Direct Mail Marketing Tips

Recession proofing your business during this economy is tough. It's become ever more important to stay in front of your customers than to cut corners on all your marketing. An affordable way to keep customers engaged and your sales growing is direct mail.

Whether you communicate best online or face-to-face, direct mail marketing through traditional mail allows you to stay connected to your valued customers and reach out to new customers without spending a fortune.

Whats your Objective?
Develop your mailing objective. Outline a strategy, the direct mail call to action, to keep your design and your direct mail goals simple. Whether you are aiming for new customers or driving more traffic to your store, make your mailing target a measurable one.

Package your Message
Based on your campaign strategy, use only direct mail components critical to effectively communicate to your customers. If your goal is to drive customers to your website or to educate customers about a new service, a small black and white postcard may work. Just remember- less is more.

Keep it Simple
Put your customer needs on the table. With tight budgets, don’t try to sell the moon. A practical idea will be more compelling than everything under the sun at deep discount. If you are able to do more with less, direct mail can help you close the sale at a fraction of the cost of traditional sales methods. Use to-the-point copy and small, thoughtful graphics. Keep it simple - get in front, call to action, and get out with a user-friendly way to respond.

Push the Envelope
Once your mailing package is perfected, don't forget the envelope. The envelope plays a critical role in direct mail. Now, with IMB and NCOA upgrades helping to ensure the mailing reaches the intended recipient, the envelope can also help improve results. Here’s an idea based on research by the Direct Marketing Association, “if your direct mail looks like personal correspondence you can significantly increase the open rate.”

Choose an envelope that is different than a standard white business envelope. A card shaped envelope may look like a wedding invitation and thus be more likely to be opened. Personalized font or real postage stamps also give your mailing a more unusual appearance and reduce the number of unopened parcels that get tossed.

Direct mail offers you a cheaper way to keep your business in front of your customers. Improve your sales prospects even in a recession, with just a touch of simple creativity.