In Part 1 of this topic, we reviewed direct mail and how it can benefit your small business.
If you’ve decided that direct mail can help your business, it’s time to develop and execute a successful campaign.
Obtaining a Mailing List
One of the most important elements of any direct mail marketing campaign is the mailing list. After all, even the best written direct mail sales letter is absolutely worthless if the targeted recipients are the wrong demographic for your product or service. That is why it is critical that you choose the names on your mailing list with special care.
Define your target market
A direct mail campaign targeted to 3,000 ‘shot in the dark’ recipients is likely to yield little if no results. You must be able to define who should receive your mailing before you even begin designing it. Use demographics from the US Census and do your industry research. With a focused definition of your target customer, you’ll get more results in the end.
Build from your own customer base
If you are a savvy small business owner, you have probably already collect names and contact information from your customers. This allows you to build your own mailing list of interested potential customers with pin-point targeted accuracy.
Use a broker
You can purchase mailing lists. Find a reputable broker who can provide you with a list of contacts who meet your target market specifications. It may cost a bit, but the results will likely be higher.
What Your Direct Mail Message Should Contain
What should your direct mail message look like? Even if you are sending a catalog, you need to have these elements.
A Catchy Headline
Catch the reader’s attention at once with the headline. For instance, “Want to save $100 a month on your electric bill?” may be a good headline for your energy saving techniques or products. If you catch the reader’s attention right away, they’ll be more likely to read the full mailer.
What is the Benefit for the Reader?
The number one element that your direct mailer should emphasize is the benefit to the customer. They will ask, “what’s in it for me?” Use your first paragraph, even your first sentence, to paint a picture of how the reader’s life will be better, easier, happier, etc, with your product or service. You may be tempted to explain all the great features of your product or service, but the benefits are what will make a sale.
Keep it Concise
Your direct mail material can be persuasive and informative, but also keep it concise. You’ve probably received direct mailers that go on for pages and pages of how the writer’s life was dreary until he found this product. In some cases, those sales letters may work. However, the best sales letters are always concise and to the point.
Always Include a Call To Action
Direct mail is more effective when the reader knows what to do. Do they have to call you? Must they visit your retail store? Make it clear that the reader must “call today” or “return this postcard” to get your offer.
Make it Easy to Respond
Telling the reader how they can take advantage of your offer and make their life better is just the beginning. Make it easy. Include a postage-paid envelope. Boldly print your toll-free number, email address, or web page. Include a coupon the reader can use to get redeem your offer.
Measure Your Direct Mail Success
No direct mail campaign is worthwhile without knowing the results. Be sure to track your results by having the reader redeem a code, calling a specific number assigned to the campaign, or even creating a specific landing web page to track visitors.
If you can measure the results, you can determine if your direct mail campaign was profitable. You may not get more than 1% or 2% conversion, but a 1% conversion of a 5,000 mailer is 50 sales.
Try sending more than one version of your sales letter. Measure which one has better conversions, and then use that letter more frequently on other mailing lists. This is a great way to narrow which sales tactic works best.
Direct mail may seem like dinosaur advertising. However, the simple truth is that as long as the US Postal Service is in business, you have a way to get your message to potential customers – and that’s why even Google is direct mailing. Consider direct mail for your small business, but take these points to heart to create a successful campaign.
