The Magic of Direct Mail Marketing

You’ve been craving Chinese food for a week, but just can’t figure out where to go to satisfy your craving. Then it comes. The flyer for the new gourmet Chinese Food Restaurant that has opened up in you neighbourhood.  The delectable cuisine just commanding you to come and feast. Your plea to the Chinese Food Gods has been answered. Tonight we dine!!!

Direct-Mail-Advertising

This is precisely what your direct mail campaign can do for your business. Maybe not as exaggerated, but, you get the picture. There are a few tricks that you must discharge from your proverbial sleeve and apply them to gain the success you desire.

1) The most obvious, but sometimes overlooked by the novice business owner. Define and Locate Your Target Audience:  Sending out pamphlets for your new indoor rock climbing facility in an area that is predominantly populated with seniors may not be the best approach. Throughout your entire campaign, and perhaps throughout the entire life of your business, you will hear the question “Who is your target audience?” Your target audience is the cornerstone on which your campaign will be built. You have to factor in things like income, interests, and priorities.

2) One is the loneliest number.  Something that most businesses don’t understand is that you need to have a Follow-up Sequence: No one wants to be known as the “one hit wonder.”  In order to crush your competition, you need to have a sequential mailing.  Reference the second letter to the first to instill a sense of acknowledgement to your potentials.

3) Nail the  headline. What do I want my customers to know? A headline can serve as the gatekeeper that either invites your customers to come in and explore with wonder and awe, or vehemently request that they skedaddle and stop poking around.  Those few very cherished seconds are the most critical.  Make sure your message is worded attractively. A little humor goes a long way. Your hook line may not work as well to the general population as it does in your own head, so make sure your have thought, re-thought, and triple thought it out before you leap.

4) Choose your medium. Pamphlet? Post Card? Advertorial? The possibilities are various.  Try to keep your message as succinct and descriptive as possible. (I know those two words are not congruent in the same sentence, but I speak the truth.) You want your medium to be able to relay all the details that you need to share with your potentials in the most attractive way conceivable. If your customers have too many particulars to wade through, your precious brochure can become bird cage lining. Keep their attention and keep your business in the foreground of their minds.

5) The “Cha Ching” part of your campaign. Measure your Success. This is all in the perception of your business and what it is you’re offering. The general rule of thumb is a 2% response rate is the “going” rate. It’s not good practice to measure your success based on any other business. You are unique and your business will conduct itself as such.

The consensus is that people still enjoy getting something in the mail (other than bills, of course) addressed to them as opposed to junk or spam in their inbox.  The personal touch is always well regarded. We can help you with all of your printing desires. Come see us and find out what we can do for your next campaign!!