Direct mailing is an efficient, albeit somewhat cumbersome, method of advertising. However, it can be effective in increasing your presence in your neighborhood and it can give a more personal touch to your business than other kinds of advertising.
Here are some helpful tips to get the most out of your direct mailers:
- Giving freebies always works, so give out a free product to anyone who responds and brings one of your
flyers along. This method will also help you measure the effectiveness of your campaign. - Hire professional designers and copywriters to create your mailers. A professional touch increases response. In addition, professionally-designed materials are usually easier to understand and have a better track record of responses.
- Conduct market research on your target neighborhood and plan your mailer accordingly. Also, send out mailers with special offers and discounts ahead of holidays so more people will read them and respond.
- Cite regular and satisfied customers as references (with their permission, of course) along with their names and titles to improve response.
- Print more flyers and target a wider area. You should also conduct market research of areas where you are getting better response, as well as areas where you getting poorer response. You can then use that information to make the necessary changes to your approach.
- Test different themes, fonts, and styles. Get feedback from customers as to which mailer was the most eye-catching – and use that information in future direct mail planning.
- Make special offers and highlight any product or service guarantees in your mailer. You can also cluster products and make package offers to prospective customers.
- Last but not least, try sending mailers over the Internet. It's free, so any additional business generated is a bonus.
Don't be afraid to try different approaches to gain insight into what works for your small business. Maintain a regular schedule of mailers to sustain your results.
