Any mailings you consider will fall into two categories: The first is mailings to your existing customers. The second is mailings to potential new customers.
If you do not currently do much direct mail – and you have a list of past customers, you should start by mailing these existing customers. Think of something you can offer these customers, send them a letter and measure the response. If it works, mail them again next month and measure the results. If it keeps on working, keep on doing it!
Then there is using Direct Mail to attract new customers. This is an art and science in itself – and you may want to bring in outside help – but again there are some fundamentals which you will want to follow. Here are eight of them to keep you going:
1 Remember to Test any Direct Mail campaigns for new customers on a small scale before rolling them out.
2 Consider testing renting mailing lists relevant to your target group. There are thousands of highly accurate mailing lists which can be a great way of reaching new people.
3 Always include a letter with any brochure you send – it will increase the response rate.
4 Make sure that the contents of your mailing focus on the benefits of your product or service. You want it to be about your potential customer and what you can do for them rather than just being about you.
5 Don’t limit Direct Mail to pure selling. You can use it to say ‘thank you’ to customers. You can use it to ask for referrals or to introduce your customers to a company you’ve partnered with. It’s only limited by your imagination.
6 If you repeat a successful mailing three weeks later you can expect a response rate around 50% of the original
7 Test mailing postcards – they are cheaper than a normal mailing and in some cases will produce a higher response rate
8 If you follow up a mailing with a phone call you can increase the response rate by up to 1000%
