Direct mail can bring in additional customers to those you attract with digital, print, radio or local TV advertising. Here are five ways to include it in your marketing plan.
How can you bring in more customers for your business than you’re getting through your current digital marketing, print, radio or local TV advertising?
The answer for many businesses is direct mail. According to a 2018 ANA/DMA report, direct mail has a higher response rate than email, search advertising, and social media. Direct mail puts your message right in front of your prospect in their own home or business. When you send the right mailing to the right list at the right time, direct mail can be an efficient and easy way to get customer attention and sales.
Mail Reminders to Your Customers
In the fast-paced world that we live in it is hard enough to remember what we ate for dinner last night let alone when our last dentist appointment was. That is where your direct mail piece comes in. A reminder could be anything from an inexpensive postcard reminding the customer when they are due for an oil change or a suggestion to repeat the purchase of a birthday cake for their Aunt Tilley. As long as the service or product is something that needs to be repeated or gets used up, this method will work for your business. In addition to a response, the customer will be happy that they were provided with such individual attention.
Send Out Promotions
Everyone loves to save money. So what better way to grab attention than by offering an opportunity to spare a little green? Sending a postcard with a chance to win a new product or offering $15 off a purchase of $60 or more, will inform new and existing customers about what you have to offer. Be sure to set an expiration date and make it prominent on the mailing so customers will rush to save money now before the promotion is over.
RELATED: 14 Ways to Make Your Sales Brochures Effective
Start a Catalog
By sending out a listing of all the services or products you provide you are able to educate the consumer on what your business has to offer. This type of direct mail can also give an individual the opportunity to buy your product or service through mail order. Be sure to include your telephone number and your web address as an alternate way to order your products. By mailing out a catalog of services and/or products you are notifying the public of your business and giving them the opportunity to purchase your products if visiting your store is not an option. If creating and mailing a print catalog is out of your budget, put the catalog on a website, then send out an inexpensive postcard to customers and prospects pointing them to the catalog on the web.
Notify Customers of New Products or Services
When your business decides to offer a new service or handle a new product it is an exciting time. Why not share the excitement with your customers? Sending a postcard notification that you now lay retaining walls along with the usual landscaping or that a computer program you offer has just been updated allows the consumer to utilize the new service or product. Perhaps one of your customers is looking into retaining walls but doesn’t know you offer that service. Now that they see the company they trust offers the service they need the decision is easy. People like to be kept informed.
Related: Use Every Door Direct Mailing to Keep Costs Down
Invite Customers to Sign Up for Text Messaging
Everybody likes a bargain, and everyone gets frustrated when they remember they saw a coupon for a store they’re planning to shop in but left the coupon home. Make it easy for customers to keep those offers handy by sending them a postcard and inviting them to sign up for a text messaging service. Give them a reason to sign up (example: Signup to get coupons each week). Include simple signup instructions. Customers who sign up will not only appreciate the fact that they don’t have to remember to carry the coupons, getting those coupons every week may encourage them to buy more frequently than they do now.
