Direct Mail
Direct Mail allows you to get information
about your products or services into the hands of potential
customers via the postal service. This is often referred to
as ‘junk mail’ however it is still incredibly
effective and is the fourth largest form of advertising after
TV
advertising and Press.
Direct mail typically takes the form of posting a printed
letter, often including brochure
design or other for of product literature. This information
usually will have a ‘call to action’ message designed
to elicit a response from the customer to call regarding that
specific offer. Unlike a more general advertising
message, direct mail promotions usually offer trial periods
or discounts to push for an immediate response to that specific
offer. This has the advantage of then allowing replies to
be tracked.
The other key point for a successful direct mail campaign
is a high quality mailing list. The best ones come from a
company’s own database of existing customers. These
people know that company and therefore won’t see mail
from them as being ‘junk’. A business will also
know that by sending out mail to these people they are relevant
to their business and have purchased previously.
If you don’t have a database already, or are looking
for new customers or ‘conquest’ databases, then
there are many companies out there that can supply lists at
a price. The important thing to do here though is make sure
you select your audience carefully, we can help you determine
who would be most valuable as a lead and then source a database
that corresponds to this, helping you to reduce wastage.
Once a message and a mailing list have been decided on the
next step is designing the mailer itself. It may take the
form of a simple A5 card with a catchy message on the front
to draw people in with the details on the back. The main benefit
of something like this is that the reverse of the card can
also have the delivery name and address printed onto it. Making
the mailer like this means that the recipient will see your
message as soon as he or she picks up the mail and gives you
an opportunity to hit home with them. It also helps reduce
production costs, as you do not have to print complex mailing
pieces or use up letterheads and envelopes etc.
The final stage of a direct mail camping is fulfilment. This
is the process of getting the addresses onto each piece of
direct mail and then posting them out. There are significant
savings to be made on postage if the mailers can be sent out
pre-sorted.
In order to measure the effectiveness of a direct mail camping
it is advisable to agree a technique prior to sending the
direct mail out. This can take the form of dedicated phone
numbers, codes on the mailer, or simply counting the number
of applicants for the offer. Whichever way it is done, effective
long-term direct mail campaigns should be accountable for
their responses to ensure a good cost per lead performance. |
