For people entering the world of copywriting, there is no book more often recommended than The Boron Letters by Gary C. Halbert. It is a collection of letters written by a father in prison to his sixteen-year-old son that addresses direct mail solutions while simultaneously providing incredibly helpful life advice.
The strategies given in this book are so successful that it has developed a cult-like following. That is because if appropriately implemented, Halbert's tips have been used to sell hundreds of millions of dollars worth of product. They prove that direct mail marketing can be an incredibly efficient way to market a product.
Despite the fact that the internet has dramatically reduced the prevalence of direct mail marketing, these campaigns remain the most effective option in a variety of situations. Keep reading to find out if direct mail solutions may be helpful for your business.
Before considering a direct mail marketing campaign, you need to find your high-level objectives. Are you just trying to peak someone's interest in your product or are you trying to upsell an existing customer a new product?
This question will force you to define your strategy for a campaign specifically. You need to tailor your information in different ways to appeal to a new customer vs. a repeat customer.
If you are attempting to peak the interest of prospective customers using direct mail solutions, then you should minimize the amount of information that is given in your mailer.
Your only goal is to get that customer to go from their mailbox to your webpage. Put some enticing information on your mailer like a special offer to get them to log on. Once there you will be able to capture their email address, and then you will be able to market your products to them further.
Once you have your customer's email address, you will be able to inexpensively nurture this lead until they are ready to take action. The overall strategy can be summed up as targeting your direct mail campaign to potential new leads and then moving them online for nourishment.
For your returning customer's your approach will be a little different. Since they are already familiar with your product, you will want to show them what is new and different with this year's model.
You will need to communicate more information to let your customer know that they need to revisit their needs and purchase new products from you. Providing a friend and family discount coupon with these types of mailers can be a very successful way to improve your response rate.
Customers like to feel special and like they are in the know. Plus everyone loves receiving mail. If you can make your mailer feel like an invitation to an exclusive event, then you are more likely to reel in returning customers.
The most logical time to use direct mail solutions is when you have a specific geo-location in mind that you want to target. This may be the only way to reach the majority of that audience if they have little other demographics in common.
Businesses who might benefit from geo-location marketing are local companies like pizza places and nail salons. If you were to spend your money placing an ad on Google, it would be nearly impossible to target your audience locally which means you will waste a lot of money marketing to people who are extremely unlikely to buy your product.
Also, direct mail solutions are great for targeting audiences with specific demographics. There are specialized lists that can be acquired that allow you to mail your offers with laser-like precision. They can be used to your advantage to create new sales opportunities for your company.
If you want to get rolling right away on direct mail solutions, there are a few do's and don'ts that can be helpful to know as you are developing your strategy.
The first is that linking to educational offers like case studies and e-books can be a great way to catch a potential customer's attention. However, don't try to sell it to them on the first mailing you send out. You need your customers to feel like it is their idea to learn more so drop hints about how that might be possible over time.
Another time you should be using direct mailers is to target potential customers that would be difficult if not impossible to reach online. An example of this type of group is senior citizens who are not used to waking up and heading straight for the computer every morning.
In addition, you can use direct mail solutions to boost your online campaigns and send your existing customers to your website for an exclusive deal. When using direct mail for increasing online traffic, make sure to limit the information included in your mailer - insert just one call-to-action. Your piece should solely be a tangible piece of mail that will drive your prospect to their computer looking for more information.
Although direct mail campaigns may seem like an old-school solution to new age problems, it is a lot less outdated than you would think. Customers still like to receive tangible mailers that alert them to campaigns. When you use mailers for this kind of specific targeting, you will be very efficient with gathering new email leads once your customers visit your website.
Another good way to target potential customers by mail is with a geo-location distribution. There is no other method for effectively spreading information about your business within your local community since geography may be all your customer base has in common.
Whether you are looking to appeal to your existing customers or attract new clients to your business, we are a one-stop shop for all the direct marketing elements you could need.
Check out what we can do for your business today.
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