Tips For A Newbie Direct Mail Marketer
Many online business owners think they don’t need to do any other marketing than writing on their blog, occasional article marketing and checking in at their social media sites. After all, this famous saying says it all, right?
“If you build it, they will come.”
That only works in the movies.
Online marketing is fabulous and relatively easy to do from the comfort of your own home, but there should also be a mix of offline marketing to help create brand awareness and to simply tell people that you have an online business.
Here are some simple, common sense tips for getting started with a direct mail campaign. As always, if you feel like this venture is over your head, please contact a professional who can guide you through the process.
1. Ask questions at the Post Office. The very last thing you need is to find that your mailing is too big and requires extra postage. This is a sure way to bust your budget and deflate your enthusiasm for direct mail.
Prior to starting the creative process, ask for the different package sizes and postal rates. The sizes probably won’t change in the future but the rates certainly can so pay attention to the news or simply ask what the current postage is as you draw closer to mailing your campaign.
2. Use proper grammar and punctuation. Sure, I probably sound like your 3rd grade teacher right now but unless your target is teens who text, everyone else will surely notice misspelled words or a lack of punctuation. The key is to be professional and to make a good impression with your audience.
Using spell check is certainly a good way to find spelling errors but always ask a friend or employee to double check the grammar. Do you use complete sentences? Is the message clear?
3. Include a strong call to action. You know how SEO experts tell you to avoid linking to phrases like “Click Here” because it’s boring and doesn’t give any SEO value to your link? The same is true for your direct mail calls to action.
Always include a call to action and TELL people what they should do next. Adding some flair and creativity to that copy will be sure to grab people’s attention. Never assume that someone will take action after reading your mailing. Compel them to take action by telling them exactly what to do next.
4. Create a follow up plan. Great – you sent out a direct mailing – now what? Instead of just sitting back and waiting for phone calls or orders to come in, be proactive and do some telemarketing with these same prospects a few days after the mailing is expected to arrive.
You can do this yourself, delegate to your sales people, or hire a telemarketing firm. The key is to remind people about your offer in the mailing and encourage them to take action.
Whether you spend $1,000 or $100,000 on a direct mail campaign, the end result is the same: you want to see a large return on your investment. Plan carefully and hire experts when needed to improve your chances of direct mail success.
