Direct Mail Advertising – Highly Effective Marketing, But Is It Too Hard?
In order to run a successful marketing campaign, it is necessary that your message deliver as directly into customer hands as possible. It’s easy to turn off the TV, switch radio stations, ignore web ads, and delete texts. But when your ad arrives in a potential customer’s mailbox, you have a great chance to capture their attention. Direct mail marketing is one of the best delivery methods, and all but guarantees that your ads will be reviewed and read – fast.
Did you know?
- The USPS processes roughly 177 billion mail pieces each year
- Advertisers spend $17.4 billion with the USPS each year
- If the USPS were a private business, it would rank 28th in the Fortune 500 list
- The USPS delivers mail to the bottom of the Grand Canyon on mules
Hopefully, you don’t live at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, however, the rest of the numbers are highly-compelling and prove that direct mail works.
For starters, target your potential customers by surveying the prospects that reside within your service zone. You don’t want to waste money mailing to areas that you simply do not service. You also need to find out which houses have families and which houses hold individual students or self-accommodations, etc. Customer demographics such as marital status, median household income, median home value, and other can greatly help you boost response rates.
One of the hardest parts of direct mail is “putting it all together” while you maintain your daily operations. Design proofs, printing specifications, USPS requirements, mailing permits, ink jetting issues, tabbing, NCOA verifications …the list of “hassles” goes on and on. The smart move is to hire a turnkey direct mail and flyer printing company that also provides mailing services.
By doing so, you can place an order with one-stop-shopping and get everything you need taken care of – without the hassles or stresses of the process.
Remember, it’s better to mail 10,000 targeted ads than 50,000 non-targeted ads. When it comes to direct mail, it’s all about response rates, not just volume.