Which pulls the best response, a postcard, a self-mailer or a
letter? The answer, you’ll be irritated to know, is clear. It
depends.

The success of your mailing depends on who you mail to (your
list), what you promise (your offer), when you mail (your
timing), and what you mail (your format and creative). Here are
a few questions to ask yourself to decide which format is likely
the best one to use for your next mailing.

Letter Does your sales message need to come from one person by
name? Does it need to be addressed to a person by name? Is
privacy or confidentiality a concern? Then a sales letter inside
an envelope is the way to go.

Postcard Is your sales message short and simple, and designed to
motivate your prospect to visit your website to hear your full
pitch (and place an order)? A postcard is a good option.

Self-mailer Do you need to illustrate your sales message while
keeping printing and mailing costs down? Then try a self-mailer
(a document that mails without an envelope, such as an 8 ½ x 11
sheet of card stock, folded once on itself and sealed with a
tab).

Classic direct mail package Do you have things to say that do
not really fit in a letter (technical specifications, for
example)? Is your sales message longer than 600 words? Does your
prospect need to mail back a check or order form? Then a classic
direct mail package is your best choice, consisting of a mailing
envelope, letter, brochure, business reply card or order form,
and business reply envelope.

Dimensional mailer Do you need to reach C-level executives in
Fortune 500 companies? Executives who have mailroom staff and
executive secretaries who screen their mail? Then a dimensional
mailer may be the most effective way to reach their desk with
your sales message. One firm recently mailed a portable DVD
player in a high-end box, and enclosed a sales letter explaining
that the executive could get the remote control unit (without
which the player did not work) by meeting with a sales rep from
the company who mailed the package. The response rate was high.

Catalog Do you have a lot to sell? Do you need to show the
color, shape or quality of your product? Mail a catalog.

Unaddressed flyer Do you have a message that needs to reach
everyone in a given geographic area, such as a business park,
for the least amount of money? Consider mailing a simple 8 ½ x
11 sheet with copy and design on one or both sides.

Email Do you have a short sales message for your existing
customers? Send them an email (with their permission, of course).

Buckslip Do you have a short announcement for your existing
customers? Do you need to remind them about something? Include a
buckslip in your next mailing. A buckslip is a slip of paper the
size of a dollar bill, with copy and graphics on one or both
sides, that is enclosed in a mailing envelope with other
materials)

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.