Using Direct Mailing to Its Full Potential

The rise of the internet has not killed off direct mail. To the contrary, a well-thought-out direct mail campaign still provides great value to advertisers, and it has one great advantage over the internet: if a direct mail envelope shows up in someone's mail box, they can't ignore it. At the very least, it has to be glanced at before it is thrown away.

To the contrary, the typical internet user is exposed to so many offers on the dozen or scores of pages she looks at every day that most are ignored and very few get more than a glance. It's easy to ignore them, because they are not physical objects.

It is an unremarkable fact that many direct mailings do not get thrown away. Many make it to the next step, which is to be opened up and looked at. There are two major reasons for this:

1) Most direct advertisers target existing customers or those they know to have an interest in their product. As an example, a seller of high-quality aircraft models will target those who served in the Air Force or who work in the airline industry;

2) Smart direct mail advertisers will always give the recipient a reason to act now: a coupon, an invitation, a special discount. This usage of discounts is so commonplace as to be expected, in fact, and many people read their direct mail offers with the expectation of receiving an offer that will at least tempt them.

And so if most direct mailings go to people who have at least a passing interest in the product or service, and nearly all direct mailings make offers which are reasonably good, then it really shouldn't come as a surprise that direct mailings get results.

The question isn't 'Should I consider implementing a direct mail campaign?' Rather, this is the question to answer 'How do I turn a 2% response rate into a 4% response rate?' In other words, how do you squeeze more sales out of your advertising dollar?

One technique is timing. If you are targeting government workers or those who are in the lower income brackets, making sure that your mailing arrives on the first of the month may mean that you get an unexpected increase in responses. People spend money when they have money to spend.

Deals. People are more likely to act when they think they are getting a deal and they know that they have to act today. Every offer must include a strong call to action. Reinforce that call to action with extra incentives.

Topicality. Take advantage of changes in the season, or new trends. There are people who will act just because they want to be the first to have something that is new.

Unexpected incentives. If your customers are used to paying for shipping, offer them a ship-for-free deal in exchange for an early response. If you give your customers surprise deals, they will pay closer attention to every mailing.

Every aspect of your mailing must motivate someone to act; otherwise the mailing is a lost expenditure.

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Contact Conquest Graphics today to find out how to design a direct mailing campaign that will give you a high return on your investment. http://www.conquestgraphics.com/

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