Print Article for : Marketing Advertising Direct Mail

Your Online Guide » Ideas for Marketing » Marketing Campaign

[M258]Marketing Advertising Direct Mail

by Toni L. Grundstrom, Ton

Consistency is key to the positive results direct mail marketing provides. You know you need to stay in touch with your customers and prospects but may run out of ideas of content or theme. Generate a campaign that will create consistency, with flair, so your customers and prospects will pay attention month after month. There are four types of direct mail marketing campaigns discussed in this article.

1. Tip-of-the-Month Series

A monthly mailing is the easiest way to achieve consistency. The content for those mailings should be something that you know a lot about. Your tips need to be related to what your product/service is. Think about what your customer would use or need either right before or after they buy your product. What issues are your prospects facing and think of several solutions (not just buying your product/service). If you're a Real Estate Agent, for example, one issue your prospect may face is a growing family and the house is too small. Your solutions would be tips about how to put on an addition, remodel, or find a larger house.

Keep your tips relevant to what your product/service is and it will provide two benefits for you. First, you will be seen as an expert in your field. Secondly, you become a pre-qualified vendor in the prospects mind and they will be more inclined to work with you when they are ready to purchase what you're offering.

2. Recognition Campaign

This campaign identifies and rewards your existing customers by saying 'thank you'. It is suggested that you tone down the marketing when using this approach. When you're sending a 'thank you' leave the sales pitch off completely. This is very effective for your existing customers to keep you 'top of mind' and refer you to others.

Use this approach to single out your targeted prospects. Start by making them an exclusive offer your general mailings do not. Explain why they are receiving mailings from you and what to expect to receive each month. Keep the sales pitch in but the personality of your message should over shadow it.

3. Pre- / Post-Sale Campaign

Use this campaign to follow your prospect throughout the entire purchasing cycle resulting in customer follow-up. This will create consistency, repetition and follow-up.

Let's look at a window replacement example:

A company makes a sale to replace several windows and sends postcards to other homes in the area announcing that they will be in the neighborhood. Once the windows are in (make sure your yard sign is in the front yard), the company sends another card to reflect this, and then begins mailing to the area on a regular basis. The company is now developing recognition in the target area. All postcards need a strong call to action providing the recipient a reason to contact them, see the house with new windows, or visit the company's website.

With this campaign you show prospects what you can do and then ask if you can do it for them.

4. Drive To Your Website

Direct-mail postcards will drive prospects to your web page. The postcard informs your prospects about a free gift, great discount offer, or a Special Report on your website to get them there. Once they are on your website you want to keep them there. Ensure you have a content rich website with information that will be valuable to your prospect. With this campaign you draft a plan about when you will update your website and with what type of information. Use the postcards to announce your updates and the value to the prospect to visit again.

Postcards work well by themselves and with other marketing mediums like e-mails, telephone calls, or even sales calls. Establish a frequency and you will be top-of-mind in your prospects eyes for very little money.
Direct-mail campaigns put your message and name in front of prospects for several months, or even years. The productive result will be that you are the first person they think of when they are ready to purchase. A direct-mail campaign is a way of saying 'remember me'.

In today’s digital age, direct mail postcards combine innovation and old-world charm to win customers. As a marketing too, it offers a lot of potential. It brings advertising to a higher level by seeking prospective customers instead of waiting passively for customers to come to know of the business in due time.

Give your business a boost with direct mail postcards and your sales will surely take off by itself. Take a good look at today’s postcards. Not only are they more durable but they are better looking, too.

The quality with which postcards are made today is remarkable. The combined design and print industry innovations allowed postcards to become as refined as they as today. Thus, this opens postcards to a lot of possibilities, especially as a marketing tool.

Using the established postal service, postcards reach more homes far better than what it took in the past. This simple method of handing mail and other printed document still works perfectly, especially since postcards appeal to the tactile sense.

It is more appealing because it is something we can touch and hold with our own hands. This is something which e-commerce and web-based schemes still cannot accomplish.

Direct mail postcards are about that and more. They are not just mementos which hold short messages of hellos given to family and friends. Now, you can use postcards to win over clients too.

Postcards can be very convincing and motivating. Imagine how inviting a colorful postcard can be when it requests your attendance to an event, celebration and the like. It would certainly influence the way you look at the event and even attend.

Direct mail postcards are handy and well-designed prints designed to capture the attention of your target market.

So what makes postcards appealing for individuals and businesses? Let us find out.

•Postcards are well-crafted.
Printing postcards is not your average home-based print process. It is about finding the right materials and the appropriate coating to finish the job. Most printers prefer the high quality 14 pt gloss cover stock that is bright white in color and super smooth even without additional coating.

The thick card stock doubles in function as it makes your postcards more durable during handling and shipping. To this, your print designs are preserved better and in great condition when it arrives.

•Postcards are a combination of strength and beauty
Postcards are tough and durable, but at the same time, are pieces of art where great design emerges. Postcard print’s beauty are further enhanced with these three coatings.

Aqueous coating gives your postcards an added sheen. But for a glossier effect, UV coated is the choice to make. It is also weather resistant that makes it more effective at withstanding heat and moisture. Matte also seals your prints and it give a natural, subdued finish that makes it elegant looking.

•Postcards are multi-functional.
Anyone can use a postcard and it is not just for direct mail. You can transform them into becoming business reply cards, registration forms, order forms and the like, aside from just advertising.

•Postcards are easily distributed.
Postcards enjoy the advantage of being just the right size to fit into standard mailboxes and mail slots. It can also be inserted in other publications for easier distribution. It can be pretty small or big, but whichever way you prefer it, it works just as well.

As such, postcards can easily be given away during events or mailed to specified persons by the numbers, without it proving to be very costly.

•Postcards are inexpensive
Postcards cost less to print and design than the average brochures and catalogs. They can sell an idea, concept and of course, products and services as well as other print materials.

Direct mail postcards are definitely a lot of things. More importantly, they are as effective as they are versatile in bringing customers in. Given the many advantages of direct mail postcards, it certainly is your business’ new window to a lot of opportunities.

Article Source : Marketing Campaign

About Author

Both Toni L. Grundstrom & Joel Owens are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Toni L. Grundstrom has sinced written about articles on various topics from Marketing Campaign. . Toni L. Grundstrom's top article generates over 4400 views. to your Favourites.

Joel Owens has sinced written about articles on various topics from Finances, Business Cards and computers and the internet. Owen loves to read and talk anything under the sun. From current events, magazines, social life, metro lifestyles, traveling etc. Not a born writer but experience could make a difference. He also loves to eat especially travel in different places. Going t. Joel Owens's top article generates over 22200 views. to your Favourites.