If you are mailing something other than a post card, the first huge problem in direct mail is getting the envelope opened.

Many people (I'm one) do their mail over the wastebasket.

There are many proven techniques for increasing the likelihood. One of them is to do everything possible to make it look like some kind of official document - one you'd better open.

The problem with that of course is once it is opened and they see it is NOT a lawsuit or a threat from a government agency, where are you then?

The links in the marketing chain are fragile. They are steps building credibility and interest.

Don't blow it.

Posted by Richard R. Byrd at 11:18 AM | Permalink

Direct Mail isn't what it once was, mostly because it's gotten more expensive (thank you U.S. Postal Service) while at the same time response rates keep going down.

Nevertheless it works great for many people.

There are a few things you should know:

1. Sometimes people try and do small quantity mailings because of budgetary concerns, thinking if they send out half as many postcards, they'll get half the response. Not true. There's a volume below which you don't get LESS response. You get NO response. Unfortunately there's no certain way of predicting how much is enough. 5,000 is usually enough, less is a question mark.

2. Direct mail is mostly a TOMA tool. Top of Mind Awareness. Meaning you send out mailings again and again with the idea that WHEN they need what you are selling, yours is the first company they think of. Don't send out a mailing once and expect to get rich - or even necessarily to break even.

3. The single most important factor in direct mail is the list. It used to be said that the list is 40%. I've now seen it said the list is 65%.

The more specifically the list targets PRECISELY those most likely to buy what you are offering, the more likely your campaign will be successful.

This is one reason a business-to-business direct mail campaign is often very workable. It's often rather easy to target exactly the right prospects.

4. The first, biggest challenge in all direct mail is to get someone to read your piece. That includes getting them to open the envelope if you've mailed that way. This is one reason we love postcards. They are at least going to see your main image and probably your offer.

There's more, but you'd better wrap your wits around these issues if you want to run a successful direct mail campaign.

Posted by Richard R. Byrd at 11:15 AM | Permalink

Direct mail is a traditional form of marketing that has become much less effective over the years, to a point where many companies have abandoned it.

Once people spoke confidently about getting a 1% response rate or more. Now in a lot of cases 1/10% - 1 in a thousand - is considered acceptable.

That doesn't mean give up on direct mail. But it needs to be intelligently assessed. With increases in postage costs, 50 cents per piece (including all costs) is a realistic estimate for postcard mailings, and it goes up from there for brochures, sales letters, broadsheets and so on. That adds up quickly.

Absolutely if you are going to do direct mail you'd better have an excellent website as that can easily double or triple your response rate. Also you need to have in place a slick process for handling leads, so you don't waste the response you do generate.

Other key factors to consider:

1. The list. Who do you send your piece to? This is hugely important, if you are spending 50 cents per piece or more, you want to minimize the waste and maximize the return.

Anything you can do to narrow down or select out the likeliest prospects is going to pay off.

2. The offer. I wrote a post on this subject. Offers are important in most marketing but they are hugely important in direct mail. Select an offer that will appeal to your potential buyers, and make sure they see it right away when you look at your piece.

The design, type of piece, how delivered, etc. - everything else having to do with your direct mail marketing - is less important than these two factors. A great design, excellent copy writing and so on, help. But they are not the deal breaker or maker that the list and the offer are.

Posted by Richard R. Byrd at 12:32 PM | Permalink