Direct Marketing News

How many junk emails do you receive each day? 50? 100? 200? More? While many of these communications are definitely unwanted and undesirable, some do provide valuable information about products and services you might actually want to buy. However, more often than not, these messages are deleted along with all of the other unwanted e-mails.

That’s why many organizations are going back to utilizing good old-fashioned postcards, letters and other correspondence via the Post Office. However, while thousands of e-mails can be sent for virtually pennies, there can be a substantial cost in developing a direct mail campaign. Therefore, it’s critical to strategically plan your campaign in order to ensure its success.

Think about the postcards you receive in the mail. Some are inexpensively produced, often by printing in black on a piece of 8 x 11 colored card stock, then cutting the paper into four individual cards. No matter what the product or service that is offered on these cards, do you even pay attention to them? To paraphrase Forrest Gump, “Cheap is as cheap does.”

If you’re asking a potential client to spend hundreds (thousands?) of dollars with your company, you must make a good first impression. Typically, that means having a graphic artist design your card and having well-written copy specifically for the postcard. Simply putting clip art on a card and using text pulled from your Web site isn’t sufficient. Give serious consideration to producing your postcard in color, at least on one side. Use high-quality paper, not card stock purchased at the local office supply store. This will mean using a professional printer, but that doesn’t mean that your cost will skyrocket. There are many ways to reduce costs, if you take the time to explore them. Professional printers also have the capability to produce your card in larger sizes, and even in special shapes. Remember that the goal is to capture the attention of your potential customer.

Regarding your text, you must always include a “call to action” and give the respondents a specific reason to contact you. “Call for a tour,” “Mention this card for a 10% discount,” “Free food!” - you get the idea.

It’s critical that your direct mail message matches the other messaging that your company has in place. If you’re referring people to your Web site, then what you say on your card must match what you say on your site. For example, if your card is referring to a specific product, then that product absolutely must be found on your Web site!

It also must match the “look and feel” of your other marketing collateral, including your Web site. Consistency = professional. If your collateral is inconsistent, the implied message is that your company - and its products and services - may be inconsistent, too. Using the same images, fonts, tag lines, and so forth can easily accomplish a consistent look.

Sending out just one card is a waste of time - and money. Most experts agree that in order to be effective, you should send out your direct mail at least six times. And, while sending the same card six times may be most cost effective for you, it’s annoying for the recipient. That means developing several different cards, letters or a combination. We also recommend sending these materials out every three to four weeks. That’s not a hard and fast rule, and is dependent on what you’re sending, but if you send items more frequently, you run the risk of appearing desperate.

Finally, the absolute most important part of your direct mail campaign is your distribution list. For some, an existing client database is a good target audience. For others, they will need to purchase the names to send to. Sending to “recipient” or “occupant” is cheap, cheap, cheap. Determine exactly who you want your card sent to, then work with a company that specializes in providing addresses. You’ll be amazed at how specific you can get - and it’s not all that expensive. Isn’t it more important to send to exactly who might purchase your product or service, rather than to waste your money sending to hundreds or thousands of people or businesses that aren’t your target market?

It’s a fairly simple process to determine how many contacts you should send your campaign out to. For example, if you want 300 new clients (or good prospects), you should send to 6,000 names (Five percent of 6,000 = 300). It’s important to note that your goal should be realistic. While it might be nice to get 500 new clients, rather than 300, are you capable of providing your product or service to 500? When determining your response rate, don’t forget to include the costs of the campaign that you need to recoup.

When done correctly and strategically, direct mail can be an extremely effective method of marketing your company’s products and services.

Deborah Krier, president and founder of Wise Women Communications, is a marketing and public relations professional with experience in media and public relations, internal and external communication, crisis management, integrated marketing campaigns, brand management, event coordination, Web site design and development, and community relations. She managed corporate communications programs for the Denver site of ING Group, served as a media and communications coordinator for the Rocky Mountain Region of the American Cancer Society, served as the director of public relations and account manager for Linnell & Soreide Marketing Partners, a full-service marketing and advertising firm. In addition, she provided lobbying support at a state and local level for Corporate Advocates, a Denver-based firm. Deborah holds an MBA degree with an emphasis in marketing from the University of Colorado and an MS degree in communications management from Colorado State University. She can be reached at 303-594-8930 or dkrier@wwc.com

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