Tips to get the most bang for your buck.

Direct mail is a great way to create awareness for your business, generate leads and increase sales. These important but often overlooked steps can help you make the most of you direct marketing budget!

KISS. (Keep it Surprisingly Simple.)
With only a few seconds to get the desired response, keeping your message simple and focused is key. State your product or service and the key benefits so prospects can decide whether your mailpiece is worth reading. Avoid creating pieces that look cheap, sales-y or are insulting-ly simple. Today’s consumers are extremely savvy, so make sure your mailpiece reflects the intelligence of your target audience.

Establish your ideal customer.
Finding out which customers will buy your product or service repeatedly is a key factor in generating long-term revenue. If you already have a customer list, make sure it’s clean and up-to-date, since minimizing returned mail can save you a substantial amount of money.

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Utilize Pre and Post-Calling to verify list names.
This is an important step to make sure all of your hard work reaches your prospect. Use pre-calling to confirm your prospect’s name and demographics, and use post-calling to verify the receipt of your mailpiece and to set appointments.

Establish a control.
Test, test, test. It’s the only way to measure response. Fickle, savvy consumers, the time of year your mailpice hits, your list, the message, the offer….everything and anything can affect the response rate. Start out by mailing to smaller lists and test to see which messages and offers pull the best. Then use this piece as your “control” piece, noting the elements that vary per mailing and how they affect the response.

Design.
Keep the design of your mailpiece simple yet compelling. While FREE will certainly get a prospect’s attention, it can also turn them off if it is overused. Personalization is also a great way to increase response, so take advantage of the latest variable data software packages that are available. Mailing your piece in an envelope will also generate a higher open rate. Utilizing an offer in exchange for customer information is a great way to expand your customer list. Above all, make sure your mailpiece design complies with current postal regulations, otherwise you could be charged with extra handling fees, or worse, costly returns.

Tracking your responses.
Many people put so much effort into creating the mailpiece, but lack the effort to track the responses. It is imperative to analyze your data so you can tweak the design, message and/or offer the next time your mail.

Repetition is crucial.
Successful direct mail works best with repetition, usually on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. Chances are not every prospect will be ready to buy your product or service with just one mailing, so it’s important to keep your business name front and center, so when your prospect IS ready to buy, it’s YOUR business he remembers.