1. Your Most Valuable Asset
A mailing list of valued customers is the single most important asset you have. Loyal customers will spend an average of five times more in your business than new customers. Plus it costs ten times more to acquire a new customer.
When choosing a mailing list, first identify your best customer. What is their age, income level, and geography?
Then identify your "perfect" customer. Select mailing lists which match your perfect customer profile.
If you're selling business to business, select the type of business, number of employees and geography, then tailor your message to this audience.
2. The Three Most Effective Words
Copy is the persuasive argument that sells your product or service. Begin your copy with a strong headline that spells out the benefit of your product or service.
The three most effective words in direct mail are "you," "free," and "new." Studies show that using these words in headlines can boost your response dramatically.
Letter copy should follow a simple formula that will help you organize your thoughts and make a convincing sales argument.
A. Attention: The headline must grab their attention and make them want to read further.
B. Interest: Grab their interest with a sub-headline that states your Unique Selling Proposition (what sets you apart from everyone else.)
C. Desire: Elicit desire by painting word pictures of your prospect using your product or service and enjoying its benefits. Give testimonials of customers who have benefited from what you offer. Tell stories of people who used your service despite their initial apprehension.
D. Close: Ask for the order. Make it convenient for them to respond. Give your prospects choices of how to get in touch with you. Use a P.S. at the end of the letter to pique their curiosity.
3. What's In It For Me?
Your offer attracts people to your business or service. Direct mail will not work if you use it like a billboard. It is like saying, "SEE ME, I'M OVER HERE" at 60 m.p.h. In order for your direct mail to achieve measurable results you must have a compelling offer.
Your offer can include money, free gifts, guarantees, testimonials, sale events, coupons, gift certificates, sweepstakes, drawings and private sales.
Test different offers and see what works best for you.
When you're marketing to a business, personalization is important. Make your outside envelope look like a personal business letter. Keep your copy to 1 or 2 pages and offer an incentive for responding quickly..
4. Experience Captivating Graphics
Designing a mail piece should accomplish 2 things. One is to get the attention of your reader. Two, is to visually clarify the written message you are trying to get across.
There are six elements that determine good direct mail design.
A. One visual element should dominate the page, whether it's a photo, headline, cartoon or graphic.
B. Use only one or two typefaces. Stick with one or two families of type. Use one for the headlines and bolded sub sections and one for the body copy. The body copy should always be a serif typeface, it's easier to read.
C. Use lots of white space when you want to make a lasting impression.
D. Make sure your text is easy to read. Don't make your margins too wide or your columns too long. Space out the lines of your text so they are easy to read. Use bullets, bold, underlines and short paragraphs.
E. Display your logo and pertinent contact information.
5. Produce the Package
Have you ever read an ad or received a mailing without a phone number or address? Often people get so wrapped up in the copy they forget to call for action. Boldly feature your phone number, address, web site address, email address and fax. Make it easy for your prospects to contact you.
Your logo should visually express the essence of your company's mission along with a positioning statement that sets you apart from your competition. Design a "risk-free" response certificate that clearly repeats your most valuable benefits and moves your reader to say "yes."
6. Testing
The standard business-to-business mailing package includes an outside envelope, letter, brochure, lift letter and response device.
The benefit of direct mail is that you have an unlimited number of choices when it comes to your package. You can choose the paper, ink color and size of the package. Or you might choose a postcard, self mailer, flyer or 3D package which is almost guaranteed to get opened.
7. Follow Up
The three most important elements to test are the list, offer and package. Studies show the quality of your mailing list represents 40% - 70% of your mailing success.
First, carefully select your list, keep your offer the same and test one list against another; either two rented lists or your customer list against a rented list.
Then, test your offers. Keep your list the same and change your offer. A one word change in a headline can boost your response over 300%. Test discounts, free gifts, free samples, personalized coaching or free reports.
Third, test the creative. Colors create moods and can affect response. Test a humorous approach vs. a serious approach. Test photos vs. clip art, ink colors, paper colors, envelope design. Test a postcard vs. a letter. What about a teaser on the envelope vs. a blank envelope? All these variables can affect your response and should be tested.
It's useless to have a powerful measurable tool like direct mail and not evaluate whether it's working. Keep track of your response. Code your ads and business reply cards and determine what is the most profitable combination of elements for your market.
(c) Allan J. Katz, 2005. Permission to reprint granted to all venues to long as the article and by-line are not changed and links are clickable.
Allan is the Loyalty Coach at http://www.loyaltycoach.com and the Marketing Director of http://www.DriveThruPrintingAndMailing.com, a full service, web based Direct Mail Advertising and Printing Company, in Memphis, Tennessee specializing in 4 color printing of direct mail postcards, brochures, newsletters and flyers.
The Web is intended to help people find information quickly... Read More
If the promotional items you give out end up in... Read More
"When I walked into the grocery store last Saturday, I... Read More
A little advice about using leads that you purchase from... Read More
Jay Conrad Levinson coined the term guerrilla marketing, which I... Read More
Marketing results should be measured in only one way ?... Read More
I spend a lot of my time reading books and... Read More
You've heard variations of that saying your entire life. Consider:... Read More
The following tips have come from a wide variety of... Read More
I'm a marketing consultant and at one of my client-companies,... Read More
This is a pretty tough global economy and it is... Read More
The most important part of any marketing you do is... Read More
So you just dropped a tidy sum to attend a... Read More
Looking for the magic formula or the whiz-bang approach that... Read More
One particularly hot south Texas day, I was making a... Read More
I met Sue at a recent networking event. She is... Read More
Recently, I've received a few e-mails from people asking me... Read More
This is a devastatingly powerful way to extend your marketing... Read More
Articles submitted to online publishers bring your site new visitors... Read More
Altruism. Corporate responsibility. Philanthropy. These are often used to describe... Read More
Not all benefits are created equal. Knowing which ones to... Read More
Great graphic design looks effortless, but it requires lots of... Read More
Small business marketing is not like taking a family vacation.Did... Read More
Available to all small businesses are business lists, which come... Read More
You have read part 1 & 2 of this article... Read More
There are several color formats and systems available for mixing... Read More
How Colors Effect Our Emotions?One of the most interesting things... Read More
I bet you thought the movie "Daddy Daycare" was a... Read More
Everyone wants to feel like they're getting a good deal.... Read More
A business card makes a statement about who you are... Read More
Those who believe the web is not a direct response... Read More
Building business relationships through networking is a great way to... Read More
There seems to be a never ending argument among marketing... Read More
You know those bad habits we get. Like raiding the... Read More
Do you own a small business? Do you wish to... Read More
Its become fashionable to bash marketing "gurus" nowadays.There are some... Read More
Are you on track for hitting all your business goals... Read More
Pop quiz! If you have to say goodbye to your... Read More
Most business owners get so involved in the work of... Read More
The famous P.T Barnum once said, "Without promotion, something terrible... Read More
Many sales problems can be solved by improved marketing. Selling... Read More
You'll always need to find new prospects for your business.... Read More
Procrastination is every marketers worst nightmare.This applies on three fronts.Firstly... Read More
"Cross promoting with other businesses can give you a significant... Read More
The purpose of business is to create and retain a... Read More
Giving away free bonuses is an important website marketing secret... Read More
If you use promotional products you probably already know the... Read More
Guerrilla Marketing is using time, energy and imagination to market... Read More
1) People are buying in smaller quantities. Our busy lifestyle... Read More
The goal of successful marketing is to create long lasting... Read More
I love my dentist! When is the last time you... Read More
One key discipline of successful direct marketing has been to... Read More
Marketing is both an art and a science. Anyone who... Read More
Stuart from Colorado had talked to a number of marketing... Read More
Do you find it hard to ask for referrals? I... Read More
Now that you have had a chance to create a... Read More
Have you created a marketing plan for your Website? If... Read More
If you sell a technical product or service, you probably... Read More
Can we imagine a place in the world today without... Read More
When you take a piece of gold to a pawn... Read More
How would you use business cards for gift certificates?I asked... Read More
My wife likes to shop at the local Safeway. Is... Read More
TOP 10 TIPS TO GET YOU MARKETING TO SUCCESS ON... Read More
Fear and Greed. The stock-in-trade of sales. Appeal to them,... Read More
What do the following things have in common: brushing your... Read More
Direct Mail . . . Newspaper . . . Radio... Read More
Marketing |