| The number of businesses using direct mail marketing | | | | campaign secured the entire Mississippi for the |
| now compared to how many used this medium 10 to | | | | Union.2. An operation or series of operations |
| 15 years ago is staggeringly higher. More and more | | | | energetically pursued to accomplish a purpose: an |
| marketers understand its effectiveness and are on | | | | advertising campaign for a new product; a candidate's |
| the bandwagon - especially Mortgage Brokers.Years | | | | political campaign.intr.v. cam-paigned, cam-paign-ing, |
| back the novelty of receiving an advertisement in | | | | cam-paignsTo engage in an operation planned to |
| your mailbox was such that any direct mail pieces | | | | achieve a certain goal: campaigned through the |
| were not only looked at but mulled over. Not so | | | | jungles of Vietnam; campaigned for human |
| anymore. The term 'junk mail' was coined sometime | | | | rights.[French campagne, from Italian campagna, field, |
| since then and I'm sure you've thrown out your fair | | | | military operation, from Late Latin camp nia, open |
| share of unread pieces enough to understand why. | | | | country, battlefield, from Latin campus, field.]Definition |
| So, what can you do about it as a marketer? How | | | | number 2 above is the one we're using. But from |
| can you ensure you get the biggest bang for your | | | | studying the entire definition along with the derivation |
| direct mail dollar? Now more than ever, you have to | | | | (the word origin) you can see how all the definitions |
| understand how to put together a direct mail piece. | | | | tie together. Campaigns for marketing are, in a |
| More than ever you have to really target your mailing | | | | nutshell, a series of advertising steps including repeat |
| to go to a specific market. And more than ever you | | | | mailings that are strategically planned so that there is |
| need to be patient and learn how to campaign - | | | | maximum benefit (more new customers) for your |
| because that is the key to success. Don't get me | | | | business.Nota bene (that means "take note" in Latin - |
| wrong... direct mail is not dead - and I don't see it | | | | and I do mean take note): If you are not doing |
| dying any time soon. It is still the quintessential part | | | | repeat mailings then you are flushing money down |
| of the largest company's campaigns. Because it | | | | toilet. Sorry, I know. The truth sometimes hurts.Why |
| works.In this article I will teach you some of these | | | | is this true? One mailing of one postcard once is |
| three topics: | | | | barely going to get anyone's attention for more then |
| - Designing a direct mail piece | | | | the minute they see it. Think about it. How many |
| - Targeting your specific market | | | | times have you seen the same TV commercials over |
| - CampaigningA Great Design | | | | and over? A one shot in the dark postcard mailing is |
| Many people think that the quality of any graphic | | | | not going to change your business, your bottom line, |
| design is determined by how aesthetically pleasing it | | | | your life or your anything.So, if you are not up to |
| is: Although making the card look good is important, | | | | confronting that you need to do a campaign then |
| this couldn't be further from the truth. The only true | | | | maybe you shouldn't be in business. And that may |
| measure of any design, at least commercially, is "How | | | | sound harsh - it is harsh. It's a harsh world. And I |
| well does it pull?". By pull we mean what type of | | | | want you to succeed in it.There is another reason. |
| response does it elicit? Does it pull in calls, or pull | | | | Credibility. In some cases people will hold onto your |
| people into the store? In essence, does the design | | | | postcard for a while. They can hold onto your |
| accomplish what it set out to do?From this fact it is | | | | postcard for six months. They may even hold on to |
| not a reach to come to the conclusion that the merit | | | | your card for three years. But in most cases they'll |
| of a graphic designer is based on the performance of | | | | think "Oh, I may need that some day" and then while |
| his or her designs. You may be able to put together | | | | tidying up they'll throw it away. When you repeat |
| the most beautiful ad that the world has ever seen, | | | | your mailings to those same people and they see |
| but if it doesn't make the phone ring it isn't worth | | | | your image, logo, slogan, message over and over you |
| the paper that it is printed on.You need to make | | | | become credible to them. Your chances of them |
| designs that are not only attractive but, more | | | | responding just got greater. Repeat mailings cannot |
| importantly, that get the response needed to turn a | | | | be repeated enough.To give you an example, I call it |
| profit. You want to ensure people see your ad and | | | | the 'Trickle Down Effect':Say you send out 5000 |
| want your services. In short, if the ad doesn't make | | | | postcards.Out of that 5000, 150 hang onto your |
| you any money, it's not a good ad.To BE or Not To | | | | postcard.Out of that 5000, so many call the 1st |
| BE | | | | week.Out of that 5000, so many call the 2nd |
| Easy. Say there is a monkey loose in your office and | | | | week.Out of that 5000, so many call the next |
| you can't seem to get any work done. The only | | | | month.Out of that 5000, so many call in 6 |
| solution is to catch the little distraction and FedEx him | | | | months.Out of that 5000, so many never call...There |
| back to the jungle that he came from. Question: How | | | | is a dwindling inflow from that first mailing and |
| do you catch a monkey? You have to get into his | | | | therefore can give a false impression of what occurs |
| head, think like him. You have to "BE" the monkey to | | | | from one mailing. Someone sends out a postcard and |
| find out what is going to bring him close enough for | | | | says, "I only got four responses from my mailing!" |
| you to catch him.Every potential customer is like the | | | | But there is a whole dynamic that is going on that is |
| monkey. They are going to do whatever they want | | | | continuing from that one mailing way after the |
| unless you can persuade them to listen to you. You | | | | person who sent the mailing expects things to |
| have to get into their head, think like them, "BE" | | | | happen. Think about it. Do you jump at every single |
| them. A monkey is a simple animal so you can | | | | advertisement that you get bombarded with that |
| probably get his attention with the stereotypical | | | | you think is a good idea? If you do, you are either a |
| banana.Human beings on the other hand are | | | | millionaire or broke. But most likely, you see some |
| extremely complex. Then you add in the fact that | | | | advertisement that catches your interest and say to |
| the mailing list is targeted and it can get quite | | | | yourself that you'd like to check that out some day. |
| challenging. To help you answer the question of what | | | | Then, you see it again and remember that you |
| you should say in your ad, you should use three | | | | wanted to check that out one day. And then, you |
| things:- Reasoning | | | | see it again and this time you decide to check it |
| - Experience | | | | out.You want continuous and consistent growth. So |
| - ResearchTake an unrelated subject to your own | | | | what do you do? Look at this scenario:What if, |
| industry - sometimes it's better learn that way. Pick | | | | You send out 5000 postcards one week and you |
| something. Say you have an upscale Italian women's | | | | have all that going on that I mentioned above.You |
| shoe boutique. You want to appeal to women that | | | | send out 5000 the next week and you have all that |
| like that sort of thing. Get in her head. What would | | | | going on that I mentioned above.You send out 5000 |
| make her want to buy from you? Remember, she | | | | the next week and that dwindling flow chart is going |
| gets bombarded with advertisements every day. | | | | on, on each one of those outflows.What is going to |
| What can you say that really draws her in? How | | | | happen? Eventually it is going to snowball - it's coming |
| about "Tired of Wearing the Same Styles as | | | | in from all different places!You are really putting your |
| Everyone Else?" Have a graphic that supports the | | | | communication out there consistently in a big |
| message - show a fantastic pair of shoes or better | | | | way.And yes, it costs a lot of money to do it. (Once |
| yet a good looking woman with a great pair of shoes | | | | you have your list which you'll use over and over - |
| on.Now pretend you are a family man or woman with | | | | only paying for it once - postage is more then 55% |
| a household income of the $75k with revolving debt | | | | of your costs) So, FIND THE MONEY. If you are |
| of $15K and you've got two kids! Kids can be pretty | | | | going to borrow money to do a business, spend that |
| expensive. So, why would you like to refinance?Find | | | | borrowed money on marketing!Start with a list and |
| a Specialized Mailing List | | | | mail to one list one week, another list the next week |
| If there is one thing I can't say enough it is that the | | | | and another list the following week. Then you rotate |
| most important part of your mailing campaign is your | | | | those lists - again. And again. And again.Now you ask |
| mailing list. It is vital that you put the right amount of | | | | - what if you only have one list? You can still rotate |
| energy into learning about lists - who to mail to - so | | | | one list. And it is always good to put it on a |
| that your mailing efforts aren't wasted. There are a | | | | spreadsheet or a flow chart to track what you are |
| few different ways that you can get an adequately | | | | doing and what you have already done.For instance: |
| targeted list.As always the first step is to determine | | | | You get one list of 6000 identities. You can mail to |
| who your target market will be. Say you want to | | | | 2000 one week, 2000 the next week and 2000 the |
| market to homeowners. Good, now we have | | | | third week. Then you rotate. There are your three |
| narrowed it down to only 291,324 people in your | | | | different lists!A campaign is mailing to the same |
| area. As a minimum, your mailing campaign should | | | | people over and over and over again. The point is |
| send to the same names three times. So all you have | | | | you want to hit your prospects with different |
| to do is send out 873,972 postcards at $0.185 per | | | | communication about the same thing or hit them with |
| piece & you get the point. We need to narrow it | | | | different products with the same look and feel or |
| down some more.So how do you accomplish the | | | | both. The rest will come.Because what you are |
| narrowing of your list? Many factors can be | | | | building with a marketing campaign is credibility. You |
| considered, including age, gender, zip code, annual | | | | are building your business through communication. You |
| salary, profession and number of children are some | | | | are communicating consistently, so much that people |
| of the more common qualifiers. It may take a while | | | | will believe you (credibility) and they will respond; they |
| to figure out what combination works for your | | | | will come, they will spend.1744, Benjamin Franklin |
| specific product. Don't worry about political | | | | published and mailed the first direct marketing catalog |
| correctness when considering whom you should mail | | | | which sold scientific and academic books. Direct Mail |
| to. It is perfectly acceptable to test certain lists that | | | | has come a long way since then, so DON'T let your |
| may be considered "stereotypical". Many times these | | | | piece get lost in the mail, so to speak, make it stand |
| lists will work well. But you never know until you test | | | | out by applying these three basics of successful |
| them.No matter how great an idea you have about a | | | | marketing:- Being |
| certain market, ALWAYS DO A SMALLER TEST | | | | - Targeting and |
| MAILING FIRST! Average test mailings run around | | | | - RepeatingGood luck!Joy Gendusa founded |
| 1000-1500 names. Once you see acceptable returns | | | | PostcardMania in 1998, her only assets a computer |
| on the smaller mailing then you can jump in with the | | | | and a phone. By 2005 the company did over $12 |
| larger numbers. Test, test, test!The purpose of | | | | million in sales, employed over 100 people and made |
| special mailing lists is to target a specific type of | | | | Inc. Magazine's prestigious Inc 500 List as the one of |
| customer for your specific type of business. The | | | | the 500 fastest growing companies in the nation. She |
| eventual end result is more customers and a better | | | | attributes her explosive growth to her ability to |
| bottom line. And this is what we all want, | | | | choose incredible staff and her innate marketing |
| right?Repeating Your Messagecam-paign n.1. A series | | | | savvy. As an Expert Author, she is always willing to |
| of military operations undertaken to achieve a | | | | share her marketing advice through articles, |
| large-scale objective during a war: Grant's Vicksburg | | | | interviews and speaking engagements. |