Deliver Your Business Message
with Targeted Direct Mail
"How do I send direct mail to tell people about my business?" That's a question a friend asked me recently. It's a question I hear on a regular basis, so I know it's a common one for small business owners. Here, I provide the answers.
When I started this web site, direct mail was a topic under the advertising section. While it is a form of advertising, I eventually moved it to its own section. There was just too much information -- planning, writing, designing, mailing -- to fit on one page.
Plus, when people ask how to send a mailing, they're usually thinking of postcards or self mailers. But direct mail can take many forms. Letters. Flyers. Print or electronic newsletters. Email. Anything sent to a specific audience. Read my pages on
sales letters,
print newsletters
and E-newsletters
too. They may have additional information to help you.
Five Quick Tips:
- Before anything else, determine your target audience. Are they within a certain age group or income level? Are they primarily families or singles? Your desired audience drives the design and content of your direct mail, as well as your mailing list. For the greatest impact, you must first know who you're trying to reach.
- Once you know your audience, it becomes much easier to plan and write your content. Write with the reader in mind. What is the benefit to him or her? That benefit must be related in the headline or opening text to draw the reader in. Remember, you aren't writing a book. Keep the copy short and snappy, while still giving enough information to influence the reader.
- The beauty of direct mail is that it lands in your prospect's hands or inbox. Unfortunately, it's there with lots of other marketing messages. Your design must jump out. Your headline must be prominent and should hint at a benefit to the reader. Take time to find just the right graphics. They should be attention-getting and clear. Opt for one, large outstanding graphic over several, small mediocre ones. Don't overdo the text. Leave enough white space for readability.
- If you aren't using an internal mailing list, you can buy a list. Look under "mailing services" in your phone directory. Such companies will typically either sell you a list or, for an additional cost, do the mailing for you.
- Always, always measure and record your responses. You should know your return on investment. I also like to keep a running report of what was sent, when and to whom. Over time, you can pick up on trends, such as a certain offer that worked well a certain time of year. As you determine what worked, it becomes easier to plan future campaigns.
Go Beyond the Basics
If used skillfully, direct mail is a strong marketing tool with many advantages. It enables you to target specific groups of people, those most likely to respond to your offer. You're able to customize your "sales" message to appeal to a particular audience. You can very accurately measure results, something difficult to do with many other advertising media. Plus, it's been proven to work, often pulling better results than other forms of marketing.
Direct mail is a vast topic that I really can't cover in five quick tips. When you're ready to go beyond the basics, follow the links below.
