where they are most effective (without relying on guess work or hunches).
7. Immediate
General advertising builds brand awareness. Sales brochures inform. But a direct mail letter asks for action now. So if you need to generate sales leads, and don't have time to wait for your ad to appear in "IT Buyers Quarterly," send a direct mail letter and wait a week or so for a response.
Alan is a business-to-business direct mail copywriter and lead generation consultant. As President of Sharpe Copy, Inc. (http://www.sharpecopy.com), Alan specializes in helping businesses generate leads, close sales and retain customers, using cost-effective, compelling direct mail and email marketing. Alan also uses his direct mail advertising services to help charities raise funds and raise awareness of their causes, using fundraising letters.
Does your Web site talk about your company? Yes, I... Read More
If you don't get this right, you can just forget... Read More
Want to get Better at your Marketing today?For many service... Read More
After 11 years in sales, I've put together and delivered... Read More
One of the best ways to get a restaurant free... Read More
Lots of people get confounded when attempting to exchange links,... Read More
So how do you do it?Direct mail marketing. When it... Read More
Whatever business you are in, either online or offline, you've... Read More
Want a simple, low-cost way to boost your sales? Just... Read More
If recreating the old experience of subscribing to magazines by... Read More
Have you ever wondered why the phones aren't ringing the... Read More
Brochures are one of the oldest marketing weapons in the... Read More
I bet you thought the movie "Daddy Daycare" was a... Read More
I want to share with you a story. This story... Read More
Market research specialists have discovered a new tool which enables... Read More
As a business owner or marketer, if you don't reverse... Read More
©2004 Jeffrey DobkinIf you're in direct marketing, you're continually looking... Read More
"Kevin, are you saying I need to go to Networking... Read More
Sometimes, one of the most difficult things to teach beginning... Read More
One of the biggest marketing mistakes businesses make today is... Read More
Part #26) Food safety is becoming paramount.What this means to... Read More
When it comes to your marketing message, the little things... Read More
To prevent the risks of a promotion campaign for our... Read More
So many of you have been telling us that you're... Read More
No matter if you're publishing your first book or producing... Read More
"There are those who get things done and those who... Read More
Sometimes the simplest data is the best. Marketing is not... Read More
Opportunity Assistance Business Resource Center At first you must think... Read More
You probably read my headline and thought, wait a minute,... Read More
You probably know that February 2nd is Groundhog Day. But... Read More
It all started out with an email message: "I am... Read More
Want to learn how to lose a billion dollars?Just follow... Read More
1. Focus your fax marketing on one objectiveFax is a... Read More
Your URL (www) should be everywhere and more.I know many... Read More
Last week I took our two boys on an all... Read More
Many of the business owners I speak with are looking... Read More
My childhood was my foundation for how I write and... Read More
Here is a powerful tip on how to substantially increase... Read More
It is my belief that if anyone is to suceed... Read More
Most business people want to see improvements in sales and... Read More
As Freud cautioned, it's insanity to keep doing the same... Read More
"Both the market and the distributive channel are often more... Read More
Have you ever left a seminar thinking: "I could have... Read More
Yellow Page users are the hottest of all prospects ?... Read More
Make a vow to keep up your marketing schedule in... Read More
As a promotions director for a lot of super markets,... Read More
Which pulls the best response, a postcard, a self-mailer or... Read More
Have you thought about starting your own business? Have you... Read More
Recently, I've received a few e-mails from people asking me... Read More
If you want to get consistent results from your marketing,... Read More
An international hair-cutting chain opened a new store directly across... Read More
A brochure can be a wonderful promotional tool for a... Read More
Trade shows are part of the marketing mix and the... Read More
I often wonder how people without a plan know where... Read More
Being a master of your craft, skill, or talent doesn't... Read More
"I wouldn't pay more than what I charge now."If you... Read More
The profits of a business are totally dependent on marketing.... Read More
Business card size works well for invitations to special events.What... Read More
I read an article recently about how many mainstream retail... Read More
I just collected my mail. As usual, more than 80%... Read More
Not all benefits are created equal. Knowing which ones to... Read More
I spend a lot of my time reading books and... Read More
When marketing themselves to leads and prospects there are five... Read More
Promotions are everything you do to let your customers know... Read More
A funnel is a good way to think of the... Read More
You can make the sale. You know your core message.... Read More
Marketing |