Direct mail continues to be one of the most effective forms of marketing available. I know it sounds crazy but it’s true. Just look in your mailbox and you’ll see proof. I’m sure you get at least a dozen pieces of direct mail every single day and reason is that it works, at least in some situations.
There’s no question direct mails is better suited to some businesses than others. In particular, any business where timing is a factor in the purchase decision is a good candidate for direct mail advertising because you need to stay in front of those prospects so they’ll think of you when the timing is finally right.
This alludes to the most important point. Direct mail is only useful if you do it on a regular basis. And by saying that, I’m not talking about sending your marketing piece to different people each time. No. I’m saying you have to send your marketing piece to the exact same audience, over and over and over again. The key to a successful direct mail campaign is repetition.
Companies who do direct mail spend millions of dollars each year analyzing their campaigns and how to maximize the returns they get. In fact, this area of marketing is probably studied more than any other area. And the consensus is that an average person doesn’t even realize you exist before they’ve seen your marketing piece at least seven times.
This is an amazing reality and many would argue it’s a function of being over-marketed in our daily lives. Let me say it again. The average person doesn’t even realize you exist before they’ve seen your marketing piece at least seven times. Seven times! And there are some who estimate that number is actually much higher than that.
As a result of this reality, there’s absolutely no point in doing a direct mail campaign unless you can afford to run the mailer at least seven times before expecting any results. Seriously. If you can’t afford to send your marketing piece to the same audience at least seven times, don’t even bother because you won’t get a proper gauge of whether the campaign will work or not.
You also want to consider a two-step approach. That means the initial marketing piece invites recipients to get more information by taking some predetermined step. They might be invited to call an 800-number and hear some pre-recorded information. They might be invited to request a free information booklet or they might be invited to visit a website with additional details.
Two-step marketing is a great way to pull prospects into your sales funnel. By giving them an opportunity to get more information for free, you invite them to take action. You also have a way of getting their contact information so you can follow-up afterwards. And lastly, you give yourself a second opportunity to earn their trust by providing valuable information. All three dramatically increase the odds of making a sale.
In order to implement a program like this effectively, you’ll need to decide on a value item before you get started. What additional information will you be providing? Whatever it is, it should be something your ideal customer would really appreciate. Think about what information your target market really wants. Think about what would make their lives easier. Then put it together before you even design the direct mail piece. Doing it this way will add focus to your marketing piece and save you time along the way.
Direct mail is still an effective way of touching new customers but it won’t deliver any results unless you send your mailer to the same audience consistently. You’ll get better results if you use a two-step approach, giving recipients a way of getting more information painlessly and the best way to prepare for the campaign is to create the information piece first. Give it a try and let me know how it works out.

As I sifted through the pile of mail, my assistant laid out for me the other day, one by one the pieces of junk mail got thrown into the trash. However, one piece really got my attention and not only did it not end up in the bin, it performed the exact function it arrived to do. What made this piece so interesting to me was that, while it was only a postcard-sized piece, it was made to look like an interoffice mail envelope with a list of handwritten names recounting where the envelop had been. The names were humorous, like Bullhorn Bill and Debbie the Drama Queen, and there was also a graphic that looked like a Post-it with the message ‘R.U. In?’ scribbled on it. The inside also had a funny cartoon on it, after spending a minute or two looking at this piece; it dawned on me that this had come from a gentleman I had met while out networking. This man owns a marketing communications firm. The mailer was so creative and so different from any others that I’d seen lately that I not only opened it I showed it to everyone in the office. Then I used the company’s services three weeks later when a restaurant client wanted to send out a grand opening mailer to surrounding residents. Direct mail is a lead generation tool that can be very effective in filling your sales funnel. How can you get your marketing this kind of visibility and make it this effective? Here are 5 tips for doing just that:

1. Be Different, but Be Familiar. What drew me to this marketing piece was its creative play on something familiar. Everyone who has ever worked in a big corporation has seen and used an interoffice envelope. So, even though I did not initially register who it was from, the familiar nature of the piece made a connection with me, which made me curious enough to take the next step and open it. Once inside, the uniqueness caught my attention and the offbeat humor in the message got me thinking about using this company’s services for my own clients.

2. Test Market Your Marketing. If you want to get an honest reaction to your marketing piece, you need to test it on associates and people who are not blindly loyal to you or on your payroll. Meeting new people and asking them for honest opinions is a great way to gather the constructive criticism you need to make your piece really stand out. Creativity is enhanced when you get multiple minds working together on a team effort. Getting second opinions should ultimately earn you a good cross-section of feedback. There are plenty of people out there who aren’t afraid to give an opinion or criticism if you ask them for it. Next time you’re networking and meet someone who you determine shares traits of your target market or who seems to have good opinions, ask them if you can test your marketing ideas on them. They are likely to be flattered and give you a resounding yes.

3. Know Your Market. The interoffice marketing piece was especially attractive to me because I have consulted for many large corporations in addition to smaller organizations, so I am very familiar with the use of interoffice mail envelopes. So, this company was expressing their knowledge of me, thus the message resonated with me. If I were a mechanic who worked in a single location auto body shop, the piece probably wouldn’t have had the same impact on me. Know your market and customize your campaign to target that market in a way that will speak to who they are and what they do.

4. Make Your Message Loud and Clear. The interoffice mailer that I received was addressed to the CEO, so it came directly to me. Make sure you include enough information in the address line that gets it to the right person. The message was also clear – this company uses graphic design and creative marketing communications to advertise their clients’ products and/or services. The creativity of the mailer didn’t hinder or hide what they were selling. When designing a creative newsletter, ezine, marketing mailer or brochure, be sure not to conceal the real message – make it loud and clear.

5. Make a Compelling Offer. When I opened the interoffice mailer, I found a rate sheet for various services and a web address and phone numbers for customized packages and other services. It also closed by making a compelling offer. At the bottom, it said call in the next 30 days and they’d print 5% more than you order at no extra cost. They told me what to do to act, and all of the appropriate contact information was right there. The piece made it easy to see their value and easy for me to move forward. There is nothing worse than being interested in a company’s products or services and not being able to determine the price of what you want or the next steps in how to acquire it.

With all the junk mail and spam that comes to both your email account and your mailbox, it’s important to find ways to get your marketing messages seen and acted upon. Whether you’re sending out print materials or an ezine, you too can increase the visibility of what you send. For more information on how you can revitalize your marketing campaign, visit www.flourishingbusiness.com.