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 methods.

Direct mail is an often over-looked method that can be very effective if executed properly. There are three guidelines to follow when conducting an effective direct mail campaign:

1. Catch the reader's attention immediately. You only have a few seconds to do this before your mail ad is thrown away as junk mail. Therefore, opt for postcard mailings instead of sending your offers in an envelope. If your business is relatively small and unheard-of, the reader will never open it unless your company's name is familiar to the reader. Envelope advertising is cheaper than postcard advertising, but is only effective if you have already built up name recognition.

When using the postcard method, you will need to be able to print images on the card. I highly, highly recommend investing in a quality home photographic printer. You will end up saving money in the long-term, and your printer will be right where you need it whenever you need it. Whenever you have materials printed professionaly, you pay for labour, expensive inks, and expensive equipment.

When searching for images to print on your postcards, remember the the point of this first guideline: catch your reader's attention. Of course you don't want an offensive image for your cards, but you do want one that is slighly "controversial". When choosing images for your cards, ask yourself these questions: Does it stand out among the rest?

Does it contain bold colors (but isn't an eye-sore)?

Does the image relate to my business or current offers in some way?

Does the image request user interaction? (ex. a face staring directly at the reader, someone pointing at the reader, etc.)

Does the image have enough white-space for some large text? 2. Offer the reader an incentive for responding. Unless the reader is and has been genuinely interested in your services/productsfor a period of time before receiving your postcard ad, they will never repspond unless you offer some sort of incentive. For instance, you postcard could also serve as a coupon; tell you reader to bring in that post card for a discount. Also, you could use the postcard ad as an announcment for a storewide sale. Be creative when offering incentives to your readers.

Be sure to make your incentive very visible on the postcard. Let's say, for example, your postcard is also serving as a coupon for 20% on your products/services. Print that "20% off" in large text with the image, along with your product type, such as "20% all dog beds". Then, on the other side of the card, usually with the recipient's address, print the discount again with any terms that may apply.

3. Target your readers. The best way to waste advertising money is by sending your direct mail to random people, paying no attention to whether they would actually buy something from you. This is much easier when dealing with business-to-business advertising. When it comes to consumers, find out their interests is a little difficult.

Test out the waters first. A good place to try first is InfoUSA. They sell mailing lists of consumers and businesses and may provide targeted consumer lists. You may be able to create interest in someone who has never heard of your products before, but when you are starting a new direct mail campaign and you have a very small budget, keep your list targeted. You don't want to try to sell a web site to a business that already has one, or try to sell a dog bed to someone who only keeps cats.

I hope this article has given you some ideas on making your next direct mail advertising campaign more successful.

About The Author

Sky Maya is the author of Best SEO Tactics - an excellent guide to optimizing your web site for high search engine rankings using proper and ethical tactics. Proven techniques! Buy it today and watch your site traffic explode!

This article may be reprinted freely as long as this resource box with all active hyperlinks remain intact.

info@bestseotactics.com

---

What Is YOUR Value Proposition?

Every company has a value proposition. That is a statement... Read More

How to Integrate Yourself in Someone Elses Business

When do you need to get more involved with the... Read More

Analyzing Customers in Your Business Plan

The Customer Analysis section of the business plan assesses the... Read More

Starting a Tractor Washing Business

In the heavy equipment cleaning business you can make good... Read More

25 Valuable Phone Numbers For Small Businesses Success

Starting and growing a small business can be a daunting... Read More

Too Many Lawyers in Franchising Today

Attorneys and Lawyers are ruining the franchise industry. It is... Read More

Firing Underperforming Employees in Your Small Business

Here are a few tips on how to hand out... Read More

Computer Tips that Help Small Businesses Operate Profitably

When working properly, computers enable small businesses to make big... Read More

How to Become Successful in the Field of Financial Consultants

Financial Consultants are one of the fastest growing industries today.... Read More

Big Successes Never Happen Overnight

Treat your business as a serious, full-time business and be... Read More

Keeping Business Alive

Who is responsible for maintaining the business relationship?Nurturing a business... Read More

Avoiding the Small Business Cash Flow Roller Coaster

A solopreneur I know disappears from my radar screen for... Read More

Starting a New Business in a Small Town

Q. I am a former pastor who left the ministry... Read More

Keep TRACK of your Business Relationships and Gain Profits

How do you know when an alliance needs to be... Read More

Why The Carwash Industry is Stagnant; What You Can Do to Change Your Field

Many years ago, I had warned the carwash industry of... Read More

Who Makes the BEST Alliance

What types of companies do you want to align yourself... Read More

Secrets to Washing Fleets of Trucks from a Nationwide Fleet Washing Service

Washing the exterior of a truck. Sounds easy right? Well,... Read More

Mini-Blind Cleaning Business, Case Study

Sometimes the simple businesses are the ones, which make good... Read More

Financial Strategies for a Mobile Car Wash Business Plan

Writing a business plan for a mobile car wash is... Read More

Don?t Quit Before You Get to the City!

We were more than excited. Our women's doubles tennis team... Read More

So What? How to Elicit Benefits from Features

"So what?" is a lovely question.It can lead to a... Read More

Franchising in The Middle East There Will Bring Significant Opportunity for US Based Franchisors

As stability emerges in the Middle East there will be... Read More

Boat Detailers; Add-on Products and Services

As a Boat Detailing Specialist, you may want to offer... Read More

Effective Customer Interviews Make Life Much Easier!

One of the critical success factors for service-related businesses is... Read More

Window Cleaning Business Case Study

How do window cleaning franchise businesses start? It is a... Read More

FTC Report on Franchise Rule Making; What Purpose?

The Federal Trade Commission out of the blue decide in... Read More

The 5 Traits of Baby Boomer Business Owners

As a practitioner and student of Small Business Marketing, I... Read More

Site Selection - Slice of Life, A Car Wash and Detail Center DownTown

There is a continual trend we are seeing which I... Read More

Everything I Need to Know About Business I Learned From My Nametag

So there I was ? sitting in the audience of... Read More

Reverse Merger: Have They Taken the Reverse out of Reverse Merger?

Are the promoters and consultants destroying the market for Reverse... Read More

Bringing Home the Bacon

In general, all of us know how to accomplish the... Read More

Government Does Not Pay Its Bills on Time

Many small companies work very hard to get new accounts.... Read More

How To Create A Business Note That Is More Attractive To A Note Investor

You are selling your small business (business value under $1... Read More