Company Blog and News

For the small to medium business, mining local prospects is key to sustaining growth, with direct mail continuing to be the primary method of keeping channels between businesses and local customers open.

Many of you might be thinking, 'But it's too expensive!' Think again. There are a number of cost effective solutions such as AMS's Direct Mail Services that are designed to lower postage and packaging costs; often saving businesses up to 47% on standard tariffs; thus allowing more time to be spent on ensuring higher response rates from their marketing campaigns.

The 40/40/20 Rule

Rules are fantastic because they dictate the way things actually are, thus removing a substantial amount of the guess work. This rule applies to direct marketing specifically, and states that 40% of a campaign's success depends on list selection; 40% on the offer; and 20% on creative execution.

Targeting your audience

Building and developing a mailing list is crucial to an effective campaign, but list buying can be fraught with pitfalls.

Don't be tempted into buying large amounts of untested data. Ask for a small sample to validate the list first, and do some research into the company selling it. Buying from Direct Marketing Association (DMA) members will guarantee that the list adheres to UK and EU marketing laws; and safeguards against the negative implications of using poor quality and illegal data.

The Call-to-Action

Developing your brand and increasing awareness is all well and good, but sending out a mailer without a call to action will be a waste of time. Tell your audience what you want them to do (come into the store with the mailer to receive a 15% discount; book a 30 minute free consultation); will compel them into action and increase the effectiveness of the campaign.

Use your content space – and a great copywriter - to tell your audience what they want to know: Where are the benefits? What are they key selling points that make your company stand out? Do you have any testimonials regarding what other businesses/customers have to say about your business?

Let your mailing house look after your print

By working with a mailing house that also offers print services, you'll be killing many birds with the same stone: Not only will they provide the design, management, and expert finishing to give your campaign the creative execution it needs, but they will also save time and money.

Follow-Up

Plan and implement a follow up message that ties in to your initial call-to-action. This will serve to build brand awareness, and ensure that your business is at the forefront of the target's mind when it's time for them to buy. Think about the menus you get from your local Chinese takeaway...it's usually the same one, but when you're in the mood for a takeaway, they'll immediately spring to mind!

Taking the time to effectively plan your strategy at the beginning of a campaign is well worth the money it saves in the long run. By working closely with industry professionals – from list brokers and copywriters; to designers, printers, and mailing houses – you will see a significant return on your investment.

What are your tips for direct marketing success? Share them by posting your comments below.

The use of direct mail campaigns dwindled substantially as people moved towards digital methods of contact and marketing. But times are changing and there is a renewed opportunity for organisations to take advantage of this marketing medium; many that have are reporting high levels of success.

6 reasons why direct mail is making a comeback:

1. There is less noise to compete with – As mentioned above, many organisations have made the mistake of jumping ship on the use of direct mail as a viable marketing tool. By running a direct mail campaign now you are doing something unusual.
   
   People are more desensitised to emails and online adverts than they are to direct mail. When a direct mail piece hits someone’s doormat or desk the recipient is much more likely to read it than they are a promotional email or online banner.
   
   
2. You can be more creative with direct mail campaign designs – A4, A5, full colour, smouldering black and white, glossy finish, matt finish, single sided, double sided, tri-fold... The choices are endless; you have the ultimate opportunity to be creative with your brand and how you represent your products and services.
   
   
3. Postal addresses are easier to find than email addresses – With data protection laws in place blocking marketers and business owners from using personal email addresses, it is now easier to reach the correct people by post. If you buy a mailing list you are much more likely to get the name and postal address of every single contact on the list. Likewise, if you contact a company to find out who the key point of contact is for your product or service, you are likely to get their name but not their email address. Many organisations don’t give them out.
   
   
4. Your first impression is much more than a subject line - If the outer packaging of your direct mail campaign is right, people have opened and read it before they know what they are doing. Promotional emails are often deleted before they are even opened.
   
   
5. The cost of digital marketing is increasing – Many people moved over to digital marketing methods such as email and social media because they were seen as more cost effective. This is now changing. Email platforms such as Constant Contact and Dotmailer and social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook have cottoned on that there is money to be made. They are making it increasingly difficult to market effectively for little or no cost.
   
   
6. The ‘noise’ online is unbearably loud – Flashing images, spam email, personal emails, pop up ads, these are all the things you are competing with when you take your marketing online. Physical post has diminished, people even get their bills by email now so you are competing with a lot less; plus everyone likes to have post to open.
   
   

There really is an argument for including direct mail in your business’ marketing plan. Get ahead of the curve and get your business in front of your customers today.