I LOVE direct mail. Do you?

13 years ago

direct mail is the shiznit for lead generation and positioning

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Top Dog Marketer 13 years ago

Originally Posted by Rocket Media

direct mail is the shiznit for lead generation and positioning

Hell yeah it is! Glad to meet another active mailer on the forum.

Several of my biggest successes in offline marketing and direct mail have been directly tied in with lead gen. It really is the best.

Oh and by the way,

I was just down in Venice beach last weekend. The rappers handing out their CD's and $1 pizza never get old!
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IMSince2003

13 years ago

I don't know a single thing about direct mail marketing. I considered it once, but I saw a $500-$1,000 price tag for each campaign and I decided against it.

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johnny125

13 years ago

I have never tried direct mail, but as people says, someday have to try everything

When I will learn something more about it I will definitely step in to it

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Voasi

13 years ago

We've currently started a direct mail campaign for my company. It would be great if you share what/how/stats you're getting along with the offering so we can make this a useful thread.

I'll go first

- List: Purchased list from InfoUSA of local businesses with at least 10-15 employees and doing min. $1mil in revenue. We only get records that have the business owners name attached
- Envelope: we hand write their addresses on 30 pieces
- Letter: one-page letter just saying what they can get, our "offer", a guarantee and a website to go to for more information (we're focusing on offline marketing clients)
- Inside Letter: we put $1 (show we're "vested" in their business) along with a pair of dice to make the letter look bulky

Results:
We're on week 2, so I'll have better results of the next 6 weeks, but we have had 2 appts. so far. I have 1 sales rep working on this method. He'll call, qualify them a little bit and then go in for a meeting to close a deal on SEO or an internet marketing package.

We're going to run this for 8 weeks and see how the results are - we're only focusing in our county, as I want to work on closing more deals in my local market. Most of our clients are nationwide.

Looking forward to hearing your successes.

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Top Dog Marketer

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Voasi

We've currently started a direct mail campaign for my company. It would be great if you share what/how/stats you're getting along with the offering so we can make this a useful thread.

I'll go first

- List: Purchased list from InfoUSA of local businesses with at least 10-15 employees and doing min. $1mil in revenue. We only get records that have the business owners name attached
- Envelope: we hand write their addresses on 30 pieces
- Letter: one-page letter just saying what they can get, our "offer", a guarantee and a website to go to for more information (we're focusing on offline marketing clients)
- Inside Letter: we put $1 (show we're "vested" in their business) along with a pair of dice to make the letter look bulky

Results:
We're on week 2, so I'll have better results of the next 6 weeks, but we have had 2 appts. so far. I have 1 sales rep working on this method. He'll call, qualify them a little bit and then go in for a meeting to close a deal on SEO or an internet marketing package.

We're going to run this for 8 weeks and see how the results are - we're only focusing in our county, as I want to work on closing more deals in my local market. Most of our clients are nationwide.

Looking forward to hearing your successes.

Right on brotha sounds like you're off to a good start. Just curious, how many of your prospects are actually reading the 1page letter and going to your website? In my opinion, you should ditch the website and just drive them straight to calling a 1-800 # and setting up an appointment, or you should combine the 2 and make them work together.

You'll pull more leads by combining a 1-800 # with the website right away, instead of just having someone call them later on.

BTW I like your dice and $1 bill approach. Typical Gary Halbert and yeah that stuff works well.

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Voasi

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Top Dog Marketer

Right on brotha sounds like you're off to a good start. Just curious, how many of your prospects are actually reading the 1page letter and going to your website? In my opinion, you should ditch the website and just drive them straight to calling a 1-800 # and setting up an appointment, or you should combine the 2 and make them work together.

You'll pull more leads by combining a 1-800 # with the website right away, instead of just having someone call them later on.

BTW I like your dice and $1 bill approach. Typical Gary Halbert and yeah that stuff works well.

The letter has a "PS" at the bottom, offering a $197 value to watch a 10-day free video workshop (on the websites) on how to increase their companies revenue. It's not the driving force of the letter, it's a way to add value right off the top.

I'm mostly tracking calls and follow-ups by my sales rep.

One appt we had on Friday says he'll wants to put something together in the beginning of January - he's leaving to Japan for 6 weeks to visit his son.

Another appt. said she's opening up a new restaurant and wants a new website, mobile site and marketing for the new restaurant, launching March - and so she also told me to call in January.

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Jgregory

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Voasi

We've currently started a direct mail campaign for my company...

least 10-15 employees and doing min. $1mil in revenue. We only get records that have the business owners name attached

- Envelope: we hand write their addresses on 30 pieces

- Inside Letter: a pair of dice to make the letter look bulky

Lumpy Mail... love it! the dice adds that extra sauce that gets your open rate way, way up there.

Handwritten addresses: also a great addition for increasing open rate.

And your segmenting and profiling a list based on your historical knowledge of your market's best profile. Excellent.

If this is your first direct mail campaign, you are off to a fantastic start, my friend.

As has been pointed out, this is all sound, sage advice from oldtimers like Gary, Bill and myself when we were rolling high back in the 80's. Long before the WWW and offline marketing were even a glimmer on the horizon.

I'm consulting with more and more "offline marketers" these days and when I get them into direct mail with Post Cards and lumpy mail they are always amazed as the ROI and the response. Snail mail works very well when you work it with proper strategies and techniques

I second the OP's suggestion to go straight to a phone call for response mechanism... and get a local tracking number so you build up performance metrics for each campaign.

As long as you are hand-writing addresses, then strongly suggest you brainstorm lots of ideas and do lots of testing... 50 pieces with its own tracking phone number will give you statistically relevant performance to make sound decisions on a local level.

And for those of you hearing that direct mail is expensive and difficult, think again... the ROI will knock your socks off when you get successful campaigns tested and working for you.

Telemarketing works great, but for those "offliners" on a small scale, then post cards is a lower entry point for $$ investment. Just be sure you do this right... not half-fast, if you know what I mean.

Brainstorm an offer that sings for your prospects... before you go to the Post Office. The marketing message is what does the work, not the delivery vehicle. Lame offers give lame response.

And if you continue with direct mail, PM me if you want some help with your specific Lists... and segmenting and profiling. Target marketing was our secret in the old days, and it's the secret now... you don't send your offer to just any business. The tighter you focus, the higher the response, the higher the closing ratio, and the lower the cost

And when you target correctly in verticals... then you can double your response rates easily by customising and personalising the offer

Send all painting contractors an offer built around getting new OC customers for painting contractors located in Orange County... not offering services like SEO.

The only bottom line they want to hear about is new customers.

Best of luck to you in your direct mail campaigns... its a sure winner for offline as you are doing it now... refine it and you can easily roll it out nationally to vertical markets

All the Best
Jan

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tnleverett

13 years ago

@Jgregory

Originally Posted by Jgregory

Snail mail works very well when you work it with proper strategies and techniques.

Will you explain this in a little further detail, please. I am thinking about doing lead generation for local business.

Originally Posted by Jgregory

Telemarketing works great, but for those "offliners" on a small scale, then post cards is a lower entry point for $$ investment. Just be sure you do this right... not half-fast, if you know what I mean.

And also this with regards to local lead generation.

Originally Posted by Jgregory

Lame offers give lame response.

In your opinion, what would be a good offer for local lead generation?

Originally Posted by Jgregory

And if you continue with direct mail, PM me if you want some help with your specific Lists... and segmenting and profiling. Target marketing was our secret in the old days, and it's the secret now... you don't send your offer to just any business. The tighter you focus, the higher the response, the higher the closing ratio, and the lower the cost

I may take you up on this!

Thanks in advance,

Tommy

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Jgregory 13 years ago
@tnleverett

with my replies following

Quote: Originally Posted by Jgregory
Snail mail works very well when you work it with proper strategies and techniques.

@tnleverett Will you explain this in a little further detail, please. I am thinking about doing lead generation for local business.

REPLY from JAN:

What I meant to bring home in that statement is

Strategy Drags the Wagon

The single biggest mistake by new direct marketers... is looking for a solution before you have a proper strategy, one that is based on your business model.

It's called Direct Marketing for that reason. Direct channel to the proper target. Not mass media advertising. Not search engine marketing. Not online lead generation.

The Marketing Message you send is everything to success... and you won't have a successful message without a strategy.

First step, would be reading all the posts in this thread carefully. We've already outlined several good lead generation strategies here using direct mail.

You have three basic choices for local direct lead-gen:

Direct Mail
Personal Phone calls
Driveby for a F2F

Which one works best? The answer is... How long is a piece of string...
it depends on your business model, your campaign budget, and your strategy and objectives.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jgregory
Telemarketing works great, but for those "offliners" on a small scale, then post cards is a lower entry point for $$ investment. Just be sure you do this right... not half-fast, if you know what I mean.

@tnleverett And also this with regards to local lead generation.

REPLY from JAN:

Lower costs - small time operators can trade their labor for $$$. Print post cards on your home printer. I call it the Daily Dozen approach. If you Firstly create a powerful offer, then send a dozen personalize Post Cards daily you can build a drip-feed lead machine

The results from posts cards vary depending on
* what you can Promise in the Offer.
* How well you can design your cards to stand out and get Noticed and Read

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jgregory
Lame offers give lame response.

@tnleverett In your opinion, what would be a good offer for local lead generation?

REPLY from JAN: in my opinion this would be a good offer that would bring back a high response rate

Dear Mr. Smith,

I can cut your monthly advertising costs for Smith's Fine Flowers by 75%.

That's a guarantee made in writing, and you don't pay if I don't deliver an 80% savings on your advertising costs.

When you can schedule 15 minutes of free time, where we will not be disturbed, you can see how this works in a one-on-one meeting with me over coffee.

And before you jump to say this is crazy, let me say that many successful campaigns use exactly this type of offer. Why? Because the Marketer making this Offer knows what he/she is doing. They really can deliver results. And if they don't make the 75% at the end of the first month, and they have only cut the owner's cost by 25%, and delivered 40 new customers...

What? you think that business owner is going to fire them because of that guarantee in the original offer?!

And if you cannot realistically make a compelling offer based on RESULTS, then go back to the drawing board until you have a sound strategy and a business model that actually delivers results. Business owners are only interested in results.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jgregory
And if you continue with direct mail, PM me if you want some help with your specific Lists... and segmenting and profiling. Target marketing was our secret in the old days, and it's the secret now... you don't send your offer to just any business. The tighter you focus, the higher the response, the higher the closing ratio, and the lower the cost

REPLY from JAN:

Sorry if it seems I am repeating myself, Tommy.... but the central reason you see people saying that "direct mail doesn't work" or "telemarketing for appointments is a waste of time and money" is because they pull the trigger aiming at the wrong damned target!

If you mail 1000 post cards to a list you found for free on the internet for businesses in HomeTown USA, you are surely wasting your money. Just because they are local businesses means nothing. And that free list is guaranteed to be at least 3 years out of date, so you might get 30% of those post cards returned as undeliverable.
- What kind of business?
- Does this business niche have a need for New Customers
- Does this business fit the Niche from my Strategy
- What's the owner's name?
- Do they have a website?
- What were the Annual Sales last year for this business?
- How many employees do they have?
Depending on your strategy and Your Service/Product/Offer you might, and I say might, want to target by these criteria:
- Are they advertising in Yellow Pages?
- Where do they rank in Google Places?
- Have they verified and optimized their GP Listing?
- Where do they rank organically for the main money keyword for this local niche?
- Do they use FaceBook?
Targeting Take-Away Lesson

If you carefully target a list from Fresh Accurate Data, that is based on proper segmenting and profiling to fit your target market, then you could be mailing to 200 targeted businesses instead... saving $400 to $600. With higher conversions and better metrics for testing and improving.

It's jut math, and it really is that simple.

Ready. Aim. Fire.

Best regards,
Jan Gregory
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- beverly21 13 years ago
  
  @ Jgregory
  Hi Jgregory , One more question,
  Is Fresh Accurate Data the name of a leads supply company or does it just mean fresh accurate data?
  
  Also when you said to cut out a pile of the ads and put them in the envelop, do you mean to do a pile by category and put all the cut-outs of each category in the envelop.Please clarify that for me,I did not quite understand.
  One last question, you said that there was an alternative to cutting out the ad in the newspaper (and you said we could find it on the link you provided) did you mean actually putting in the list of the other Chiropractors or restaurants ( or whatever business it is) in the envelops?
  Which of the two will you say works better?
  Gun to your head - postcards or direct mail ... which will you choose and why?
  Do we have to hand write the owners name on the sales letter too? I really don't see you how that will fit in.I can see a signature at the end , but how to incorporate the name at the beginning is the one that I have a hard time with.
  
  Thanks
  
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iamchrisgreen

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Voasi

We've currently started a direct mail campaign for my company. It would be great if you share what/how/stats you're getting along with the offering so we can make this a useful thread.

I'll go first

- List: Purchased list from InfoUSA of local businesses with at least 10-15 employees and doing min. $1mil in revenue. We only get records that have the business owners name attached
- Envelope: we hand write their addresses on 30 pieces
- Letter: one-page letter just saying what they can get, our "offer", a guarantee and a website to go to for more information (we're focusing on offline marketing clients)
- Inside Letter: we put $1 (show we're "vested" in their business) along with a pair of dice to make the letter look bulky

Results:
We're on week 2, so I'll have better results of the next 6 weeks, but we have had 2 appts. so far. I have 1 sales rep working on this method. He'll call, qualify them a little bit and then go in for a meeting to close a deal on SEO or an internet marketing package.

We're going to run this for 8 weeks and see how the results are - we're only focusing in our county, as I want to work on closing more deals in my local market. Most of our clients are nationwide.

Looking forward to hearing your successes.

Any chance you could share what's in the letter mate ??

Thanks
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Voasi 13 years ago

Originally Posted by iamchrisgreen

Any chance you could share what's in the letter mate ??

Hey Chris,

Once I do more testing, I'll post our sales letter. No point in putting up our letter that hasn't converted yet.

On a side note, I found Bruce's DM WSO and I've been thinking about buying it.

If anyone is interested in Bruce's WSO, here it is: http://www.warriorforum.com/warrior-...old-calls.html
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Tom Slipkus

13 years ago

Well, in my opinion, the conversion rate is pretty good if you prepare the campaign right, but the up-front cost probably scares away most marketers, esspecially the ones that are just starting off. I haven't tried it myself but heard only positive reviews, so will probably do it sooner or later. Although, there are cheaper ways to get leads.

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Top Dog Marketer

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Gediminas

Well, in my opinion, the conversion rate is pretty good if you prepare the campaign right, but the up-front cost probably scares away most marketers, esspecially the ones that are just starting off. I haven't tried it myself but heard only positive reviews, so will probably do it sooner or later. Although, there are cheaper ways to get leads.

The time to achieve offline domination with direct mail is now! It's wide open my friend and there is very little competition today in comparison to back in the 90's.

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manny2513

13 years ago

Well what scares me the most about Direct Mailing is that I sort my mail by the trash can and I am pretty sure most business owners do the same. Now I do like SMS Messaging to them as they might get rid of a mailed ad but I am sure they will read a text message so I think the ROI is way higher. I might be wrong as junk mail keeps coming to my mail so it means is converting otherwise they will not send it.

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chrisclements521

13 years ago

Originally Posted by manny2513

Well what scares me the most about Direct Mailing is that I sort my mail by the trash can and I am pretty sure most business owners do the same. Now I do like SMS Messaging to them as they might get rid of a mailed ad but I am sure they will read a text message so I think the ROI is way higher. I might be wrong as junk mail keeps coming to my mail so it means is converting otherwise they will not send it.

No Doubt that SMS Text Messaging rocks, but the thing is that you have to build an optin list in order to do it... I don't think its Direct Mail vs. SMS text Messages, but rather...

Direct Mail with a "SMS Call to Action"!

Here is a strategy that combines the power of BOTH SMS & Direct Mail!

Step 1: Design Mail Piece with a Very Strong "Call to Action" that requires your prospect to send a text message with a specific keyword in the message.

Example: Welcome to the Neighborhood! Since your new to the area, chances are that you have never tried our Pizza. So instead of cooking why don't you take the night off and pick up a 1 Topping Medium Pizza from us for only $2.49!

Text PIZZA to 412-943-7100

It's our way of saying, Welcome to the Neighborhood!

Step 2: Now that you have that person on your opt-in list, you can continue to market to them as long as don't opt out.

Step 3: Continue Direct mail campaign to NEW prospects and grow your lists.

This is just one example of how you can combine direct mail and SMS. There are many other strategies that can be used... Even if you are mailing B2B!

As you can see from above... You can use this strategy as part of what you sell to your clients.

You can even use this strategy for to market your Services to Local Businesses!

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DJVan

13 years ago

Originally Posted by manny2513

Well what scares me the most about Direct Mailing is that I sort my mail by the trash can and I am pretty sure most business owners do the same. Now I do like SMS Messaging to them as they might get rid of a mailed ad but I am sure they will read a text message so I think the ROI is way higher. I might be wrong as junk mail keeps coming to my mail so it means is converting otherwise they will not send it.

Of course you could also do the one two punch of direct mail and SMS.

I'm about to start a new direct mail combo for several clients. Plan to use direct mail, web site, build an email and sms list for special offers, etc.

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Jgregory

13 years ago

Originally Posted by manny2513

Well what scares me the most about Direct Mailing is that I sort my mail by the trash can and I am pretty sure most business owners do the same. Now I do like SMS Messaging to them as they might get rid of a mailed ad but I am sure they will read a text message so I think the ROI is way higher. I might be wrong as junk mail keeps coming to my mail so it means is converting otherwise they will not send it.

Most of this thread is about using direct mail strategies to get your mail piece into the A pile for your targets. You should not be sending anything that would be perceived by your target as junk mail. Waste of time and money.

These A pile strategies work, as witnessed by all those posting high ROI figures for small run mail campaigns.

+ Be careful assuming that what you do is what your target is doing.

+ Know your target audience well. This is what we mean by psychographic profiling and segmenting.

+ Craft a message that Resonates with the Pain your target is feeling and you will get their attention.

Everyone should think in terms a Campaigns not mailings. If you approach this as just sending some cards or letters, you are off the track. A marketing campaign means a strategy has been created. And you are testing and improving that strategy and all the delivery methods to maximize your ROI, whether it is postcards, sms text, phone calls, or email... you have a strategy built around a powerful message.

If you debate with yourself about which delivery vehicle works better, you must have a powerful message strategy already in place. If you don't have the right marketing message, the debate over delivery methods is pointless.

The message that resonates and brings about action is what drags the wagon. First things first... find that message for your business and your target audience that resonates and grabs attention. They have some pain and you have a solution... one they instantly perceive as credible and related to their circumstances.

Regards,
Jan

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Lee M

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Jgregory

Most of this thread is about using direct mail strategies to get your mail piece into the A pile for your targets. You should not be sending anything that would be perceived by your target as junk mail. Waste of time and money.

These A pile strategies work, as witnessed by all those posting high ROI figures for small run mail campaigns.

+ Be careful assuming that what you do is what your target is doing.

+ Know your target audience well. This is what we mean by psychographic profiling and segmenting.

+ Craft a message that Resonates with the Pain your target is feeling and you will get their attention.

The message that resonates and brings about action is what drags the wagon. First things first... find that message for your business and your target audience that resonates and grabs attention. They have some pain and you have a solution... one they instantly perceive as credible and related to their circumstances.

Regards,
Jan

Jan,

You have given a direct mail clinic in this thread! As someone who has used direct mail for 20+ years - and lived off one direct mail piece for a decade! - I can really appreciate all that you have contributed here!!

Way to go!

Lee

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Jgregory

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Lee M

Jan,

You have given a direct mail clinic in this thread! As someone who has used direct mail for 20+ years - and lived off one direct mail piece for a decade! - I can really appreciate all that you have contributed here!!

Way to go!

Lee

Hi Lee,

Thanks for your praise, means a lot coming from a professional.

I like to teach. Yet, the forum format is so dis-jointed that it is difficult for a newbie to keep the thread of a conversation here for learning the principles. An electronic forum works best as a conversation room for like-minded peers who stay on a single topic... like the Agora once did. That is really not the place for a new person to learn properly.

I'm looking for some ideas to get some material formatted properly all in one place, maybe a blog here on WF. And a real clinic would have its value. It's always nice to talk shop with a veteran marketer such as yourself, Lee.

Having said that... I'm now seeing a definite trend here on the forum to line up behind some specific method-technique-personality and expect riches to follow. Not happening in the real world, my friends. Even the rare one-trick ponies always fail to show up sooner or later. That's not the way to build a business. I am a businessman first, with marketing as a special expertise. I use all sorts of marketing methods, because I am a marketer first. Not just a direct mail guy. One should approach any marketing campaign with an open mind and choose the delivery method most suitable to the marketing message and the target market.

More importantly, my epiphany here of late... a large portion of the members here are chattering over direct mail vs cold calling vs email... and they don't even have a business in positive cashflow. In fact, some don't even have a business model, or a pricing model, nor do they appear to have any idea that target marketing involves steps beyond simple segmenting by a few simple criteria.

If that is the position one might find for themselves, after some reflection and self-analysis, listen to this message.... focusing your time on direct mail or any other delivery method is pointless.

They should get back to studying and learning entrepreneurship first and build a sound foundation for a real business built on principles. It doesn't take that long. You learn better by doing, but it's just plain dumb to pull the trigger on something when you are clueless about the strategy and the marketing message.

It's the classic mistake... Ready, Fire, Aim.

And some are not even ready, much less aiming at the target.

Best Regards,
Jan

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jirah

13 years ago

I have been hearing about direct mail but I have not tried. We only utilize the sms and networking sites for our local business and they are doing by far.

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Top Dog Marketer 13 years ago

Originally Posted by jirah

I have been hearing about direct mail but I have not tried.

Jirah,

You need to start using direct mail ASAP!

Trust me on this one. If offline methods are working for you or anyone you know already, then you can EXPLODE your business if you add in direct mail to your efforts.

If you or anyone else has any questions or ideas feel free to PM me whenever you want and I'll get back to you guys as soon as I can.
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wilder1047

13 years ago

Probably the only real successful method I've used to get clients on the phone.

There's a super effective method listed on offlinebiz.com that is so top secret I'd probably be lynched for divulging it, especially since Andrew Cavaghan is on these boards.

But, seriously worth checking out - I had 8 replies on 20 letters sent out!!

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beverly21 13 years ago

What thread was it in.
I went there but could not find it.
Do I need to a gold member.
Sorry , I am very new to the forum
Thanks for your help in advance.
- Thanks
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beverly21

13 years ago

Originally Posted by wilder1047

Probably the only real successful method I've used to get clients on the phone.

There's a super effective method listed on offlinebiz.com that is so top secret I'd probably be lynched for divulging it, especially since Andrew Cavaghan is on these boards.

But, seriously worth checking out - I had 8 replies on 20 letters sent out!!

What was the thread name?.
I went there but could not find it.
Do I need to be a gold member?
Sorry , I am very new to the forum
Thanks for your help in advance.

Thanks
2 replies

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nacke81

13 years ago

Originally Posted by beverly21

What was the thread name?.
I went there but could not find it.
Do I need to be a gold member?
Sorry , I am very new to the forum
Thanks for your help in advance.

I'm also curious about the thread that was mentioned above. Please share!

Thanks

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dtaylor

13 years ago

Originally Posted by beverly21

What was the thread name?.
I went there but could not find it.
Do I need to be a gold member?
Sorry , I am very new to the forum
Thanks for your help in advance.

Yes, you need to be a gold member. Very much worth the small investment, in my opinion.

DTaylor

Thanks

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BlogDiva

13 years ago

Originally Posted by wilder1047

Probably the only real successful method I've used to get clients on the phone.

There's a super effective method listed on offlinebiz.com that is so top secret I'd probably be lynched for divulging it, especially since Andrew Cavaghan is on these boards.

But, seriously worth checking out - I had 8 replies on 20 letters sent out!!

The method you are speaking of...is it in the paid member's area? If not, can you direct me to it?
Thanks

Thanks

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WSO Scholar

13 years ago

Right on the ball! I use it as well.

Thanks

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Carmen_Hudson

13 years ago

Voasi:

Thank you for that InfoUSA tip--that is solid gold. Those are exactly the sorts of businesses I'd want to contact. I'm booked solid right this second but I'm filing that tidbit away for after the New Year; I'd been wanting to try a more aggressive marketing method for my ghostwriting business and that looks like that's going to be the way to go.

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IMSince2003

13 years ago

Well, as to sorting things by the trash, I've always been able to get people to read my mail by using USPS flat rate envelopes. They look like FedEx and they look important so they get opened. The only problem is the $4.95 price tag.

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Jerryl

13 years ago

Too expensive for my taste. But like most advertising effective if done right.

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Amy5

13 years ago

I had (perhaps wrongly) assumed that direct mail would be too expensive. I'm just starting out and have a zero budget, so a large mailing wouldn't be a realistic option, but I like what Voasi said about mailing 30 at a time - that sounds both doable and affordable.
I wonder, would it be recommended to follow it up with a phone call to those who don't respond?

Thanks
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Love2KnowU

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Amy5

I had (perhaps wrongly) assumed that direct mail would be too expensive. I'm just starting out and have a zero budget, so a large mailing wouldn't be a realistic option, but I like what Voasi said about mailing 30 at a time - that sounds both doable and affordable.
I wonder, would it be recommended to follow it up with a phone call to those who don't respond?

Have you tried using personalized Send Out Cards? You create the campaign, input the mailing info...and they send out your post cards or handwritten cards for you!

I use them for personal mailings but they can be used for business campaigns as well! Such personalized mailings get opened much faster than some pre-sorted, 3rd rated mailings...and with much better results!

Thanks

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perfectlovehere

13 years ago

I'm honestly a bit scared to take the dive into direct mail. Seems very expensive. And with email marketing I don't see much of a reason at the moment to put money into it.

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Top Dog Marketer

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Amy5

I had (perhaps wrongly) assumed that direct mail would be too expensive. I'm just starting out and have a zero budget, so a large mailing wouldn't be a realistic option, but I like what Voasi said about mailing 30 at a time - that sounds both doable and affordable.
I wonder, would it be recommended to follow it up with a phone call to those who don't respond?

Originally Posted by perfectlovehere

I'm honestly a bit scared to take the dive into direct mail. Seems very expensive. And with email marketing I don't see much of a reason at the moment to put money into it.

One of the CHEAPEST and EASIEST forms of direct mail is targeting local businesses. Obviously you have to pay for some postage, and whatever type of special mail piece/package you are using, but when 1 client could easily mean $50k+ for you then that ROI is insane.

The BIGGEST mistake that beginner direct mailers make is assuming that direct mail has to be expensive and costly.

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Jgregory

13 years ago

@ sounds very expensive

@ too expensive for my tastes

Positive Points for Direct Mail

Offline Marketing is tailor-made for extreme direct mail targeting. You can easily reduce the number of pieces mailed with proper strategy. I have clients sending out 500 post cards and picking up 10 clients worth $1800 monthly, not counting setup costs.

The post cards cost $1.56 each to mail to selected targets. Gee, that's a lot for a single post card, isn't it? Full color, 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 with a shout-it-from-the-rooftops offer and a CTA(call to action)

"Would you like a piece of this, Mr. Contractor? Call me before 5PM today at (555) 555-5555"

No Lame Offers Please

The main thing feeding the expensive reputation of direct mail is when someone barges ahead sending a few thousand post cards to indiscriminate business addresses offering a "free website analysis".

Epic fail. and for that person from that point forward, their opinion is direct mail is expensive.

Other direct mail campaigns are wild successes because they are targeted messages that are noticed, read, and the recipients act on the offer.

There is no magic in any method and certainly not a magic post card. The magic is in sending the right OFFER to a hungry crowd.

EDIT
Someone pointed out that 10 new clients from 500 sent was not a very good return. Well, by the money math it certainly seems like a great ROI to me. $1800 x 12 = $21,600 annually for $780 investment.

Additionally, direct mail pieces such as large colorful post cards have a long shelf-life. This is hard copy sitting on a desk. Response rates for direct mail can continue over many weeks after the actual mailing.

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Jgregory

13 years ago

@Amy5 - "I wonder, would it be recommended to follow it up with a phone call to those who don't respond?"

Very good observation on your part. Followups should be a part of any strategy. The Majority of Qualified Prospects take 3 to 7 contacts before they buy. There is every reason to do followups, and the first call should be a qualifying call for strong interest/desire. As long as that exists, keep doing regular followups

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Jgregory 13 years ago

Originally Posted by IMSince2003

... using USPS flat rate envelopes. They look like FedEx and they look important so they get opened. The only problem is the $4.95 price tag.

Excellent.

Priority Mail is Not Expensive

These always gets opened 100% of the time. Do the math on a total mailing cost with 100% open rate. These are best used as followups, or with extreme targeting.

What's inside the Priority Mail? Try a DVD. Custom spiral bound reports. Just Match the priority delivery with a maximum High Voltage offer.

Make it special. Make it Personal. Stick with ONE Single Offer for highest response.

OR, if you are synched into specific target market with special knowledge, then use Priority Mail as a first mailing with extreme targeting techniques like this.

Chiropractor Alignment Point with 100% Priority Mail

One of my clients sent a bundle of photocopies by Priority Mail.... copies of all the Yellow Page chiropractor ads in a major city phonebook.

And a Post-It note.

"Dr. Richards, I can beat all these ads for 90% Less. Call Rob 555-555-55555"

Direct Mail with a 100% Open rate. 100% got read/studied.

Attention getting, right?. He drilled down to the core decision point for Chiropractors... competition is absolutely fierce in that profession.

And how did he target just the right chiropractors?

I supplied him with full contact info for all 732 chiropractors in that particular MSA. His admin assistant then tallied all the ads up and we Subtracted those Yellow Page chiros from the Mailing List. IOW, removing those advertisers and our mailing list was all chiropractors without a YP ad.

Then we drilled down to the smallest chiropractic offices and he mailed those first. Working his way up the ladder. Smaller/ Newer = Hungrier

Auto-Pilot Lead Generation

25 Priority Mail packets sent per week. That's $125. A steady supply of qualified prospects resulted. The qualified leads phoned him. The strategy we developed, was drip-feed lead generation... so he could handle the followups and setting up new clients without a huge workload.

Flip this around any marketing method you choose, and the direct mail ROI simply crushes any other method for results and lower costs per sale/profit.

Marketing ROI is just a mindset, a way of thinking. Cost per lead is the metric. Cost per sale.

Five bucks for postage can keep you out of the profitable direct mail arena, or you can apply proper strategy and have the most inexpensive lead generation possible for your offline business

Extra Strategy Notes

* NO return address

* These were hand-writing addressed to each Chiropractor by Name in a Priority Mail envelope rubber stamped Personal & Confidential. Gatekeepers will take this un-opened priority mail envelope and put in the center of the chiropractor's desk.

* As this developed, I suggested he add more photocopies. We printed out the entire list of all 732 Chiropractors with full contact info and then added those copies in middle of the YP photocopies. Subtle, yet highly effective reminder of the competitive marketplace.

* "Synched to a market... special knowledge" My client had a brother in another city who was a chiropractor. This gave him an insiders knowledge so targeting chiropractors made this best target and Priority Mail the best method for this client. He could also deliver the results... a constant stream of new patients.

There are no secret methods to success. No magic marketing potions to make you rich over some other offline marketer. Either you can deliver results or you can't. The bottom line is always the bottom line.
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donblack11

13 years ago

So if I wanted to send a direct mail campaign to promote sms marketing to companies, what is the best way to do it?

What type of call to action will I have after I manage to get them to open the mail? How do I get them to even care? This isn't the same as SEO where I can tell them I'll promote their competitors instead.

Also,
Can someone run this campaign and report results?

You put $100 bill in an envelope. "Want more? Call me."

Thanks

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ukcanadian

13 years ago

Really like Direct Mail, though all theory for me at the moment.

I am putting together a campaign using a Dan Kennedy style three letter sequence mailing. As such, I'll be sending sales letters instead of lead gen.

Here is what I've learned, and will implement

Your list is by far the most important factor. If you send a sales letter for dog grooming to a list of people with pet allergies, you likely aren't going to make any sales. However, if that same letter is sent to dog owners, you're more likely to convert.

Once you have a list, and mail to it, your obvious goal is to get your letter read. Therefore, your first step is to make sure your piece of mail is opened. If you're mailing a letter, put it in a regular envelope, hand write the address, and use a first class stamp. No slogans or logos. No teaser copy. You want the prospect to think they're getting a letter from someone they know (even better if they are through a referral).

After getting the letter opened, your next task is to get it read. Assuming you've done your homework, and sent your mail to a targeted list, you want to make sure that your headline is compelling enough to make the reader want to carry on reading the rest of the letter. John Carlton (epic copywriter) talks about the greased slide. You make the headline so compelling to the reader that he wants to read the first sentence. The first sentence needs to be so compelling that the reader wants to read the second, so on etc...

You need to convince your reader that what you have to offer is something they can't live without. List the benefits, address all objections, and hit them with a knock em dead offer they can't turn down. Take away as much risk as possible.

This is my strategy for my first mailing. I plan to test the headline, the price, and the offer. I think I'll take Jgregory's advice and test in lots of 50.

Any thoughts or comments are appreciated

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Jgregory

13 years ago

Originally Posted by ukcanadian

...though all theory for me at the moment.

Dan, John, Gary, Bill, myself, and many others have taken direct mail well beyond the theory stage. We are all following a scientific approach. the methods you are quoting here have all stood the test of time.

Originally Posted by ukcanadian

three letter sequence mailing. As such, I'll be sending sales letters instead of lead gen.

Excellent strategy if you have followups in mind

For my offline clients, I've suggested using Phone call for the first followup.
Easy on the gatekeepers. since you are calling about the letter you sent to Mr. Brown the manager, yesterday. Time your calls for next day or same day of delivery... see the post about Priority Mail

Phoning highly effective. The phone allows you to skip the other preliminaries and get down to business if the prospect qualifies

Originally Posted by ukcanadian

Your list is by far the most important factor.

Say that three times before every action you take about direct mail or telemarketing.

Targeted Lists - allows the personalizations that presents a Compelling Engaging message

I recommend smaller lists with custom merging

* Contacts Own Name
* Business Name
* Keywords for Business's Lingo. Restaurant owners talk about "covers" not customers

Saves you lots of money too... smaller lists mean less postage, higher customization, higher response rates.

Originally Posted by ukcanadian

put it in a regular envelope, hand write the address, and use a first class stamp.

Because it all works to get you into the A Pile

There is an A pile, a B pile and the S pile for all delivered mail before anything is opened

A= utility bills, checks, personal mail.
B = Maybe its interesting, will get to it later
S = ****Can

99% of all mail goes to S. The B pile averages 10% open rate over time, maybe.

You want to send 100 pieces and get 100 in the A pile. Customisation and the holy trinity of handwriting, real stamp, plain envelope will get you there or very close to 100%.

Question: How much money does one make sending 1000 postcards and having 950 land in the S pile? Well, it does cost about $500 to $750 for sending them. The math... 50 opened, about 5 replies... is $100 to $150 per lead. All this changes with 95% in the A Pile and opened. Details matter.

That is why direct mail gets a reputation for being expensive. Beginner mistakes are costly. You have to do this like major leaguer or don't get in the game.

Hand Writing Tip: make sure a female handwrites the addresses.
Narrow felt-tip, bright blue ink. Not red, nothing cute. No smiley faces.

Women recipients respond positively to feminine handwriting. Female gatekeepers who sort the mail, never toss out personal letters from women. They will get to the addressee's desk.

And men... well, you can figure that one out yourself.

Return Address: Don't use one at all. Curiosity is King.
Why? Your address is correct, the USPS gets it there. Why not?

Originally Posted by ukcanadian

...sent your mail to a targeted list, you want to make sure that your headline is compelling enough to make the reader want to carry on reading the rest of the letter.

Compelling can be had by adding a few words to a merged letter/card addressed to Bob Brown owner of XYZ Pizza in Barksdale

ABC Pizza in Century City doubles Thursday Night Sales in Sept 2011

We can do the same thing for XYZ Pizza in Barksdale since we have one slot left in your trading area for the most effective customer generator of the 21st Century.

And best of all Mr. Brown, you get to try it free for one full month. Call me right now for that last free slot, and see double or triple $$ in the cash till every Thursday in November

555-555-5555 Ask for Jan. Free Month Code is "PizzaQ"

Compelling enough?

Folks, there's no secret sauce to copywriting. Just use the competitors name, the owners name, with an offer Bob Brown at XYZ Pizza can't refuse.

And you can be this Compelling because you are sending smaller mailings to extremely targeted list by SIC classification, annual sales, and neighborhood geo-codes

Absolutely nothing is more important than a targeted list using Personalized mailings.

It is cheaper to send targeted lists, and they blow the socks off the other pieces in the stack

Originally Posted by ukcanadian

...take away as much risk as possible.

You are doing that already. Experts like Dan, John, Gary and Bill are experts... because they have done it all successfully.

Me? I take it to an extreme level for my clients... because the costs have never been higher and it just makes sense to work on the conversion ratios.

The money is in the list, but the big bank deposits come from the response rate and conversion ratio.

Regards,
Jan Gregory

P.S. I can help any offline marketer with a highly targeted B2B list that will work with your offline product or service. I have my own B2B database for everything in the USA.
.
.

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Jeremy James 13 years ago

Hey guys,

I started another thread for this, but, this one is "hopping," and I would love to hear some of your GURU opinions.

In my full time job, I sell a particular cellular service. In a recent contract negotiation with our main competitor, we have access, at no charge to the customer, every advantage that our competitor has. So, in other words, it's seamless. No difference to the customer at all.

That being said, the service which I sell, I believe, can beat our competitor on pricing, no matter what.

I recently became aware of a small number of local businesses which use our competitors services. Through some research, I have Company Name, Decision Maker's name, address, and phone number. I tried calling one yesterday, and it was a no-go.

I thought about sending a direct mail piece out to these few businesses. I really like the "2 dice" in there.

How would you go about doing this so I could at least get an appointment, or maybe even more interest?

Thanks.

Jeremy
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RobKonrad

13 years ago

I love direct mail... I've been involved with it for quite some time and it is a different kind of game than online marketing.

But at least where I live, the conversion rates have been falling and falling for the last years... people are sick of their mailboxes being full of advertisements.

"Mail personalisation" was something new and exciting 15 years ago, but as now everyone with a cheap office printer can send out personalised maillings, the "that's something special" effect is gone...

But let me tell you, standing before a room full of containers with letters for YOUR product is something you just cannot compare to sending out the same amount of emails... <sigh>

Cheers,
Rob

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write27

13 years ago

Originally Posted by RobKonrad

I love direct mail... I've been involved with it for quite some time and it is a different kind of game than online marketing.

But at least where I live, the conversion rates have been falling and falling for the last years... people are sick of their mailboxes being full of advertisements.

"Mail personalisation" was something new and exciting 15 years ago, but as now everyone with a cheap office printer can send out personalised maillings, the "that's something special" effect is gone...

But let me tell you, standing before a room full of containers with letters for YOUR product is something you just cannot compare to sending out the same amount of emails... <sigh>

Cheers,
Rob

I agree with the fact that people are tired of junk mail. But if the mailing is targeted toward people you know are likely to be interested in your product or service likely to cut down on the "junk mail" factor? For instance, I know that if I receive a mailing on how to earn money online from home, that mailing is going to get my attention. Much more so, than an email, which I will assume automatically is a scam.

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Jgregory

13 years ago

Originally Posted by write27

I agree with the fact that people are tired of junk mail. But if the mailing is targeted toward people you know are likely to be interested in your product or service likely to cut down on the "junk mail" factor? For instance, I know that if I receive a mailing on how to earn money online from home, that mailing is going to get my attention. Much more so, than an email, which I will assume automatically is a scam.

You are absolutely on target with the main message of this thread... it's all about targeting the audience for your message

One man's meat is another man's poison - old proverb.

Direct mail is a "delivery vehicle" with its own set of criteria and characteristics. Email is another, but the central strategy is targeting the list, and getting it opened. That's 90% of the hurdle to success

@personalisation
the sound of your name is familiar and we all like to hear it. Your name resonates. Always has. Always will.

Perception - With a cheap laser printed postcard it appears to be a cheap shot

Personalisation using a hand-written address, no return address, plain envelope is something entirely different for your target's perception, isn't it?

But, how can one afford to do all this work... but going full circle and doing the extreme targeting first... and sending your message to the receptive, and much smaller audience.

Targeting = Smaller list, lower costs, higher response, more profit, high ROI.

Email Blasting, even to a targeted list, is fast disappearing as a delivery method for direct marketing. Perception has changed. The response rates are so low, it's not been profitable for my clients. The risks of being labelled a spammer are high too.

Email is a great tool, as a communication tool for those in an established relationship. IOW, your own list that knows you.

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ukcanadian

13 years ago

Damn you marketing... awake at 4:30am thinking about strategy - finally got out of bed to make a cup of tea, and bust the kettle because I turned it on with no water in it. Good morning world!

jgregory - thanks for the reply! Good to hear from experienced players.

I'm working on B2C. Not sure whether that changes things. Woke up thinking about whether there would be any merit in trying to lead gen first before sending out a sequence. Since I'll be renting a list, my understanding is that I'd have to rent the name for each sequence, whereas if I lead gen, I would own the name on my own list.

Is that the way list rental works? or am I off base?

Rob - I agree that personalisation isn't nearly as impressive as it was in the 90's. With that said, I'm working under the assumption that people are sick of their email boxes being filled with ads, and emails from unrecognisable names. I assume (have yet tested) that if they receive a compelling sales letter, hand addressed in the post, about a product that they're interested in and will improve their quality of life, it might make them pay more attention. I manufacture premium motorcycle clothing, so my prospects are passionate about their hobby, and my industry. I can only imagine it would be very difficult to create interest in an industry that doesn't hold as much client interest, such as maybe carpet cleaning.

thoughts?

P.S - I'm aware assuming makes an "ass" out of "u" and "me"

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jewfasa

13 years ago

Too expensive but probably among the best marketing campaign.

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danielkanuck

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Top Dog Marketer

Hi,

My name's Mitchell and I'm new to this forum, but I'm not new to the marketing game at all. I've been successfully using direct mail for many years now, but I'm curious to see if anyone else on here uses direct mail as well?

It's cool that there's an offline section on this forum, and it seems like a lot of you are really interested in closing deals with local businesses and creating an SEO empire, but it also looks like many of you don't know how to get started as well.

I'd love to network with any direct mail junkies on here, and if anyone has questions or wants to just chat about marketing or direct mail, then add to the conversation and I'll be happy to help you.

Any tips for selecting a good mailing list?

Thanks

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bmsmarketing

13 years ago

I already have a 15 million database of businesses in thet US complete with phone, name, address, etc. Should i use that for mailing in my area? or mail out nationwide?

if anyone wants the list for mailing purposes, pm me for a cheap rate on this. its 2011 US business database.

Thanks

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bmsmarketing

13 years ago

is it better to use a service to mail it all off? or just print and package ourselves?

Thanks

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mrmatt

13 years ago

I love direct mail.

I have seen many people here complaining about the cost. But there are plenty of direct mail campaigns you can set up where you don't have to send out thousands of post cards or letters.

The last campaign I did I sent out 53 packages. 5 responses and one closed deal. Cost was a little over $80. What I got out of it.

$500 for website.
$200 monthly for SEO

Annualized income - $2,900
ROI - 3493%

This campaign was more labor intensive. About 10 minutes per direct mail piece. But it was very targeted.

Thanks
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SEO Jerry

13 years ago

Originally Posted by mrmatt

I love direct mail.

I have seen many people here complaining about the cost. But there are plenty of direct mail campaigns you can set up where you don't have to send out thousands of post cards or letters.

The last campaign I did I sent out 53 packages. 5 responses and one closed deal. Cost was a little over $80. What I got out of it.

$500 for website.
$200 monthly for SEO

Annualized income - $2,900
ROI - 3493%

This campaign was more labor intensive. About 10 minutes per direct mail piece. But it was very targeted.

Maybe direct mail is effective, but I just get on the phone and call business owners off Google and make my pitch. Out of maybe 40 calls last week, I closed one SEO deal and am close to closing another. It took about two days to make the calls (Thursday and Friday). $1,400 upfront for the SEO piece, and I will bill $2k for the web development and 90 days of marketing for the other deal if I close him.

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Jgregory

13 years ago

Originally Posted by SEO Jerry

Maybe direct mail is effective, but I just get on the phone and call business owners off Google and make my pitch. Out of maybe 40 calls last week, I closed one SEO deal and am close to closing another. It took about two days to make the calls (Thursday and Friday). $1,400 upfront for the SEO piece, and I will bill $2k for the web development and 90 days of marketing for the other deal if I close him.

Great points. You are targeting your phone call list by manually creating it from information gathered, which is 80% of the benefit in targeted direct marketing. The channel we use for sending the message, whether mail or phone, is not as important as the power in the message and getting it to the right targets... being those prospects who are pre-disposed to buy your solutions.

Mail, phone, emails, fax, or even couriers are all delivery vehicles. However, some of the characteristics of each method can make one a better fit over the others depending on the circumstances. Time after time, the real benefit from these extremely targeted, highly personalized direct mailings comes in over a long time. Typically there's a 3% to 10% direct reply rate within a few days. Often times much higher than that.

Letters and faxes are hard copy that tend to hang around a long time, so the response can keep arriving even weeks after the mailing. The targets might be indisposed at the delivery, such as being on vacation or the midst of an audit. The letters, packages and faxes can produce results later after the dust settles.

Direct Mail + Phone = Powerful Synergy

If you have targeted your list well, you can maximize your replies and ROI tremendously by doing simple followup phone calls inquiring about the delivery to Ms. Prospect. If you are positioning yourself as a high-ticket provider, it works well to have a VA do this call and do some qualifying for you. Your VA might set also the appointment for you, the VA might find the best times to callback. It's always better to be the pursued rather than the pursuer, hence the VA making this first call.

But, however you do it... keep following up if you started with a small high-value list. A series of mailings and a series of phone calls.

Regards,
Jan

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Michael Bucker

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Top Dog Marketer

My name's Mitchell and I'm new to this forum, but I'm not new to the marketing game at all. I've been successfully using direct mail for many years now,

Originally Posted by manny2513

Now I do like SMS Messaging to them as they might get rid of a mailed ad but I am sure they will read a text message so I think the ROI is way higher.

Originally Posted by wilder1047

Probably the only real successful method I've used to get clients on the phone.

Originally Posted by perfectlovehere

I'm honestly a bit scared to take the dive into direct mail.

Seems that everyone has their area of marketing they like and their area that they are afraid of. Offline marketing in my field is one of the areas I train salespeople in. If you are afraid of an area of marketing but you see others doing it, this tell me one fact, they understand something about that area of marketing that you don't.
It seems apparent to me that all forms of marketing work and reach a certain number of people. I suggest to all that you use as many forms of marketing as you can, only find someone like our friend here that understands their area of marketing well.
I train my people to use at least 3-4 different areas of marketing. There are truly so many ways to market. Using only one limits us.

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St Croix

13 years ago

I'm taking the dive this week!

Have just spent the last 2 weeks setting up a very elaborate direct marketing campaign here in australia. First mail out is 100 letters, highly targeted with a 50/50 copy split test. The next will be 200/200 with a goal of 1000 per month moving forward. I've cataloged the entire city and have a massive list built. The action component to the letter is a phone call and free report.

Will let you guys know how it goes!

Cheers

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vpunch

13 years ago

Direct mail is a great idea and has so much potential.

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KabirC

13 years ago

Where is the best place to hire someone to do mailings for me? I don't have time to do them by myself right now.

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kayetaylor

13 years ago

Same here... I love direct mail.

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Becker13

Banned 13 years ago

This sounds ironic to me but,

If someone could make a solid WSO on this I would be EAGER to pay for it

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Russel Mogul 13 years ago

Originally Posted by Becker13

This sounds ironic to me but,

If someone could make a solid WSO on this I would be EAGER to pay for it

thegaryhalbertLetter.com <---- a direct mail treasure trove

Ain't you Becker the linkback guy? I love your stuff btw, Alex too

Ok back to direct mail. In terms of list selection, I've used SRDs in the past with some good results never tried InfoUSA though. I'm looking for something similar for the U.K and Canada, any advice would be appreciated .
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Apollo-Articles

13 years ago

Sounds interesting, can you recommend any books on direct mail? Or templates even?

I'm looking to set a lead generation campaign up but feel I don't know enough to dive in yet.

Sam

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Jgregory

13 years ago

Originally Posted by mrmatt

I love direct mail.

I have seen many people here complaining about the cost. But there are plenty of direct mail campaigns you can set up where you don't have to send out thousands of post cards or letters.

The last campaign I did I sent out 53 packages. 5 responses and one closed deal. Cost was a little over $80. What I got out of it.

$500 for website.
$200 monthly for SEO

Annualized income - $2,900
ROI - 3493%

This campaign was more labor intensive. About 10 minutes per direct mail piece. But it was very targeted.

Excellent!
Dear Readers... if you are not pumping your fist in the air with a big "Yes!" then go back to the classroom. Direct mail is not expensive when it works

Mr Matt has the right idea. This is simple math. His costs are substantially reduced by extreme targeting to reduce the number of pieces mailed. This gives him a higher conversion ratio as well.

Originally Posted by Love2KnowU

Have you tried using personalized Send Out Cards? You create the campaign, input the mailing info...and they send out your post cards or handwritten cards for you!

Personalisation does work. And the custom handwriting fonts can add to the effect. SendOutCards is a bit pricey however. $1.91 for one post card sent and $99 to get your handwriting font created. Unless you go for the MLM aspect of it

Small Runs with Personalisation

Small runs can be done easily with simple office equipment. Open Office or Word mail merge to a good laser printer. I have some of my clients who use high end ink-jet printers to make full color cards with the Business Name on the front over an image overlay of a mobile website in an iPhone. Very effective.

Just pay to have someone handwriting the addresses.

If you use envelopes, a key success factor with handwritten addresses is in NOT using a return address on an odd sized plain envelope. Curiosity almost guarantees a 100% open rate.

I much prefer to see small time operators use the DIY approach. You can do this customized mailing much less cost than outsourcing it.

Testing Should be Mandatory

DIY allows you to do the needed testing with the small runs like Mr Matt has done. The headlines should be split tested first.

Offers are the Bottom Line for Marketing Success

There are a lot of new people here just getting started in offline marketing. Please be careful with your initial planning for success.

My entire life has been in direct marketing and if anything is sure after 3 decades in the game...

You can't make a Silk Purse out of a Sow's Ear

So, first you should focus on using a proven business model first, and craft an offer that resonates with the target market immediately.

Please include back-end profit generators in your revenue channel.

What is working today in this business climate is offering a simple, free service or information that...

* is immediately actionable and valuable.

* the target immediately grasps the need.

This approach establishes you as an expert with a solid personal relationship with the business owner.

That should be your only objective in your marketing plan and direct mail campaigns... establishing that type of relationship. We all know the problems are there for all these local businesses... but the direct sales approach is much less effective in this economic climate. I never use the direct sales method anyway personally... much prefer the relationships that feed my back-end profit funnel

Consider mobile websites and SMS text services... these are the two leading candidates for campaign leaders in offline marketing... and the easiest to do extreme targeting with your list. These two also offer performance and measurable results in short order which leads you on to more profitable services/products for the same business.

Regards,
Jan Gregory

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Jgregory

13 years ago

I would like to point out one more item about Mr Matt's success. He's willing to work. Do the math on his time

53 x 10 minutes = 530 / 60 = 8.8 hours

I'll wager this was a highly personalised piece using copies of the business owner's adverts or some other part of his local marketing/promotion.

Once you have a tested and proven campaign, these customised labor-intensive campaigns are easily outsourced with local labor.

See this post earlier in the thread using Priority Mail http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...ml#post5003919

And Congratulations to Mr Matt... great work. Without asking I know you put in study and planning time, invested in valuable advice/information, and had the courage to step up and take action only after getting a workable plan.

I would suggest that you do some phone call Followups on future mailing... within 48 hours of dropping them in the post office. You can triple your conversions this way and this is not "cold calling" done after a custom mailing like this.

Originally Posted by mrmatt

The last campaign I did I sent out 53 packages. 5 responses and one closed deal. Cost was a little over $80. What I got out of it.

$500 for website.
$200 monthly for SEO

Annualized income - $2,900
ROI - 3493%

This campaign was more labor intensive. About 10 minutes per direct mail piece. But it was very targeted.

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want2knowhow 13 years ago

$1.99 for a post card sent using SOC's? Where did you see that? As far as I know, post cards only cost .29¢ + .44¢ (1st class stamp) = 73¢

A regular sized (greeting) card costs 44¢ As does a 3 panel card. w/postage, the total cost to send is simply 88¢! They do have a really BIG card as well. costing just $1.28 plus 44¢ postage, making it a grand total of $1.72.
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- Jgregory 13 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by want2knowhow
  
  $1.99 for a post card sent using SOC's? Where did you see that? As far as I know, post cards only cost .29¢ + .44¢ (1st class stamp) = 73¢
  
  I'm seeing that in Pay as you Go options at the bottom of this page... for 2 panel cards not including postage
  
  https://www.sendoutcards.com/start/retail/
  
  Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
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  want2knowhow 13 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Jgregory
  
  I'm seeing that in Pay as you Go options at the bottom of this page... for 2 panel cards not including postage
  
  https://www.sendoutcards.com/start/retail/
  
  But see, I'm not a P.A.Y.G customer. I'm a retail customer 4 yrs running, now. Those prices are higher than even I pay because these (prices & options) were just instituted for the ((yay or nay)) fence sitters this year.
  
  I look at it from the standpoint of saving money flying 1st class or flying coach. Sure, you will all get their at the same time, but who'll get on first, have the better/more comfortable inflight experience and disembark quicker with less hassle..? Hint: It most certainly ain't the one's flying in....coach!
  
  So basically, what it all boils down to is, which one would you rather do for which amount of money. It's a personal choice as I'm sure not all businesses opt for the same mailing options anyway.
  
  Thanks
  
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  want2knowhow 13 years ago
  
  Matter of fact, there seems to be quite a few Send Out Card reps/users right here on the W.F! Here's a thread "How Effective Are Send Out Cards?"
  
  I don't sell the service. I just use them as a very happy customer.
  
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  raviv 13 years ago
  
  This has been a very informative thread on Direct Mail marketing. Thanks a lot to the OP and JGregory for some insightful posts on DM marketing.
  
  Thanks
  
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wordsofmagic

13 years ago

There's a book I read a year ago before starting a direct mail campaign which had a huge impact in terms of positive results, left my competition behind and received great feedback.

1)Outrageous advertising thats outrageous successful by Bill Glazer.

Hope this helps,

Originally Posted by Apollo-Articles

Sounds interesting, can you recommend any books on direct mail? Or templates even?

I'm looking to set a lead generation campaign up but feel I don't know enough to dive in yet.

Sam

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iskwarrior1 13 years ago

Direct mail can be effective, in my opinion, only if it's targeted. Take the time to focus on a small list. Keep things small at the outset. Like any other marketing tool, run the numbers before you commit to a more costly campaign.
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mariazz

13 years ago

No idea for direct mail at first, but this thread helps me. Quite expensive though it's helpful.

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Alipatinho

13 years ago

Direct Mail is awesome! i used postcards years ago when i was flipping REO's, a simple and plain yellow postcard that directed the prospect to a simple website i got free from yahoo lol

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GetKane

Banned 13 years ago

I own 50% of a printing shop and can beat any quotes just for my fellow Warriors

Direct mail is my second favorite marketing vehicle.

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Jeff Lenney

13 years ago

A-lot of OC guys in this one...word!

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Perseus Shearer

13 years ago

Direct mail is great, especially when you're marketing to previous customers and/or the customers you want to work for and with. Our company has had great success with mailers.

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webworm

13 years ago

Yeah! I like direct mail.They are providing the good services.

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rickhodge

13 years ago

I like what your talking about. It's true, there are many tools here that work but you still have to do the selling. I worked on creating ideas for that one area. Direct mail services are you using send out cards?

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FormerWageSlave

13 years ago

So, should one use Priority Mail envelopes or plain envelopes? I think I have seen both recommendations in this thread.

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grrr...

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Nbroquis

13 years ago

I really like direct mail marketing but its a bit hard only because its hard to track open rates. Since you can't track open rates ints hard to find out whats working and whats not. Im not saying you will never find out but the process is just a bit longer. Personally my favorite is email marketing, just make sure you have a good strategy and it can be tracked to see its effectiveness.

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Jgregory 13 years ago

@ Beverly21
@nacke81
@tnleverett

There is a simple strategy behind a lot of direct mail methods that work for "offline marketing" offers.

It's about targeting your list, which as you've read in my previous posts is the single most important thing you can do for effective direct mail campaigns that deliver a good ROI.

This is just one of many ways to do targeting with profiling and segmenting. This one is limited to your ability to do the manual steps, but it can be highly effective for small direct mail campaigns.

High Value Targeting - Creating the List

Step 1
Firstly, you start with the assumption that you should contact businesses that are already advertising or promoting.

IOW, you know these businesses have an advertising budget. You know that the businesses on your target list are spending money now. Your offer is intended to get the owner to spend that money with You!

Step 2
You look in newspapers, local magazines, free advertising magazines, the Yellow Pages, watch for businesses using local cable TV ads.

Step 3
You clip out all the print ads. I mean literally you scissor them out of the book or whatever.

You stack them in separate piles for each business. On top or each pile, you place your carefully crafted, well-written mail-merged personalised Offer Letter addressed directly to the the business owner by Name. You sign each letter personally in medium-blue felt tip pen.

Step 4
You insert each stack into a large envelope, so the first thing that is seen in the largest Print Ad, like the Yellow Pages ad where you have attached a Post-It Note with a strong statement.

Step 5
You attach proper postage using Real Stamps, not a postage meter or printer.

Step 6
You hand-address each envelope to the proper contact person's name and the business name. Use the same blue felt tip pen.

That's it.

The owner opens it up and see her/his own advertising with an AIDA device attached.
And it works like gangbusters, if you stay with the vital steps above.

And let me say... This is only one of many targeting strategies where you are "preaching only to the choir". You can also go the other way. The assumption made here in this strategy is that "The choir gets it".

They are already spending on advertising. They are ready to listen to a better way to spend that budget

What's Wrong with This Method

- it takes a lot of time and effort
- it means you actually have to think about your local marketplace
- it means you must have a Strong Promise in your Letter
- it means your Promise can actually delivers proven results to the business, i.e, more new customers.

What's Good with this Method

+ low $$ investment offset by the high labor component
+ very high open rate. Approaching 100% are opened.
+ Very high READ rate. They read it when they see their own Name and their own Business Name highlighted on the first page on top of the stack
+ the ROI is extremely high.

If it works so well, then why isn't everyone doing this?

* It is not a push-button solution.
* Difficult to ramp this up to larger scale, but it's great for small time operators.

Well, actually you can scale it up with more sophisticated techniques that don't need the scissoring and clipping step, and go bigger with the same type of strategy.

I regularly do campaigns for my clients with 1000's of pieces that approach the 100% open and read rate.

This thread has a post outlining this entire strategy in detail for one of my clients(a small time operator) targeting local Chiropractors

ChiroPractor Direct Mail campaign

https://www.warriorforum.com/showthread.php?p=5003919

Best Regards,
Jan Gregory
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- beverly21 13 years ago
  
  [quote5275035]@ Beverly21
  @nacke81
  
  There is a simple strategy behind a lot of direct mail methods that work for "offline marketing" offers.
  
  It's about targeting your list, which as you've read in my previous posts is the single most important thing you can do for effective direct mail campaigns that deliver a good ROI.
  
  This is just one of many ways to do targeting with profiling and segmenting. This one is limited to your ability to do the manual steps, but it can be highly effective for small direct mail campaigns.
  
  High Value Targeting - Creating the List
  
  Step 1
  Firstly, you start with the assumption that you should contact businesses that are already advertising or promoting.
  
  IOW, you know these businesses have an advertising budget. You know that the businesses on your target list
  
  Step 2
  You look in newspapers, local magazines, free advertising magazines, the Yellow Pages, watch for businesses using local cable TV ads.
  
  Step 3
  You clip out all the print ads. I mean literally you scissor them out of the book or whatever.
  
  You stack them in separate piles for each business. On top or each pile, you place your carefully crafted, well-written mail-merged personalised Offer Letter addressed directly to the the business owner by Name. You sign each letter personally in medium-blue felt tip pen.
  
  Step 4
  You insert each stack into a large envelope, so the first thing that is seen in the largest Print Ad, like the Yellow Pages ad where you have attached a Post-It Note with a strong statement.
  
  Step 5
  You attach proper postage using Real Stamps, not a postage meter or printer.
  
  Step 6
  You hand-address each envelope to the proper contact person's name and the business name. Use the same blue felt tip pen.
  
  That's it.
  
  The owner opens it up and see her/his own advertising with an AIDA device attached.
  And it works like gangbusters, if you stay with the vital steps above.
  
  And let me say... This is only one of many targeting strategies where you are "preaching only to the choir". You can also go the other way. The assumption made here in this strategy is that "The choir gets it".
  
  They are already spending on advertising. They are ready to listen to a better way to spend that budget
  
  What's Wrong with This Method
  
  - it takes a lot of time and effort
  - it means you actually have to think about your local marketplace
  - it means you must have a Strong Promise in your Letter
  - it means your Promise can actually delivers proven results to the business, i.e, more new customers.
  
  What's Good with this Method
  
  + low $$ investment offset by the high labor component
  + very high open rate. Approaching 100% are opened.
  + Very high READ rate. They read it when they see their own Name and their own Business Name highlighted on the first page on top of the stack
  + the ROI is extremely high.
  
  If it works so well, then why isn't everyone doing this?
  
  * It is not a push-button solution.
  * Difficult to ramp this up to larger scale, but it's great for small time operators.
  
  Well, actually you can scale it up with more sophisticated techniques that don't need the scissoring and clipping step, and go bigger with the same type of strategy.
  
  I regularly do campaigns for my clients with 1000's of pieces that get approach the 100% open and read rate.
  
  This thread has a post outlining this entire strategy in detail for one of my clients(a small time operator) targeting local Chiropractors
  
  Direct Mail campaign
  
  https://www.warriorforum.com/showthread.php?p=5003919
  
  Best Regards,
  Jan Gregory[/quote]
  
  @Jgregory (Jan,)
  I don't know how to say thank you.
  those two words now seems so week in comparison to the wealth of information you have just given to this whole community.
  Where do I post "thank you's" , sorry I am very new here.
  Thanks a lot for everything !!!
  May God bless You abundantly.
  
  PS : I just realized that i kept calling you Jan,
  sorry about that all the thanks to you Jgregory.
  
  Thanks
  
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PSinPS

13 years ago

I have found this thread to be one of the best I have read. There is so much truly useful information here - and more importantly - it comes from people who are actually doing it.

Thank all who have contributed.

@Jgregory, thank you in particularly. You have posted a lot of good information for those, like me, who are exploring for our options for lead generation.

I love the Daily Dozen approach an I shall put it into action. It is hard for me to resist sending out big pretty, colorful postcards... just because I happen to personally like the look and feel of a glossy colorful marketing piece. But it isn't about what I like to look at, it is about building a bottom line, right?

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Jgregory

13 years ago

Originally Posted by PSinPS

I have found this thread to be one of the best I have read. There is so much truly useful information here - and more importantly - it comes from people who are actually doing it.

Thank all who have contributed.

@Jgregory, thank you in particularly. You have posted a lot of good information for those, like me, who are exploring for our options for lead generation.

I love the Daily Dozen approach an I shall put it into action. It is hard for me to resist sending out big pretty, colorful postcards... just because I happen to personally like the look and feel of a glossy colorful marketing piece. But it isn't about what I like to look at, it is about building a bottom line, right?

There is never a single design-look-method that works best for Post Cards. Everything depends on the target market and their expectations

Here's what I mean by that:

Post Card Scenario #1

Go to Staples and by micro-perf post card stock(Avery usually) in bright Canary Yellow color

But a single bold Headline on one side with your Phone #. You use Mail Merge so the Headline includes the [[Business Name]] or [[Contact Name]]

On the other side, use that felt tip pen to hand-address to your Daily Dozen prospects.

What's missing in this scenario description? A strategy. A target market. Accurate addresses and business info. And a tested and proven Headling that gets them to call your Phone #

If you follow the above scenario as I described, which is what 98% do with DIY marketing, you will most likely Fail. Go to do your homework before you head to Staples or the Post Office. Take this to heart and start on your homework for market research, planning your business model so you can really deliver results

The Rest or Scenario #1

Target Market: Chiropractors
Headline Message: Dr. Ben Bronson gets 1800 New Clients from Google every month. Call Jane @ 555-454-7777

You get the idea. Please understand. It is the Message. It's the Promise you make and can deliver that gets new clients

But, that bright yellow post card stands out in the daily mail pile and its inexpensive. And another scenario to another target market, the yellow cards might be completely wrong and you would use fancy full color. Use the took that works for the application.

Your Take-Away

Do your Homework. Brainstorm a proper marketing strategy that works for you and your business model
Make sure you really have a product or service to offer that Delivers Results.
There are boolk galore on direct marketing and some of the best are the older "how-to mail order" variety. Go to Amazon. Then start studying

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Jgregory

13 years ago

Deleted a Double Post

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Jgregory

13 years ago

Originally Posted by PSinPS

Oops, forgot to ask, where can I go to learn more?

I would like to learn about compelling messages that get a response as well as various techniques and outsourcing practices. The Daily Dozen is a good start, and the other suggestions on this thread were great, but I imagine there is a wealth of info somewhere that I can learn from.

Compelling Messages for High Response Rates

There's really not magic hat method for compelling, egaging words. seems like after 30 years in the game, its a creative process... when its time for the great headling to surface it just bubbles up to the surface of my consciousness

I'd tell you to start by knowing your target market thoroughly. Front-ways, side-ways, and every which way.
What type of customer does this business want?
How many new customers do they need in a month to break-even?
Does this business have recurring revenue customers?
How large is the investment for this type of business?
How to they promote and advertise now?
What are the alternatives for promotion?
Who is trying to sell advertising to them?

Finally, the best headline zeroes in on this... The Single Burning Question that Keeps the Business Owner Awake at Night? Find a man's greatest fear and worry, and you find the greatest need.

A Wealth of Info for Leaning

Again, there are a gazillion books on marketing. Look for "direct marketing" when you search. There are some Goo-Roos teaching one method or another as well. Can't really recommend any at this time.

I will attempt to put together some resources and URLs for doing Post Card marketing over the holidays.

Where to get good deals on post card design, printing, and mailing. Just look back here in this thread. And don't ignore other direct marketing methods that might work for you.

In the meantime, get busy on your homework... think through your own business model, can you really deliver results with your product/service. What is your well-crafted marketing strategy going to look like?

Best Regards,
Jan

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Jgregory 13 years ago

Deleted aDouble Post

having some trouble with the WYSWIG editor here today
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tuscan

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Jgregory

Compelling Messages for High Response Rates

There's really not magic hat method for compelling, egaging words. seems like after 30 years in the game, its a creative process... when its time for the great headling to surface it just bubbles up to the surface of my consciousness

I'd tell you to start by knowing your target market thoroughly. Front-ways, side-ways, and every which way.
What type of customer does this business want?
How many new customers do they need in a month to break-even?
Does this business have recurring revenue customers?
How large is the investment for this type of business?
How to they promote and advertise now?
What are the alternatives for promotion?
Who is trying to sell advertising to them?

Finally, the best headline zeroes in on this... The Single Burning Question that Keeps the Business Owner Awake at Night? Find a man's greatest fear and worry, and you find the greatest need.

A Wealth of Info for Leaning

Again, there are a gazillion books on marketing. Look for "direct marketing" when you search. There are some Goo-Roos teaching one method or another as well. Can't really recommend any at this time.

I will attempt to put together some resources and URLs for doing Post Card marketing over the holidays.

Where to get good deals on post card design, printing, and mailing. Just look back here in this thread. And don't ignore other direct marketing methods that might work for you.

In the meantime, get busy on your homework... think through your own business model, can you really deliver results with your product/service. What is your well-crafted marketing strategy going to look like?

Best Regards,
Jan

Jan, you get 5 stars for your amazing contribution to this thread. Best I've read on the WF...ever!

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PSinPS

13 years ago

Oops, forgot to ask, where can I go to learn more?

I would like to learn about compelling messages that get a response as well as various techniques and outsourcing practices. The Daily Dozen is a good start, and the other suggestions on this thread were great, but I imagine there is a wealth of info somewhere that I can learn from.

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PSinPS

13 years ago

@Jgregory, I know there is not a single design-look-method that works best and I know there is no magic hat method for compelling, engaging words. I get that. I was not looking for that.

But as you said, you have 30 years in the business, 30 years! I was one of those that thought direct mail was too expensive. So obviously this is new to me. Of course I am going to ask questions and wonder about how to put together a compelling message.

Sure there has been a lot of good info here. However trying to learn from a forum thread is like working a jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces. The information is rarely complete.

Your suggestion is to study my target market. That's fine. But then there is the delivery system and the message (yes, I know there is not one best option of either) and that is where experience counts - and would help someone new.

It is great to have people on the forum offering their experience. I appreciate it. Just want to find out more somehow.

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DNChamp

13 years ago

Im going to have to read this when I have time but looks like something to try for 2012

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AppsFromHome

13 years ago

Direct mail is not dead!

In fact, I just did a campaign for my company and here are the details.

I get e-mails from Vistaprint all the time with DIRT cheap offers for promo materials so I created a custom direct mail piece and just paid for the shipping for 100 postcards about mobile websites. There were options to call, e-mail, or text to get more information.

Out of those 100 postcards sent I had 9 appointments and closed 4.

Total cost: $5 for shipping + $29 for 100 postcard stamps = $34

Total Revenue: $1882

4 New Customers: Priceless!

Oh, and this entire campaign took less than an hour of my time to set up and implement.

Take action!

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Jgregory

13 years ago

Excellent. Thank you sharing your story and making the big point again.

It's about ROI, not expense. The bottom line rules.

Regards,
Jan Gregory

Originally Posted by SDotSpells

Direct mail is not dead!

In fact, I just did a campaign for my company and here are the details.

I get e-mails from Vistaprint all the time with DIRT cheap offers for promo materials so I created a custom direct mail piece and just paid for the shipping for 100 postcards about mobile websites. There were options to call, e-mail, or text to get more information.

Out of those 100 postcards sent I had 9 appointments and closed 4.

Total cost: $5 for shipping + $29 for 100 postcard stamps = $34

Total Revenue: $1882

4 New Customers: Priceless!

Oh, and this entire campaign took less than an hour of my time to set up and implement.

Take action!

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PSinPS

13 years ago

@SDotSpells, Nice! How tempted I am to ask for details. But I will not. If I we you though, I'd be online with VistaPrint ordring more postcards!

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AppsFromHome

13 years ago

I think it's all about the offer....mobile sites are huge right now...and the postcards sent use a "pull" rather than "push" technique that business owners almost can't resist. =)

Of course, I've done my testing and had many unsuccessful direct mail, FB ads, PPC, and other campaigns...it's all about testing IMO.

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Jgregory

13 years ago

Originally Posted by SDotSpells

I think it's all about the offer....mobile sites are huge right now...and the postcards sent use a "pull" rather than "push" technique that business owners almost can't resist. =)

Of course, I've done my testing and had many unsuccessful direct mail, FB ads, PPC, and other campaigns...it's all about testing IMO.

Excellent! It is indeed about the offer, which is contained in the compelling engaging message.

Testing. Oh,yes! Again, spot on advice I hope sinks in there for new marketers.

And the presentation is not difficult with a product that lends itself to a very compelling demo... "Mr owner this is how your website looks on a smartphone"

100's of thousands of businesses have a problem without a mobile website. A huge void to be filled.

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Jgregory

13 years ago

I'll try to brief. You've brought up a boatload of important points here

Originally Posted by PSinPS

Sure there has been a lot of good info here. However trying to learn from a forum thread is like working a jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces. The information is rarely complete.

Agreed. You are exactly right. The learning curve is long wherever you get educated. But "education by mistakes" can sink a lot of new marketers. I'm trying to provide a few answers, and yet the answers require some knowledge and experience to assimilate.

BTW, You can get ready-to-go marketing/businesses in this forum too. Where you don't have to learn anything, just follow what they tell you in their package. Of course, that can have pitfalls too.

That's why I hesitate here in posting. Reality is not always well received. But knowledge and professionalism doesn't come overnight. Ask a surgeon or a master plumber.

Easy to jump all over my words too, saying "it's not rocket science, Jan, just send some damned cards out".

In fact, there is information shared on this forum with the germ of a successful offline business including a decent marketing plan too. It's a fact, you can find one, copy-cat, fill in whats missing, and could see some profit and success. And everyone copy-cats. That's free enterprise.

Partly because these fresh ideas are so new, think how many restaurants can benefit with SMS texting service, and the owners don't even know Text Marketing exists! Another good reason to get going while there is a big void in the marketplace. It won't last long

But do fill in the blanks of copy-cattiong by using caution and common sense. IMO, an offline marketer who is really successful will be unlikely to share the "Secret Sauce" in their own marketing that they earned the hard way.

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Jgregory

13 years ago

I'll try to brief. You've brought up a boatload of important points here

Originally Posted by PSinPS

Sure there has been a lot of good info here. However trying to learn from a forum thread is like working a jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces. The information is rarely complete.

Agreed. It is indeed. You are exactly right.

The learning curve is long wherever you get educated. But "education by mistakes" can sink a lot of new marketers. Depends on you and your money budget.

I'm trying to provide a few answers, since that is all that's possible in a forum. And, alas... even the answers require some knowledge and experience to assimilate.

ShortCuts to Marketing

You can get ready-to-go marketing/businesses in this forum too. Where you don't have to learn anything, just follow what they tell you in their package. Of course, that can have pitfalls too. I am not recommending this approach, just airing out that side as well

Sometimes, I hesitate here in posting. Reality is not always well received, and it's all I know when I write. That knowledge and skill doesn't come overnight for any field. Ask a surgeon or a master plumber.

I guess it would be easy to jump all over my words, saying "it's not rocket science, Jan, just send some damned cards out".

In fact, there is information freely shared on this forum with the germ of a successful offline business model including a decent marketing plan too. It's a fact... you can find one, copy-cat it, fill in whats missing, and could see some profit and success. And everyone copy-cats. That's free enterprise.

Offline Marketing. What is It?
Have no idea what the term means, but I do know there's big opportunity with the shift away from traditional advertising by local businesses. These are fresh, new ideas. Think how many restaurants can benefit with SMS texting service, and the owners don't even know Text Marketing exists! Another good reason to get going while there is a big void in the marketplace. It won't last long.

But do fill in the blanks of copy-catting by using caution and common sense. Damned easy to miss the important parts and epic fail. You might become another saying direct mail is too expensive. Or some say... telemarketing doesn't work. I assure they both do and will continue to be profitable for millions of businesses

The common sense part, and I can tell you are smart enough to know this already.... an offline marketer posting here who is really successful, will be unlikely to share her "Secret Sauce" in their own marketing campaigns. The critical mass element that they earned the hard way with learning, testing, and investing.

Best regards,
Jan Gregory

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Jgregory

13 years ago

Its Christmas Eve afternoon, so my posts here today may not be in the best order and I may be repeating myself, but I'll slog on a bit more

Originally Posted by PSinPS

I was one of those that thought direct mail was too expensive.

Expense or Investment?

Expensive - you hit it. I'm so glad to see you still here trying to get started now that you see otherwise

Expensive - That's the misconception I wanted to counter in my posts when this thread first started. Expense is relative. ROI, return on investment, is all that counts. And yet, getting to that Successful ROI with direct mail does require a lot of elements.

NOTE: What we are actually talking about here on WF with offline marketing is Lead Generation. You want a business owner to raise their hand and say... "Hey, I think I'd like some of what you offer. Can you tell me more? That's a lead. Direct Mail is just one of many ways to get qualified leads

A methodical approach to direct mail assure many more successes than misses. However, you'll see reports of those with successes in only a few hours work on a campaign. But most are working on learning, testing, tweaking and finding their success

Short- Cuts to Success

But you want a short-cuts? You can have it. And a shortcut that gets all those critical success elements right. The elements that help assure success and increase your ROI

EDIT: ShortCut is coming up. I'll make it a new post.

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Jgregory

13 years ago

Originally Posted by PSinPS

But as you said, you have 30 years in the business, 30 years!

The shortcut to speeding up your business, is always outsourcing what you lack. Whether its a CPA, window washer, leasing a copier, copywriters for marketing... all outsourcing... and its what businesses do all over the place. Direct marketing is just another skilled profession.

You can Hire Professionals

Direct marketing professionals. Lots of them around... direct marketing is a big industry. Most companies go this route, because they want to get on with marketing and don't want a long learning curve. And its not expensive if the professional saves you money and increases your ROI with skills, resources, talent, and experience

There are 3 people who have read this very Thread right here where we are... who are now my private clients.

And I'm coaching those warrior clients in setting up some specialized campaigns... using direct mail and telemarketing.

Also providing highly targeted mailing lists, telemarketing lists, segmenting, profiling, branding, copywriting. presentation materials, product development and fulfillment. I'm providing skilled American telemarketers to set appointments for them.

And these 3 individuals are working together with me... as we build their marketing machine. With their work, its not such a big investment for them to hire a pro. These people took the leap because they have a serious business, and are making investments to grow their businesses. You could say, I am a unique outsourcer. A single point for a lot of stuff in marketing and lead generation

As you mentioned, 30 years of experience goes a long way for increasing success rates. I have resources on-tap that can save a lot of money, savings alone tallies to more than I get paid in most cases.

Whatever professional you use, and that can be a little coacing time or a lot or services... if you want a reliable shortcut, use a pro, and there are a quite few around.

Some people are DIY by nature, some are not. Successful DIYer's usually bring a lot of experience to the table, so you need to do a personal inventory of your skills and decide. I often hire pros myself because I don't do brain surgery or repair my plumbing, and these cases... I want the best outcome possible.

Best Regards,

Jan Gregory

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PSinPS

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Jgregory

The shortcut to speeding up your business, is always outsourcing what you lack. Whether its a CPA, window washer, leasing a copier, copywriters for marketing... all outsourcing... and its what businesses do all over the place. Direct marketing is just another skilled profession.

You can Hire Professionals

Direct marketing professionals. Lots of them around... direct marketing is a big industry. Most companies go this route, because they want to get on with marketing and don't want a long learning curve. And its not expensive if the professional saves you money and increases your ROI with skills, resources, talent, and experience

There are 3 people who have read this very Thread right here where we are... who are now my private clients.

Ha! I was considering that very thing!

Shortcuts CAN be a good thing because a shortcut (I am referring to hiring an experienced pro here) can save lots of time and money bypassing the trial and error period. I get that.

By the way, buying a business in a box from this forum is rarely a shortcut. I have purchased many WSOs, and I have learned A LOT. But WSOs are a whole trial and error process in themselves because there are many poor WSOs that get positive reviews, and you won't know until you buy, read/watch, and implement.

Happy Holidays to all.

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DNChamp

13 years ago

Allright finished reading this. Thinking about a 5x7 card which cost me $49 complete for 200 (wifes discount price) and will be .44 cent to mail out.

Section off 3 sides on front (1 box with headline, 1 box with info, 1 box with Picture) and then on the back 2 sides (left side speical offer and what we do and right side will hand write mail info)

Does this seem like im on the right track as long as my list is very targeted?

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DNChamp

13 years ago

Originally Posted by DNChamp

Allright finished reading this. Thinking about a 5x7 card which cost me $49 complete for 200 (wifes discount price) and will be .44 cent to mail out.

Section off 3 sides on front (1 box with headline, 1 box with info, 1 box with Picture) and then on the back 2 sides (left side speical offer and what we do and right side will hand write mail info)

Does this seem like im on the right track as long as my list is very targeted?

Can anyone advised if my plan seems ok?

Also how well can a letter campaign vs a postcard work? I know for one cheaper since I would not have to print up postcards but open rate and/or call back rate which would be greater?

Maybe I can do say dentist with postcards and doctors with a letter or something like that....

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jak jacki

13 years ago

Direct mail is a great idea........

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sundaymorning

13 years ago

I'm thinking about doing a direct mail campaign but what scared me away was not that the up front cost it was the conversaion rate. I mean I was think about doing like a mini portfolio that explains the businesses, what we do, who we are about etc.

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hotlinkz

13 years ago

Originally Posted by sundaymorning

I'm thinking about doing a direct mail campaign but what scared me away was not that the up front cost it was the conversaion rate. I mean I was think about doing like a mini portfolio that explains the businesses, what we do, who we are about etc.

Conversion rates are relative to the profitability of your offer. Some companies get less than 1% conversion and still yield healthy profits, while others get 3% or greater and still lose money.

Get familiar with the needs of your local business market, learn as much as you can about direct mail and go for it. Maybe you will miss the mark on your first try or two but if you pay close attention, you will understand why. The next go-round, you will most likely do better.

If you spend $500 on a 500 piece direct mail campaign and get a only ONE client that pays you $400 or more per month - you win!

Don't let fear deprive you of success. Nothing ventured - nothing gained.

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Jgregory

13 years ago

Originally Posted by hotlinkz

Conversion rates are relative to the profitability of your offer. Some companies get less than 1% conversion and still yield healthy profits, while others get 3% or greater and still lose money.

Get familiar with the needs of your local business market, learn as much as you can about direct mail and go for it. Maybe you will miss the mark on your first try or two but if you pay close attention, you will understand why. The next go-round, you will most likely do better.

If you spend $500 on a 500 piece direct mail campaign and get a only ONE client that pays you $400 or more per month - you win!

Don't let fear deprive you of success. Nothing ventured - nothing gained.

A hearty welcome from a fellow Southerner. Glad to have you in this little soire we are havin' here.

Obviously this ain't the first rodeo you been to... and I hope you keep on making more perspicacious posts on direct marketing here.

Warm regards,
Jan Gregory

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Jgregory

13 years ago

Originally Posted by PSinPS

Your suggestion is to study my target market. That's fine. But then there is the delivery system and the message (yes, I know there is not one best option of either) and that is where experience counts - and would help someone new.

Originally Posted by PSinPS

It is great to have people on the forum offering their experience. I appreciate it.

You are very welcome. Maybe I should hire you to be my publicist and agent.

I want to illustrate why studying/knowing the target market is so important and can provide huge benefits from only a bit of inside knowledge. Bear with me...

Targeted Mailing List - You will not have the maximized high conversions if you do not carefully target your list. Re-read those posts first. This is a specific niche within the restaurant... larger high-end restaurants

Delivery system - think Open Rate here. That's the first hurdle. Get it noticed. Get it read.

For Post Cards, the criteria is quite different than envelopes. Here's why... that compelling message, it's all out front with Post Cards. And the space is tight, so words in copy must work very powerfully to get Action.

Le'ts say, that letters with one headline/offer/design gets opened 20% and the Post Cards gets 40% open/read rate. ( open means Noticed/Read in this context) We use same offer but go with #2 Delivery method right? Post Cards work for this campaign best. And what does that do for your previous 5% response rate... twice the leads and you are spending the same money.

This is how we answer the question, Which is better? The market tells us when we test properly.

The Message - This is paramount. Both for long format copy in envelopes, and and certainly a huge, huge part of the Open rate for Post Cards. The message is right there with cards! They're eye-balling the Headline in a nano-second. The recipient will toss it, or read it. 1/4 second decision time. You sink or swim on the message in your headline.

More reason to be sure you maximize AIDA in those very few words available on the post card space.

AIDA - Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. If you don't get their Attention with the first 10 words you aren't even in the game for the rest.

One more time... if you spend time on one thing, make it crafting a compelling, engaging message that resonates with their most desperate need. And if it means hiring a copywriter, then its a very good investment when it works

Message Examples

You can send this weak, lame message in your mailing and likely get dismal results...

"SMS Text Messaging 50% Off. Thousands of Restaurants are profiting with this Hot New Trend. You don't need the Yellow Pages or the Internet anymore!"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Or you can send this Post Card campaign after studying your target market...

"Let Me Double your Covers at Chez Gerard next Thursday Night. I do this every week for Le Bistro in Center City."

Call me: 555-666-897
Text Message: 555-989-6757
Email: foodprofits@domain.com
URL: http://www.domain.com/ChezGerard
Fax: 777-436-9876

That's a compelling, engaging headline that I know works out in the real-world. That's also the whole enchilada for this PostCard mailing, just that headline and contact info. Works like a champ, in the way I do it using very unique method of delivery. Response thru the roof. Slam dunk appointment setting.

You use bright Canary yellow cards, standard size, and setup a Merge Mail process with a word processor. Simple to do with a laser or inkjet. Or run them off to a PDF and carry that to a local quick print shop.

The business's name is merged into the Headline.

Notice it says nothing about product, or how I do it to double those covers.

You see, what I know about restaurant owners... their desperate need, the thing that really pisses the restaurant owner off, and keeps a restaurant owner awake at night... is seeing an empty dining room every Thursday night while his staff sits around idle and bitching about no tips tonight.

Thursday night is usually the slowest night of the week for restaurants. Tuesday is a close second. Another city, just the opposite. Find out. Study your market, remember? Pays off.

"Covers" are a restaurant industry term for the # of times you fill a chair in one mealtime. Its the profit metric used in the hospitality industry to calculate turnover and break-even. You'll hear it a lot with fine dining restaurants, which are excellent target prospects for all sorts of marketing services, and even easier to sell than Mom and Pop eateries.

Lunch-time covers. Evening covers. "His weekly covers are up 23%." It's insider lingo.

Another one... a "Top" describes how many people sit at a table... you have two-top tables and four-top tables. Your study time pays big dividends by knowing the business well. You gain authority and crediblity using insiders vocabulary. And knowing the lingo makes selling to restaurants a lot easier and way more effective. Combine that with a Power Promise Offer like this headline, its a slam dunk.

Reminds me of some good advice... choose a business model you are passionate over, or at least a field you know very well. If it's possible, you are way ahead of the game choosing your target market in the same way. Been an Real Estate agent for years? Then be an offline marketer selling to agencies and brokers.

Best Regards,
Jan Gregory

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Mr. Subtle

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Jgregory

Delivery system - think Open Rate here. That's the first hurdle.

Testing. One headline/offer/design gets opened 20% and the other gets 40% open rate. We go with #2 Delivery method right? And what does that do for your previous 5% response rate... twice the leads and you are spending the same money.

Since this is a direct mail thread and not an email thread I'm going to assume you're talking direct mail here. Let's be clear... there is no such thing as open rate in direct mail. There is no way of knowing how many envelopes get opened or not. The only thing you know is response rate. You normally test one element per mailing to see if it improves the response rate to your control.

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Jgregory

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Mr. Subtle

Since this is a direct mail thread and not an email thread I'm going to assume you're talking direct mail here. Let's be clear... there is no such thing as open rate in direct mail. There is no way of knowing how many envelopes get opened or not. The only thing you know is response rate. You normally test one element per mailing to see if it improves the response rate to your control.

Good point. But you can test open/read rates with small runs by doing followup phone calls the next day. Especially with post cards designed to stand out on delivery. And that's what we do with that campaign

You call and ask... "Did you see that Yellow Card I sent you yesterday."

I tell the telemarketer to ask the question and stop talking, just wait and see what they say. They saw it, and/or read it... or they didn't.

Simple way to test if that is all your doing. But you should be calling to set an appointment, right? And if you were doing some other campaign type and you wanted to test... you profiled and segmented your target list well, then do 50 personalized pieces post cards. And do 50 with envelopes tested the same way. Call and find out. So that's how you can get an Open Rate

And of course, you can split test response rates on a;; delivery methods and the headlines/offer copy easily by using tracking phone numbers.

So our test run of 100 will give you adequate numbers for both open and response rates in testing envelopes vs post cards for your offer.

Best Regards,
Jan Gregory

PS I should add that relying on experience and the strength of a good headline, you could just forego the followup phone calls, and go with response rates alone. 50 of one delivery method. 50 of the other, and then just make a decision if one response rate is overwhelmingly better.

But it should be SOP to make followup phone calls with highly targeted mailings like these anyway. This is lead-gen. You vastly increase the number of leads by following up... and do it more than once is my advice. And at the same time you are qualifying for leads on the phone, you are also getting your stats for testing decisions.

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Mr. Subtle

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Jgregory

Good point. But you can test open/read rates with small test runs by doing followup phone calls the next day. Especially with post cards designed to stand out on delivery.

You call and ask... "Did you see that Yellow Card I sent you yesterday."

Simple way to test. And if you profiled and segmented your target list well, then 50 will do for a test run. And do 50 with envelopes tested the same way.

So our test run of 100 will give you adequate numbers for both open and response rates in testing envelopes vs post cards for your offer.

PS I should add that relying on experience and the strength of a good headline, you could just forego the followup phone calls, and go with response rates alone. 50 of one delivery method. 50 of the other, and then just make a decision if one response rate is overwhelmingly better.

I keep forgetting the small quantity of direct mail people here are sending. Awhile back I was sending out between 20,000 to 50,000 letters a month for 5 years. To have a person in my office call and see if someone received and opened my letter would have been the greatest waste of time (plus it would have been hard to tell when someone received one because they were sent out standard mail across the entire U.S.)

Testing 50 of this and 50 of that is statistically to small a number in direct mail. When I tested envelope teasers against my control the minimum would be 5,000 letters. Those months where my selects provided 30,000-50,000 names I could test 2 or 3 teasers at 10,000 a pop.

Orders (response rate) told me which envelope teasers were working better (or worse) than my control package faster and better than any follow-up phone call.

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Jgregory

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Mr. Subtle

I keep forgetting the small quantity of direct mail people here are sending. Awhile back I was sending out between 20,000 to 50,000 letters a month for 5 years.

Correct. Agreed. And Nice point. And Nice to see another direct mail pro here.

I'm into campaigns sending 100,000's of pieces in mass mailings to consumers. Just as in the heyday of the "mail order" business, DM mass mailinings still works very well with the right copy and the right product

I think we really have a different context in this thread.

As you've seen in previous posts, this is an offline marketing thread, primarily with small-time operators trying to avoid cold calling and still generate some decent leads for their Google Optimization service or other SEO service.

Their objective just doesn't lend itself to large mass mailings. However, with small run personalized mailings that target specific niches like plumbers, fine dining restaurants, and others, personlised DM to selected niche targets do very well for lead generation.

And even a large metro isn't going to have 20k fine dining restaurants to mass mail a non-personalised piece about using email marketing for customer loyalty programs in fine dining restaurants.

Although I guess you could send out mass mailings to all businesses offering fanpages for $295, or something similiar that is applicable to all businesses regardless of niche category.

Has anyone attempted that? Have you big mailers been sending mass mailings to local business for offline products and services?

Would be good to hear results if you've tried it.

Regards,
Jan Gregory

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Zeal4Life 13 years ago

Good "seeing" you Mr. Subtle. I remember your golden nuggets from Copywritersboard AND Copywritingboard days
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hotlinkz

13 years ago

Here is a site that offers a free direct mail ebook for those who need to learn the basics.

http://www.mailingjet.com/direct_mail_ebook.html

(Thought I would add something helpful since my original post below was attacked as being disrespectful!)

Here is an interesting fact. One of the first direct mail campaigns was launched by the American Anti-Slavery Society (AAS) is 1835. Needless to say, these direct mail pieces were not widely accepted. The mail bags were set up to be stolen and later burned in a pro-slavery celebration.

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beverly21

13 years ago

Originally Posted by hotlinkz

Here is an interesting fact. One of the first direct mail campaigns was launched by the American Anti-Slavery Society (AAS) is 1835. Needless to say, these direct mail pieces were not widely accepted. The mail bags were set up to be stolen and later burned in a pro-slavery celebration.

I am sorry I have to intervene here , why is this important?
Why does it always have to be about color?
why is this fact relevant?
I don't see how anybody could benefit from this post, those are a questions you should ask yourself before you start posting in such a positive forum.
( i did not feel edified by this post at all and I am black).
Please keep these facts to yourself if it does not really help the purpose of the forum. Respect other people and help people.
may God bless you.

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hotlinkz

13 years ago

Originally Posted by beverly21

I am sorry I have to intervene here , why is this important?
Why does it always have to be about color?
why is this fact relevant?
I don't see how anybody could benefit from this post, those are a questions you should ask yourself before you start posting in such a positive forum.
( i did not feel edified by this post at all and I am black).
Please keep these facts to yourself if it does not really help the purpose of the forum. Respect other people and help people.
may God bless you.

Wow beverly; feeling a little angry today? I posted it because it has to do with the origins of direct mail. The fact that it happens to be race-related is purely coincidental. If the first direct mailing had been done by a fireman's association in 1835, I would have posted that fact.

You are reading way to much into this. I only posted to show that direct mail has been around for a lot longer than most people think. I really don't care whether you are black, purple or blue. That's not the point.

I also take offense that you infer that I am being disrespectful

! Facts are facts. Another fact; I did not make the post to edify you or anyone else. Do you feel that everything posted in these forums should amount to dollars and cents?

Help people? Why not do a 5 minute research session and take a look at some of my other 700+ posts - including some of the freebies I have contributed to the forum.

You took this out of context - not I.

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offlinemike

13 years ago

Direct mail is great - always follow it up with a phone call strategy to get the best response.

I've been using NetProspex for lists for the last two years and have found the quality much higher than InfoUSA.

But if you want to really start digging into cool list options, I've found the following tool to be the best:

Mailing List Finder -- Search & Compare Mailing Lists

You can pay for SRDS, but I've found it's an outdated tool and the nextmark tool is very close and it's free!

Mike

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Ninja Web Services

13 years ago

I've just started to dabble with direct mail. And I mean literally JUST STARTED. Out of ten pieces I sent out, I got one response so that has me definitely anxious to try more!

Mine was a two page sales letter, hand addressed envelope, slightly crooked hand applied stamp. Obviously one person opened it, since he picked up the phone.

There are places online where you can get a toll free number with good tracking for cheap. But if you just want to give direct mail a spin and see what's what, use google voice and set up a local phone number for the area within which you're working. I'm going to try a few hundred on the google voice number and if I get a couple few clients out of it I'll opt for the toll free number for the next campaign.

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PSinPS

13 years ago

@ Jgregory

Um, would you please PM me?

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Absolute Logo

13 years ago

I have a friend who owns a UPS store and they tried direct mail to a lot of surrounding homes. It didn't work, I think they set about 1200 out and only 1 person came back. The flyer had coupons on it but it did not bring in the business she was hoping for. In my opinion the coupons could have been better. I think one was for 2 dollars off packaging, 3 months free with any 12 months mail box rental and 35 cent color copies.

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KabirC

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Absolute Logo

I have a friend who owns a UPS store and they tried direct mail to a lot of surrounding homes. It didn't work, I think they set about 1200 out and only 1 person came back. The flyer had coupons on it but it did not bring in the business she was hoping for. In my opinion the coupons could have been better. I think one was for 2 dollars off packaging, 3 months free with any 12 months mail box rental and 35 cent color copies.

What is the point of this post? Direct mailing for UPS is not that useful considering it is a service that people only use if they need to mail something not just a spontaneous need that they realized. Plus everyone knows of UPS.

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Absolute Logo

13 years ago

Originally Posted by KabirC

What is the point of this post? Direct mailing for UPS is not that useful considering it is a service that people only use if they need to mail something not just a spontaneous need that they realized. Plus everyone knows of UPS.

Well I was just saying that my friend tried it and was unsuccessful. I see what you mean about the spontaneous factor though, great point

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AZ 13 years ago

Folks Direct Mail Works
1) Find a problem
2) Provide the Solution
3) Give them an offer that they can't refuse
4) Make the offer attractive
5) Include a guarantee

Learn a lot about words, ad writing and follow up.
Highly suggest any Dan Kennedy or John Carlton material.
All the best in 2012.
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RedShifted

13 years ago

I do mass nonpersonalized postcards will be doing 20,000 my next run and am seeing a better ROI than the drip feed methods talked about here. I am not handwriting anything, it is much cheaper, it may not look as professional as a "blue felt pen", but I can get a lot more done on a computer than a felt pen ever could.

I honestly think it has a lot more to do about the offer rather than how you are labeling your packages or whether you're using stamps. Direct mail imo does not have to be that direct. You can absolutely broaden your focus and still pull in hundreds of leads for a dozen or more local small business's at a time. Just letting people know there are tons of ways of going about direct mail.

If you prefer a more commericalized less personal approach, postcards absolutely work.

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Jgregory 13 years ago

Originally Posted by RedShifted

I do mass nonpersonalized postcards will be doing 20,000 my next run and am seeing a better ROI than the drip feed methods talked about here.

I'm really curious now, what offline product are you guys offering to 20,000 local businesses in one mail blast?

I agree with you, I can certainly see mass mailings working with a B2B product that cuts across all business categories and rings their chimes with the offer. But which product/service in the offline game is it for 20,000 pieces

Are you doing simple websites... or SEO maybe. One shot offer or monthly recurring revenue?

MrMatt's previous post in this thread with 50 highly targeted pieces sent out... $80 got him $2900 annualized revenue... I think his calculation was a bit over 3900% ROI.... Assuming he keeps the client for 12 months.

But damn, if we can grab some of that kind of ROI with 20,000 pieces. I'm in... please share the product that's working for you.

Regards,
Jan Gregory
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star007

13 years ago

wilder1047,
Thanks for the tip on the website. I just signed up.

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Jeremy James

13 years ago

Hey Jan, and other experts,

In my regular day job, I work for a reseller for a regional cellular service, that, because of the technology it uses, is ideal for governmental organizations, businesses, other utility companies. That being said, this particular cellular service is not doing "so hot," and, the way that I look at it - there is a LOT of potential.

I have a list of about 50+ pretty "good" cold leads, and would like to see if I could warm them up with Direct Mail, or even get them to call me.

What would some ideas be? I know for a fact some of these companies are using our closest competitor, some are using others that are more non-similar to us, and I don't know what the others are using at all, if any.

I would love to be able to generate a few thousand activations under my belt, because if I can make a change in my area of our coverage area, I can do the entire thing.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Jeremy

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Jgregory

13 years ago

Hi Jeremy

Interesting how this turned up, as this is not an offline product/service you are talking about... as previous posts above have noted... that's what the thread is about... which is small-time operators avoiding cold calling using highly targeted, personalised direct mail to generate leads.

Anyways, I'll offer some advice if I can. Sounds like you have something with real potential for you.

Originally Posted by Jeremy James

Hey Jan, and other experts,

...is ideal for governmental organizations, businesses, other utility companies. That being said, this particular cellular service is not doing "so hot," and, the way that I look at it - there is a LOT of potential.

Why? If its not doing so hot. What is your USP for your particular service? That's where you'll find the differentiation to make a good offer. I'd brainstorm around that unique difference you have and the Benefit to work up your offer and headline

Originally Posted by Jeremy James

I have a list of about 50+ pretty "good" cold leads, and would like to see if I could warm them up with Direct Mail, or even get them to call me.

What would some ideas be? I know for a fact some of these companies are using our closest competitor, some are using others that are more non-similar to us, and I don't know what the others are using at all, if any.

I would love to be able to generate a few thousand activations under my belt, because if I can make a change in my area of our coverage area, I can do the entire thing.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Jeremy

For those 50+ , I'd just pick up the phone and call them, assuming you have contact names and they really are leads. Also, I don't recommend selling "against the other guys" That can just turn into a pissing contest with your competitors. If you have a superior service, go in there and sell it on the benefits.

Lead Generation

If you have a shout-it-from-the-rooftops Offer that resonates... direct mail can certainly work for lead generation as we've seen. And you'll have a very large list with all businesses, govt organisations and utilities... a big direct mail campaign could the way to go certainly. But you need to nail down the offer and test it before rolling out big

The trick for you will be getting the Direct Mail piece delivered to the right person... in say, a utility company... the decision maker contact name, in other words. Who is that going to be? Just pumping post cards into their company mailbox addressed to "Wyoming Power and Light", I doubt would do you much good offering cellular.

BTW, don't worry about warming them up... get the offer right so they Act... and reply back after reading your piece.

Back to picking up the phone on those 50+... that's often a good research tool for planning a direct mail campaign where it is murky. Call and find out the missing pieces here... find the problems you can solve for the users, etcetera.

Regards,
Jan Gregory

PS Lead generation is getting a lead. That's someone who raises their hand and says... " I want to know more." Sales people live on leads, as you do selling cellular services. Companies need leads when a sale has a lot of options/explanations/decision points that makes it convert best with a person-to-peron sales approach. Phone or in person, there is a conversation leading to a close.

Traditionally, direct mail is about getting direct orders from buyers with credit cards in hand. They are ready to fire. DM works both ways lead-gen and direct response orders. But, plan direct mail campaigns accordingly for your objective.

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Jeremy James

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Jgregory

Hi Jeremy

Interesting how this turned up, as this is not an offline product/service you are talking about... as previous posts above have noted... that's what the thread is about... which is small-time operators avoiding cold calling using highly targeted, personalised direct mail to generate leads.

Anyways, I'll offer some advice if I can. Sounds like you have something with real potential for you.

Why? If its not doing so hot. What is your USP for your particular service? That's where you'll find the differentiation to make a good offer. I'd brainstorm around that unique difference you have and the Benefit to work up your offer and headline

For those 50+ , I'd just pick up the phone and call them, assuming you have contact names and they really are leads. Also, I don't recommend selling "against the other guys" That can just turn into a pissing contest with your competitors. If you have a superior service, go in there and sell it on the benefits.

Lead Generation

If you have a shout-it-from-the-rooftops Offer that resonates... direct mail can certainly work for lead generation as we've seen. And you'll have a very large list with all businesses, govt organisations and utilities... a big direct mail campaign could the way to go certainly. But you need to nail down the offer and test it before rolling out big

The trick for you will be getting the Direct Mail piece delivered to the right person... in say, a utility company... the decision maker contact name, in other words. Who is that going to be? Just pumping post cards into their company mailbox addressed to "Wyoming Power and Light", I doubt would do you much good offering cellular.

BTW, don't worry about warming them up... get the offer right so they Act... and reply back after reading your piece.

Back to picking up the phone on those 50+... that's often a good research tool for planning a direct mail campaign where it is murky. Call and find out the missing pieces here... find the problems you can solve for the users, etcetera.

Regards,
Jan Gregory

PS Lead generation is getting a lead. That's someone who raises their hand and says... " I want to know more." Sales people live on leads, as you do selling cellular services. Companies need leads when a sale has a lot of options/explanations/decision points that makes it convert best with a person-to-peron sales approach. Phone or in person, there is a conversation leading to a close.

Traditionally, direct mail is about getting direct orders from buyers with credit cards in hand. They are ready to fire. DM works both ways lead-gen and direct response orders. But, plan direct mail campaigns accordingly for your objective.

Jan,

Thanks for the write-back. It's funny - I REALLY freeze up on the phone. I was hoping to find something - some type of attention getter, that would get them to call me. I just don't like picking up the phone to call.

Thanks!

Jeremy

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Wilma1980

13 years ago

I don't know about this .. o.0 and I don't know why I'm replying..

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mageworld

Banned 13 years ago

yeah, i love it too

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dunkumahal

13 years ago

I am using this feature but it is not famous among user. You nice post will send a good message among users.

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Jgregory

13 years ago

I posted this PDF download on another thread and thought it would be useful here as well.

Download PDF- B2B Mailing List Sources and Business Contact Lists

Will be putting together some resources for doing Post Card marketing soon

Best Regards,
Jan Gregory

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George Chernikov

13 years ago

Hi Jan,

Can your recommend a mailing service provider in the US - one that takes care of printing and mailing as long as we provide the copy, the artwork, and the mailing list?

I read horror stories about PrintPlace.com, but they are offering the kind of service we are looking for.

Best,
George

PS Thanks for the great thread, we are just planning our first ever DM campaign.

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Jgregory

13 years ago

Originally Posted by George Chernikov

Hi Jan,

Can your recommend a mailing service provider in the US - one that takes care of printing and mailing as long as we provide the copy, the artwork, and the mailing list?

I read horror stories about PrintPlace.com, but they are offering the kind of service we are looking for.

Best,
George

PS Thanks for the great thread, we are just planning our first ever DM campaign.

Hi George,

Try this company Online Printing Services: Postcard Catalog & Brochure Printing Company Ask for Wes Kirk or Travis Hartman.

If your mailing list you now have is a Consumer List, I suggest you have them run it against the NCOA (National Change of Address) database. If it is B2B it may not be necessary.

If you are doing B2B and want highly targeted mailing lists. I can collate and compile your own data. Also I can provide complete B2B lists profiled by any criteria and also give you great deals on all the businesses in an entire geo-location. For example, you can have the entire state of Texas in desktop software that allows you to create instant lists for any niche right from your own PC or Mac.

Check out this video to see desktop B2B lists

Video - Target Wizard B2B Mailing List Software

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beverly21

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Jgregory

Hi George,

Try this company O Ask for Wes Kirk or Travis Hartman.

If your mailing list you now have is a Consumer List, I suggest you have them run it against the NCOA (National Change of Address) database. If it is B2B it may not be necessary.

If you are doing B2B and want highly targeted mailing lists. I can collate and compile your own data. Also I can provide complete B2B lists profiled by any criteria and also give you great deals on all the businesses in an entire geo-location. For example, you can have the entire state of Texas in desktop software that allows you to create instant lists for any niche right from your own PC or Mac.

Check out this video to see desktop B2B lists

Hi Jan,
I am really interested in this offer ,
can you please PM.
I don't have enough post for PM.
this is a tool that can really help us for direct mailing campaigns.

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jayspann

13 years ago

Direct mail will pay for it's self if your offer is compelling. I would do what the others have mentioned and just hand address and mail 10-20 a week tops starting out.

Here is what I do now. Create a list of your dream 100 prospects and segment them in groups of 25.

Week one, I mail out letter one [four step letter] to the first group.

Week two, I mail out letter one to the second group, and the second letter to group one above.

etc. etc. Now for you guys with kindergarden math skills you can see by week 4 I'm mailing a s@#t load of handwritten letters. It didn't take long and we gave up and started using laser printed envelopes.

Response went down for the first couple weeks now people call more on the second or third letter. Still pulls about the same. Oh I use WhoCalling and put a different 800# in each of the four letters so I know which one is pulling which type of prospects.

One letter is a logic based call to action, next is desire based, third fear based, and forth is all three repeated. All four letters are very much a like... repetition, repetition, repetition.

I only do this campaign once a year now starting around December and I get more then enough business to feed me for the year.

What helped me the best? I spent $9 on the kindle version of Dan Kennedy's The Ultimate Sales Letter. Last time I re-read it, I saw that you could down load it for free if you have a Amazon Prime account.

If you agree or disagree please comment or give thanks... I'm an attention whore and I might kick Michael Vick if I don't get my way

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lawyer2warrior2

13 years ago

Hey Mitchell,
Using direct mail is still a wonderful way to generate business. I've used it in my law practice and gotten TONS of clients that way, by respectfully reaching out and being available.

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Jgregory

13 years ago

Originally Posted by lawyer2warrior2

Using direct mail is still a wonderful way to generate business. I've used it in my law practice and gotten TONS of clients that way, by respectfully reaching out and being available.

Hi Brandi,

Would you mind sharing some of your experience in mailing to your local business market?

That could really expand the awareness for how powerful targeted mail campaigns can be for any business or profession.

You are mailing to get legal clients, which is a whole different animal than SEO services selling websites and rankings.

Best Regards,
Jan Gregory

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xlfutur1

13 years ago

I used to do alot of mail order stuff selling music to band directors, in the 90s before the internet. I always had great response, but up until recently I have never done much with it for getting offline clients.

You have to look at what the return could be for a small mailing. For example, I sent 10 letters to local pizza places last April pitching SMS marketing and got 2 appts. One of those clients turned into SMS system, and two websites with hosting, etc. So for less than 5 bucks to send those initial letters, this client has turned into $250 per month ongoing payment. I also do some adwords for them and they are getting leads every day. so I think they will stick around for awhile.

Try not to look at the expense of direct mail, but what it could return for the dollars invested.

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Jgregory

13 years ago

Originally Posted by xlfutur1

I used to do alot of mail order stuff selling music to band directors, in the 90s before the internet. I always had great response, but up until recently I have never done much with it for getting offline clients.

You have to look at what the return could be for a small mailing. For example, I sent 10 letters to local pizza places last April pitching SMS marketing and got 2 appts. One of those clients turned into SMS system, and two websites with hosting, etc. So for less than 5 bucks to send those initial letters, this client has turned into $250 per month ongoing payment. I also do some adwords for them and they are getting leads every day. so I think they will stick around for awhile.

Try not to look at the expense of direct mail, but what it could return for the dollars invested.

Congratulations, and I hope you keep up a steady stream of small mailings like this for incoming leads. For those of you coming late to this thread, there are quite a few success stories like this posted. Direct mail is often overlooked here on the forum, but its one of the most cost-effective methods for lead generation with local business owners.

There are some key criteria to be successful with local direct mail however. This entire thread is loaded with some good info from successful offline marketers, along with those success stories.

I strongly recommend you take the time to start at the beginning of the thread and work through all the posts.

Best Regards,
Jan Gregory

P.S. The ROI is the confusing factor for many. As xlfutur1 found, this is the determining factor when calculating the "expense" of any lead generation method. And you don't have to send 1000's of mailings. In fact, when you get all the key criteria using a targeted List, personalized mailings, and a powerful message along with the right offer... the ROI is usually way higher than most any other method. $5 for $250 a month is something we can all agree on.

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99octane

13 years ago

Direct mail definitely gets your message in front of people, that you would have little chance of approaching by any other means. Like anything else, it has a few downsides, but with proper research, most of those can be mitigated as well. All in all direct mail is an excellent way to market, just about anything.

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Rockrz

13 years ago

OK, I know someone that wants to know if there are any programs out there that can collect business names and addresses and put the information into a spreadsheet so mailing labels can be made for mailouts using snail mail.

He says he used to have a program like that called Data Ferret ( see info on this at Data Ferret - Download.com ), but program doesn't work anymore for some reason.

Since alot of companies have their address posted on the internet, it should be considered public information and should be OK to collect, right?

That was my question is why did his original program quit working?

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mark christine

Banned 13 years ago

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Rockrz 13 years ago

But, is there a way to get addresses from targeting types of businesses such as bars and night clubs in a given city and state....automated?

I know you can buy lists, but that is very expensive so surely someone has a software program that enables you to lift mailing addresses kinda like they do with email addresses.
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kangtj

13 years ago

I never run direct mail campaign, btw what product do you sell?

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Rockrz

13 years ago

Well, I'm not discussing my primary business here, but I just started a new side gig selling point of banking bankcard processing which pays residuals as well as upfront commissions.

That's the project I was actually interested in doing mailouts for...IF I can find a way to get mailing addresses without having to buy expensive lists.

So far, all I can see if collecting addresses manually off of the net. Seems like somebody would have a software prog that could do that.

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George Kelly

13 years ago

I wish direct mail was a usable option here in Scotland

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Missionmarketer 13 years ago

Originally Posted by George Kelly

I wish direct mail was a usable option here in Scotland

Hello.

Why can you not use direct mail marketing in your beautiful Country of Scotland?
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Rockrz

13 years ago

Huh? You guys don't have mail in Scotland???

I thought mail was something that all countries have... how do you send documents to each other, by private courier?

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Missionmarketer

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Rockrz

Huh? You guys don't have mail in Scotland???

I thought mail was something that all countries have... how do you send documents to each other, by private courier?

Of course they have mail and couriers. It is Western Europe, not Somalia or some poor Country with extreme hardship.

I have no idea why they said what they said so I asked. Maybe they have some anti-mail marketing rule or something??

I have no idea and I am curious to hear their reply.

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Rockrz

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Missionmarketer

Of course they have mail and couriers. It is Western Europe, not Somalia or some poor Country with extreme hardship.

I have no idea why they said what they said so I asked. Maybe they have some anti-mail marketing rule or something??

I have no idea and I am curious to hear their reply.

I wasn't talking to you... I was asking the dude from Scotland... if he wants to answer, he will... otherwise, he won't!

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Jgregory 13 years ago

This direct mail thread has gone in different directions but just refuses to go away. These are some of the best posts below. Some are mine and some from others.

I hope the bottom line for anyone looking to do local lead generation to sell their offline services is doing some homework and try some highly targeted small runs of direct mail. You can get a lot of bang for your buck and generate very good leads.

I sent 10 letters to local pizza places last April pitching SMS marketing and got 2 appts. So for less than 5 bucks to send those initial letters, this client has turned into $250 per month ongoing payment

...a phone call to those who don't respond?

Priority Mail is Not Expensive

Targeting = Smaller list, lower costs, higher response, more profit, high ROI.

I sent 53 packages. 5 responses and one closed deal. Cost was a little over $80. Annualized income - $2,900 ROI - 3493%

Small Runs with Personalisation

High Value Targeting - Creating the List

Download PDF- B2B Mailing List Sources and Business Contact Lists

Strategy Drags the Wagon

Out of those 100 cards sent I had 9 appointments and closed 4 - Total Revenue: $1882

If you spend $500 on a 500 piece direct mail campaign and get a only ONE client that pays you $400 or more per month - you win!

Delivery system - The Message - AIDA - Attention, Interest, Desire, Action
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Missionmarketer

13 years ago

Awesome!

I don't know anyone that actually still uses direct mail marketing anymore.
I can see it working as good as ever with all the spam filters today, blocks etc...
and people just not opening up their email in a online land of OVERKILL.

Thanks

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Rockrz

13 years ago

Originally Posted by shreeve21

Been using the USPS Every Door Direct Lately. BEEN LOVING IT!

Where do you get addresses from?

Thanks
1 reply

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Jgregory 13 years ago

Originally Posted by Rockrz

Where do you get addresses from?

In reference to the Every Door Direct program does not require addresses. Those are blanket saturation mailings delivered to every house on the carrier routes.

If you are doing targeted mailings you need a list. This might help

Download PDF- B2B Mailing List Sources and Business Contact Lists

This is my own solution for B2B lists. if you need details after watching this video, send me a PM
Demo Video - Target Wizard B2B Mailing List Software
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- 1 reply
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- Rockrz 13 years ago
  
  OK, thanks!
  
  And, thanks for the info in the PM...I'd reply to the PM
  but it says I don't have enough posts to send PMs yet
  
  Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
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  Jgregory 13 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Rockrz
  
  OK, thanks!
  
  And, thanks for the info in the PM...I'd reply to the PM
  but it says I don't have enough posts to send PMs yet
  
  You bet. Glad you got the PM, and sorry for any confusion
  
  I recommend choosing the solution for B2B contact and mailing lists that fits the strategy for your business model. You can manually create focused lists from print Yellow Pages if that fits the criteria for manually working up high-value targets. Some strategies work best using software for scraping Google Places listings data. If Facebook leads suits your strategy, I have a friend who provide those for you. It's all about your business model.
  
  These not so workable when your strategy is sending 500 to 2500 postcards or making a thousand targeted cold calls to specific categories such as restaurants, veterinarians, gyms, and other business niches. Better to get an accurate list that you can import into any need for mailing, dialing, and even into CRM customer managment software. We help lots of people do direct imports of new prospect lists into GoldMine, Sage Act! and online CRM like SalesForce.com and HighRiseHQ.
  
  BTW, the link for the demo video is now in my Sig.
  
  Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
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  theonemansell 13 years ago
  
  Could anyone give any insight on how you would run a affective direct marketing campaign offering high ticket items for sell rather your selling as a affiliate or selling your own product ? I'm talking aleast a $1000 sale. Any input on this subject would be helpful. I know you could use infousa to narrow down a search for people with certain salaries and certain areas that would be able to afford such a product. Just trying to get some other ideas on the subject.
  
  Thanks
  
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Jgregory

13 years ago

Originally Posted by shreeve21

I am a direct mail junkie!

Been using the USPS Every Door Direct Lately. BEEN LOVING IT!

What is your favorite tactic for increasing open rates?

Check some of the URLs in the post above here. We've covered lumpy mail techniques, hand-addressing, not using a return address on plain envelopes, and using priority envelopes or even using USPS Priority mail postage in some cases.

You want to make the techniques for increasing open rates fit the target's psychographic profile.

And you if you are doing small runs as I've described here, and you follow my recommendation to do followup phone calls to the entire mailing list... then you will know the Open Rates. You can split test a mailing of 100, using one technique on 50 and another technique on the other 50. Track response with different tracking phone #'s

Thanks

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stucker

13 years ago

Thanks for your share of ideas guys, i'm a newbie and this thread is a great help.

Thanks

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Michael Lambert

13 years ago

The first time I sent 50 in yellow 9x12 printed mailing address (not hand written) with no letter just an 8x11 flyer inside. One call - zero sale since I puck up. Lesson learned.

I just sent another 50 in white "first class" 9x12 envelope with hand written address. I personalized the letter by using their names and signed my name at the bottom (I included some stats as a 2nd page). I will soon find out in the next three to five days.

I edited the flyer too on the second round to make it better / appealing some how. Test and retest until I get it right - - - $50 at a time.

The flyer is in house so I edit it the way I want and print them myself. Once I have the right recipe for the flyers, I will have to have them printed somewhere else.

The only thing that I didn't do is target my list. I believe that every business needs the service I'm offering but I agree that targeting the right business is best. If this second one is a failure, less than 5 biz calls me (if one sale then I still a winner), then i will have to narrow the list down to biz that actually spend money on ads.

Cost per envelope is $1.

Mike

Thanks
1 reply

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Jgregory

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Michael Lambert

The first time I sent 50 in yellow 9x12 printed mailing address (not hand written) with no letter just an 8x11 flyer inside. One call - zero sale since I puck up. Lesson learned.

I just sent another 50 in white "first class" 9x12 envelope with hand written address. I personalized the letter by using their names and signed my name at the bottom (I included some stats as a 2nd page). I will soon find out in the next three to five days.

I edited the flyer too on the second round to make it better / appealing some how. Test and retest until I get it right - - - $50 at a time.

The flyer is in house so I edit it the way I want and print them myself. Once I have the right recipe for the flyers, I will have to have them printed somewhere else.

The only thing that I didn't do is target my list. I believe that every business needs the service I'm offering but I agree that targeting the right business is best. If this second one is a failure, less than 5 biz calls me (if one sale then I still a winner), then i will have to narrow the list down to biz that actually spend money on ads.

Cost per envelope is $1.

Mike

Hi Michael,

Congratulations on taking action. And Kudos to you for actually doing this in small runs testing your strategy. That's music to my ears as a coach! Testing and keeping track of results is how you increase your ROI. You're on the right track with some time-tested mailing methods for direct mail lead generation. The first battle in all your marketing is getting the prospect's Attention. We are all fighting information overload in our daily lives and the person on the other end of your addressing is no different.

You are well on your way to winning the lead generation game with large hand-addressed envelopes. You'll be judging your success rate soon enough, so let me add some pointers for assessing your direct mail campaign.

Power Messaging is Key

Please don't forget that the Message you send is key. And the Promise in that Message. No matter how many people Open your envelope, click on your email, or talk to you on a cold call, if your message does not resonate with their circumstances and Promise an immediate solution to a big problem then it won't be successful.

Power Message = The Promise to solve my Burning Problem

Do not sell the solution in the mailing piece(your flyer), sell the reason the prospect should respond to know more. You want an opportunity to set an appointment only. Then You have time for presenting your solution later, but do not do that in the mailing. You should focus on Lead Generation.

Power Messaging comes from knowing your audience, knowing their burning problems and matching your solution to the lingo of their niche. If Tuesday is a money-losing, cash-sucking, slow night at Chez Grerad restaurant each and every week, the owner's attention and actions will resonate with a message like this...

"Mr. De Gaulle, let me Double your Covers every Tuesday night with this simple marketing method, just like I do for Jimmy's Bistro in Center City."

All lead generation is a numbers game that ends with ROI. If done well, direct mail has one and only one goal, create a powerful itch to know more about your solution. Numbers for response rates are why targeting is so critical to ROI and profit from any marketing campaign. If you can reduce a possible 1000 suspects to a list of 128 best candidates, then you are way ahead of the game and you get better performance metrics

Customizing your Mailing

If appropriate to your solution, you can use photocopies of local advertising included in those large envelopes, you will increase response rates by 100's of % points. Those selling SEO services are enclosing 20 copies of the Google search rankings for 20 relevant keywords to the target niche. See where this is going? Customize by making it relevant and personal... the ads or the SERPS pages are pointing to the business owner AND his competition. Powerful message.

Much More Mileage than Call Backs from Direct Mail

I have not seen your Message and Offer in the mailing piece, but no matter how powerful it is... please do phone call followups to the non-responders in the entire list of 50. You can quadruple your leads with a simple phone call like this

"Hi this is Mike, with XYZ company, my assistant sent a package over to Dr Smith and I just wanted to followup on the delivery... and I'm just not sure who to ask about that in your office... could you help me with that please? Who should I followup with on that package?"

A lot of things can get in a busy owners way to calling you back, so don't wait. Make simple 1 minute followup calls within 48 hours of mailing. The phone is absolutely your friend. Some practice with easy followup phone calls to the direct mail piece and all your business calling might gets easier too.

Even if you get a No, take that as an opportunity to learn why its a No for that person. You will be getting the truest test reaction to your marketing strategy from the horse's mouth. Just be sincere and ask them why because it would help your do a better job.

I always insist on getting the real reason for a No. don't be put off with "Call me next week" Just say this, "Look Mr. Jones... you and I have better things to do than play phone tag, and I honestly do not want to bother you if this doesn't fit your business... so, I'm just scratching you off my list and I won't call back. But before I go, it would help me a great deal if you can tell me honestly why you can't accommodate an immediate spike in your Tuesday night sales? I mean this sincerely too... what exactly makes this a bad fit for you?"

Make every call a business call about business and you kill the fear of rejection on the phone. It's a mindset. If you believe in your service, and obviously you do, then you have a solution to a serious problem. If you don't, then rethink your business model fast.

The first step in sales is qualifying that the owner perceives they have the problem, then the personal sales process moves along. In my experience, it's a waste of time selling them on perception. They have it, or they don't. Your custom direct mail campaign saves boatloads of time and can produces high value leads, and since the phone is the next step in your sales process anyway... don't forget that the non-responders may have high interest and just got busy with other stuff. Call 'em!

Best Regards,
Jan

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Michael Lambert

13 years ago

I've read your suggestions and I think that I've tried most but not all. I'll try to use the two that I missed out on in your suggestions.

I have to redesign the flyer and a slight rewording of my offer. Great thread / info you've given me. THanks!

Mike

Originally Posted by Jgregory

Hi Michael,

Congratulations on taking action. And Kudos to you for actually doing this in small runs testing your strategy. That's music to my ears as a coach! Testing and keeping track of results is how you increase your ROI. You're on the right track with some time-tested mailing methods for direct mail lead generation. The first battle in all your marketing is getting the prospect's Attention. We are all fighting information overload in our daily lives and the person on the other end of your addressing is no different.

You are well on your way to winning the lead generation game with large hand-addressed envelopes. You'll be judging your success rate soon enough, so let me add some pointers for assessing your direct mail campaign.

Power Messaging is Key

Please don't forget that the Message you send is key. And the Promise in that Message. No matter how many people Open your envelope, click on your email, or talk to you on a cold call, if your message does not resonate with their circumstances and Promise an immediate solution to a big problem then it won't be successful.

Power Message = The Promise to solve my Burning Problem

Do not sell the solution in the mailing piece(your flyer), sell the reason the prospect should respond to know more. You want an opportunity to set an appointment only. Then You have time for presenting your solution later, but do not do that in the mailing. You should focus on Lead Generation.

Power Messaging comes from knowing your audience, knowing their burning problems and matching your solution to the lingo of their niche. If Tuesday is a money-losing, cash-sucking, slow night at Chez Grerad restaurant each and every week, the owner's attention and actions will resonate with a message like this...

"Mr. De Gaulle, let me Double your Covers every Tuesday night with this simple marketing method, just like I do for Jimmy's Bistro in Center City."

All lead generation is a numbers game that ends with ROI. If done well, direct mail has one and only one goal, create a powerful itch to know more about your solution. Numbers for response rates are why targeting is so critical to ROI and profit from any marketing campaign. If you can reduce a possible 1000 suspects to a list of 128 best candidates, then you are way ahead of the game and you get better performance metrics

Customizing your Mailing

If appropriate to your solution, you can use photocopies of local advertising included in those large envelopes, you will increase response rates by 100's of % points. Those selling SEO services are enclosing 20 copies of the Google search rankings for 20 relevant keywords to the target niche. See where this is going? Customize by making it relevant and personal... the ads or the SERPS pages are pointing to the business owner AND his competition. Powerful message.

Much More Mileage than Call Backs from Direct Mail

I have not seen your Message and Offer in the mailing piece, but no matter how powerful it is... please do phone call followups to the non-responders in the entire list of 50. You can quadruple your leads with a simple phone call like this

"Hi this is Mike, with XYZ company, my assistant sent a package over to Dr Smith and I just wanted to followup on the delivery... and I'm just not sure who to ask about that in your office... could you help me with that please? Who should I followup with on that package?"

A lot of things can get in a busy owners way to calling you back, so don't wait. Make simple 1 minute followup calls within 48 hours of mailing. The phone is absolutely your friend. Some practice with easy followup phone calls to the direct mail piece and all your business calling might gets easier too.

Even if you get a No, take that as an opportunity to learn why its a No for that person. You will be getting the truest test reaction to your marketing strategy from the horse's mouth. Just be sincere and ask them why because it would help your do a better job.

I always insist on getting the real reason for a No. don't be put off with "Call me next week" Just say this, "Look Mr. Jones... you and I have better things to do than play phone tag, and I honestly do not want to bother you if this doesn't fit your business... so, I'm just scratching you off my list and I won't call back. But before I go, it would help me a great deal if you can tell me honestly why you can't accommodate an immediate spike in your Tuesday night sales? I mean this sincerely too... what exactly makes this a bad fit for you?"

Make every call a business call about business and you kill the fear of rejection on the phone. It's a mindset. If you believe in your service, and obviously you do, then you have a solution to a serious problem. If you don't, then rethink your business model fast.

The first step in sales is qualifying that the owner perceives they have the problem, then the personal sales process moves along. In my experience, it's a waste of time selling them on perception. They have it, or they don't. Your custom direct mail campaign saves boatloads of time and can produces high value leads, and since the phone is the next step in your sales process anyway... don't forget that the non-responders may have high interest and just got busy with other stuff. Call 'em!

Best Regards,
Jan

Thanks
1 reply

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Jgregory

13 years ago

You wrote:
yellow 9x12 printed mailing address (not hand written) with no letter just an 8x11 flyer inside.

I just sent another 50 in white

Hi Michael,

Encourage you try using real mail-merge letters in those 9 x 12 envelopes with a powerful message in the letter.

Small runs are best done to highly targeted lists with as much customization as possible. In the end a flyer is a flyer and its the perception of the recipient where this matters.

Some people disregard flyers out of hand. But rarely will anyone not take a look at a personal laser printed business letter on a professional letterhead

Good luck,
Jan

Originally Posted by Michael Lambert

...yellow 9x12 printed mailing address (not hand written) with no letter just an 8x11 flyer inside.

I just sent another 50 in white...

Originally Posted by Michael Lambert

I've read your suggestions and I think that I've tried most but not all. I'll try to use the two that I missed out on in your suggestions.

I have to redesign the flyer and a slight rewording of my offer. Great thread / info you've given me. THanks!

Mike

Thanks

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vergvio

13 years ago

i do not know about this direct email but it would be great if i encountered that thing!

Thanks

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Abhi.garg

13 years ago

Direct mail is very good system for marketing most of the people use & accept this pattern ! well I also like direct mail system !

Thanks

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chrisjenva

13 years ago

Direct Mail is something I will be getting into within the next few months. I've been wanting to try it and it's time that I do. Expecially now with all the great ideas and advice given in this thread.

Thanks

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daniel222

13 years ago

Sent out 30 Letters for Webdesign today... Im a little bit nervous! Sorry for my bad english!

Thanks
1 reply

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rushindo 13 years ago

Originally Posted by daniel222

Sent out 30 Letters for Webdesign today... Im a little bit nervous! Sorry for my bad english!

I have to get off topic for one second. Why do so many people say "sorry for my bad english"? Your sentence is perfectly fine! Where are you from and who advised you to say that? I see it everywhere and it makes no sense, especially when the english is perfectly fine.

Do yourself a favor and stop saying that.

Okay, back to the regularly scheduled program...

Brandon
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stranger11

13 years ago

I never considered direct mail, but am always interested in combining offline marketing with online.

Thanks

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Abhi.garg

13 years ago

Yes Direct Mail is best to way connect with your client !
So I love to Direct Mail!

Thanks

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embrace1

13 years ago

Interesting topic, never thought of actually MAILING people.

Thanks

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shery1234

13 years ago

nice to meet the another active mailer person.

Thanks

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shery1234

13 years ago

Yes I love direct mail and I am really pleased.

Thanks

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sabreena

13 years ago

Hello,

I also like Direct mailing....

Thanks

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stranger11

13 years ago

Are there any resources online or any books where I can learn more about direct mailing? Like how to get these lists for different markets and how to approach the whole thing. Basically something for newbs.

Thanks
1 reply

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TheShark

13 years ago

Everyone is writing about direct mail - I've been doing it for myself and others since 1997.

It's all in the numbers and testing.

Latest project (not as profitable as most of them).

Played with single page letter, high end laser printing (envelope uses signature print blue font for address, black typed for return, targeted list) - required in the state to put "Solicitation" on the envelope is basically bold print. Divided the list into Hispanic and non-Hispanic - same letter, personalized with their name and handwritten looking (can tell) signature - but Hispanics got spanish letter and non got english letter. 150 mailings total. Only 2 responses - Spanish speakers...no hires. Cost, about $100 (used left over materials from another successful campaign - so can only estimate).

2nd month = dramatic change in letter - still english/spanish, added 2 business cards. 200 letters, 6 calls...all Hispanic. 2 hires. Cost? Appx $200. Gross revenue $3,000.

3rd month - same letter as second, 2 cards, added 1 additional bi-fold color brochure....100 letters....$195.25 ($1.95 a piece) - 2 hires, 7 calls,...$3,200.

4th month - 200 letters, but cost of brochures now much cheaper (did test run first) - $142 = .71 each - not sure the total return yet (this is the 4th month) - so far 2 hires, 8 calls, and only 1/2 way through month. $3,000.

Also, we are now only sending Spanish mailings because our call to action is working with them the best. Lowered our material's costs as well (discussed above) and no more English letters since wasn't working.

There were two clients involved in the above - the first dropped out after the 1st month and the 2nd is continuing with the program because it is making her a very good ROI. The 1st wants back in (has been talking to the 2nd client), but is not going to happen since they were too difficult to deal with.

Sometimes you just have to keep testing until you get it right.

BTW - this is one of the least successful campaigns we have had in a while and our next step will be to add 2 follow up mailings. We have our targeted list and I know from experience that this list's responses drop off a cliff after 3 mailings. We will keep tweaking until we get a much better overall ROI.

The time is takes for the mailings done in house, including stamps, is about 20 minutes a day a couple times a week. We use glue sticks and non-white #10 envelopes. If we used white envelopes (peel and stick) the time would be less than 10 minutes, but the response rate goes down.

----My next new campaign starts next week for myself. I expect that I will send out a series of 7 letters (already tested in the past) to my targets over a multi-month time frame. My average customer profit is a minimum $2,500 - so even if my costs to gain each customer were $500, I'm still profitable. My cost to deliver the service is about $250 - so I have to remember that. My whole goal is only 10 new customers a month. I will then license the campaign to another business that does what I do, but in a non-conflicting geographic area - I'm just making sure the system I use is still good since I haven't used it in 3 years - I also guarantee my work. If it doesn't make them money, they don't pay me.

Remember to think - if you have a successful piece, consider licensing it. I have one piece (actually a series of 3 letters) that took me 5 years to develop to perfection. I license it to one company and get paid a lot of money each year - but I have agreed to to update it about every 6 months (takes me about an hour). They actually love paying me because the more they are paying me, the more money they are making....smart client!

The Shark

PS...Excuse my English - I have no excuse except for being up so late.

[ 2 ] Thanks
1 reply

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Jgregory

13 years ago

Excellent contribution from @Shark.

I hope this puts paid to the idea that direct mail is too expensive. Shark has something in common with all the other success stories in this thread. He's focusing on ROI not the immediate expense of a mailing campaign.

~Jan Gregory

Originally Posted by TheShark

Everyone is writing about direct mail - I've been doing it for myself and others since 1997.

It's all in the numbers and testing.

...notice the attention paid to tracking performance and keeping the stats in order. This is what allows the adjustment and fine-tuning to increase conversions with each test.

Originally Posted by TheShark

Played with single page letter, high end laser printing (envelope uses signature print blue font for address, black typed for return, targeted list) - required in the state to put "Solicitation" on the envelope is basically bold print. Divided the list into Hispanic and non-Hispanic - same letter, personalized with their name and handwritten looking (can tell) signature - but Hispanics got spanish letter and non got english letter.

Targeted List. Again we've heard this over and over. This is a key criteria to achieving high conversions and high ROI in direct mail lead generation.

Note the attention paid to the personalization. "high end laser printing". And using glue sticks over press-and-seal made a big difference. That's telling, isn't it? People really do notice the small details.

The success stories here have all done the same... genuine personalization so the mail piece is received as a genuine personal message, and it is. This type of direct mail is taking it beyond a simple mail-merge letter. You have to step up your game to get the higher conversions. But it is so worth it!

All direct mail will wind up in the C pile, the B pile, or the A pile. The A pile requires more detail for personalization but the A pile draws attention and gets read almost immediately. The B pile has done the job, but its lower in priority for the recipient. Either one, if your message resonates, you get a reply. That's the payoff.

The C pile? that's where 99% of direct mail winds up... in the Can. Don't be like those mailers

Originally Posted by TheShark

The time is takes for the mailings done in house, including stamps, is about 20 minutes a day a couple times a week. We use glue sticks and non-white #10 envelopes. If we used white envelopes (peel and stick) the time would be less than 10 minutes, but the response rate goes down.
.

Small runs. 20 minutes a day. A steady stream of response. This is an automated drip-feed lead system

Mailing houses aren't really suited to small run mailings, but you don't really need them for small runs. If you want to mass mail postcards or flyers, that can be effective is some circumstances, then mailing services make more sense.

However, it seems that a boatload of people in the offline discussion area are small businesses looking for better way to get leads for their SEO services, SMS text offers, Website design, and more. Direct mail is a very good fit if done the right way with targeting and personalization. Good laser printers and the rest of the gear is a few hundred dollars investment

Whatever you do, I strongly suggest that small time operators take charge of their own lead generation. You should use a basket of approaches to create a steady stream of prospects. Direct mail, followup phone calls to the targets, and direct cold calls are the mainstays of lead generation.

Best Regards,
Jan Gregory

P.S. Shark has brought in a pro level gameface here. The series of timed followup mailings is the next step in maximizing those high value targets in your Targeted List. With small runs, I personally recommend you do phone call followups. Its way easier to reach out with those phone calls if you have issues with cold calling. You will get more actionable leads from the phone calls, you will also further qualify you list eliminating a those with genuine no interest. those you can remove from the list for the next mailing in the series

Time and time again, studies show that it takes 4 to 7 touches or approaches for many prospects to respond, becoming qualified prospects, presentations, and finally new customers. The followup series is well worth the effort and takes the ROI to even higher ground.

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Jgregory 13 years ago

To @Shark

Could I ask which State this is that requires a "solicitation" notice on the envelope?

Would appreciate any advice or extra knowledge on that issue.

Regards,
Jan
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- TheShark 13 years ago
  
  In response - SOLICITATION is required for attorneys in California...or they can get in big trouble with the bar and sued by competitors as well.
  
  The Shark
  
  Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
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  Jgregory 13 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by TheShark
  
  In response - SOLICITATION is required for attorneys in California...or they can get in big trouble with the bar and sued by competitors as well.
  
  The Shark
  
  Apologies, but I will ask for clarification to be certain
  
  Are you saying your target addressee is an Attorney and that is why the SOLICITATION stamp is required? only because you are sending it to an attorney?
  
  OR do you mean that the Attorney is the Sender of the mail and must therefore add Solicitation?
  
  Thanks
  
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  TheShark 13 years ago
  
  If Attorney is sender, must be "Solicitation" or "Advertisement" on the outside of the envelope in California...and can't be sneaky, has to be bold.
  
  When we send to attorneys, we leave blank.
  
  Hope that clarifies.
  
  The Shark
  
  PS....some of my most profitable pieces have been to attorneys. New business owners have been my challenge...but working on it. Old business owners (5 years plus) are some of my best response rates - but we really niche them. Not just business owners, but have 3 sentences referencing the types of business in the letter (beginning, middle and end), but the other 90% stays the same.
  
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  Jgregory 13 years ago
  
  @Shark
  
  That cleared it up, it was just the sender/recipient that wasn't clear in the wording of the original sentence.
  
  Kinda strange that attorneys are singled out for this in CA... since almost all legislators in Sacramento are attorneys, maybe there's some hidden benefit in this for them
  
  BTW, I find it the same as you... a genuine personal letter is about the only way to connect with an attorney. Phone calls are too heavily screened.
  
  And agree with narrowing the customization of each piece to a second level using the data fields for business category, location and other data for document merge fields. When its an exclusive offer and the recipient is in a tight group, it's worth it to merge in one of his/her competitors business names in a non-confrontational sentence. As long as they see it, the very sight of a competitor kicks that Lizard Brain thinking into gear and ups the response rates considerably.
  
  One way to do that is with a PS or a closing sentence like this...
  
  Mr. Brown, I'll be visiting with Metro CounterTops this Thursday, and since that's in your neighborhood, perhaps I can stop in and see if this might possibly be a good fit for your company. If you have 10 minutes this Thursday afternoon, call me at 555-1213-4567.
  
  Regards,
  Jan
  
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wiseme11

13 years ago

Yes, I love Direct Mail as well.
This is one of the best marketing strategy. The sales letter that we sent out will work like a salesman to deliver the important message to the prospect. There is no guarantee that every recipient will read the mail but at least can hit 95% of them. You don't have to hear negative words with all kind of rejection that to keep our mind and emotion positive all day in the business. Disadvantage is time because every letter need to be properly drafted to the targeted audience,need to do printing, stuffing, writing address and pasting stamp. Lastly, have to deliver it to the nearest post box.
It really keep you occupy in the job. This is just an another way of doing your marketing if you enjoy it. :p

:rolleyes:

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Warrior Down Under

13 years ago

I have heard of direct mail, but I guess do not feel confident in carrying it out.

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jayspann

13 years ago

Jay Abraham called it the Force Multiplier Method I think. I always use a combination of all the channels available to me.

Email
Phone
Linkedin
Facebook
Direct Mail
Walk in... if they are local.

You need to know what your life time value is for a customer.

We worked out that it cost us $160ish to acquire one client but that client was at the low end worth $2000.

Spend 320 and get $4K (again on the low end).

Keep track of what generates what and don't think of it as a cost. Its an investment.

Jay

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Jgregory

13 years ago

Originally Posted by DJVan

Of course you could also do the one two punch of direct mail and SMS.

I'm about to start a new direct mail combo for several clients. Plan to use direct mail, web site, build an email and sms list for special offers, etc.

Good choice. The B2B targets are inundated with marketing messages and the delivery vehicles all have different characteristics and are usually perceived differently by the recipients. Test and track each method and don't forget that another audience will have different perceptions
~Jan

Originally Posted by jayspann

Jay Abraham called it the Force Multiplier Method I think. I always use a combination of all the channels available to me.

... keep track of what generates what and don't think of it as a cost. Its an investment.

Jay

Right on, Jay. A basket of delivery strategies can cover all the bases and you find what works best as well

And I recommend that everyone not forget what Jay Spann also says about the tracking and cost/performance ratios. If you don't track, you don't know what is working. If you don't track, then you can't measure your ROI against the value received in driving new revenues with those new customers. LCV, or Lifetime Customer Value, should be a part of every strategy with offline and online marketing.

It costs a lot of money to acquire new customers, and by focusing on LCV, this will naturally lead you to find more related services/products to upsell and backsell for higher LCV

Regards,
Jan Gregory

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johan75

13 years ago

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Rockrz 13 years ago

Hey, what about INdirect mailing???

That'd be mailing to one guy and seeing if he'll go show it to some other guy after he's looked at it for a while.

I heard this was the latest crazy, cause two people see the mailer versus just one...it's like more bang for your mailing buck

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msolution

13 years ago

id love to read if anyone has had a considered success in this?
i believe its all about ROI,

email vs direct mail,

email gets into spam bin,
direct mail keeps getting piled up on the table untill weekend!

but in the end its all about if the objective is achieved.,

M.

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Jgregory 13 years ago

Originally Posted by msolution

id love to read if anyone has had a considered success in this?
i believe its all about ROI,

.

My suggestion is read this entire thread... start with this post. I included direct links to many of the better posts and you will find many here succeeding with customized direct mail campaigns. Study... learn... apply it in small campaigns, test your results and keep learning.

Here's the post with the links Direct Mail study links

Regards,
Jan Gregory
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danielsteven

13 years ago

Anybody have any "successful" pieces they'd like to share

.... I know that will be a no! But worth a shot.

P.S good stuff on here Jan, I bookmarked this thread because of what you are sharing on here... thanks

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Michael Clough

13 years ago

One of the BEST threads I have ever read on this forum! Jan and others.....thanks so very much.

I purchased a ton of WSO's that don't even hold a candle to this (free) info!

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charlier

13 years ago

Becker13 was thinking the same thing. Might be something to think about.....

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wolfdem

13 years ago

Hi Top dog marketer I saw your post about direct mail , and I am very interested I have my seo company but I try to expand it and i think direct mail is good to get new customers , please can you help me with this? I cant send pm so can you email me to wolfdem2011 en gmail thanks in advance

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rehtheis

13 years ago

I have not used email marketing, yet and
really the ideas and tips on this topic
are very useful to me

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Mixon2012

Banned 13 years ago

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johnnydepp 13 years ago

Direct mail is very good system for marketing most of the people use & accept this pattern ! well I also like direct mail system !
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sabreena

13 years ago

Hi,

I love direct mailing and sounds great to me...

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TheWicker

13 years ago

For me direct mail prooved to be on of the most efficent marketing tools, not only in terms of increasing sales also regarding establishing good relations with costumers.

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cvcena2

13 years ago

Direct has not lost its effectivity in these times I guess... Though you can save a lot on the printing cost, paper, save the environment, etc. if you do email marketing instead... Just my thought...

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rambo9600

13 years ago

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phpPro

13 years ago

Originally Posted by rambo9600

You have no clue what you're talking about.

@cvcena2, again its all about ROI, does the printing cost get covered up by the sales it generates? or are u just messing around !

even the most effective email marketing can land in the spam bin, thats a waste of time and money again...

i think the rules of the game remain the same, targetted approach with an effective verbiage.

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rambo9600

13 years ago

Originally Posted by phpPro

@cvcena2, again its all about ROI, does the printing cost get covered up by the sales it generates? or are u just messing around !

even the most effective email marketing can land in the spam bin, thats a waste of time and money again...

i think the rules of the game remain the same, targetted approach with an effective verbiage.

Rambo, mess around?

Of course I get a ROI for myself and my clients. You can inserts fliers (stand alone is Flyer) into Newspapers (otherwise known as a FSI-Free Standing Insert) or you can distribute via "rack space."

You can do FSI's about "Contractors" into your Local paper when they have a special "Homes" section. Or you can do that for the "Food" section with restaurants.

You need a compelling offer and a deadline or some type of scarcity to make it work.

Contact your local newspaper and ask for their P&D (Print & Distribution) rate guide. They will send it PDF via email. It will give you their price to Print and Distribute in their newspaper.

The minimum is usually 10,000 pcs, breakpoints are normally 25k, 50k, etc... the pricing will range from $50 per thousand fliers to $100.

IN most cases, old school traditional type marketing kicks the Internets ass, period.

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bob ross

13 years ago

Originally Posted by rambo9600

Rambo, mess around?

Of course I get a ROI for myself and my clients. You can inserts fliers (stand alone is Flyer) into Newspapers (otherwise known as a FSI-Free Standing Insert) or you can distribute via "rack space."

You can do FSI's about "Contractors" into your Local paper when they have a special "Homes" section. Or you can do that for the "Food" section with restaurants.

You need a compelling offer and a deadline or some type of scarcity to make it work.

Contact your local newspaper and ask for their P&D (Print & Distribution) rate guide. They will send it PDF via email. It will give you their price to Print and Distribute in their newspaper.

The minimum is usually 10,000 pcs, breakpoints are normally 25k, 50k, etc... the pricing will range from $50 per thousand fliers to $100.

IN most cases, old school traditional type marketing kicks the Internets ass, period.

Solid advice from Rambo.

I just want to add that the costs the rate cards will show are often negotiable.

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Irish Intuition 13 years ago

Direct mail is GREAT! Perhaps better now then ever before.

Way less mail is going out which gives us a better chance
to grab their attention
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phpPro

13 years ago

Originally Posted by rambo9600

Rambo, mess around?

Of course I get a ROI for myself and my clients. You can inserts fliers (stand alone is Flyer) into Newspapers (otherwise known as a FSI-Free Standing Insert) or you can distribute via "rack space."

You can do FSI's about "Contractors" into your Local paper when they have a special "Homes" section. Or you can do that for the "Food" section with restaurants.

You need a compelling offer and a deadline or some type of scarcity to make it work.

Contact your local newspaper and ask for their P&D (Print & Distribution) rate guide. They will send it PDF via email. It will give you their price to Print and Distribute in their newspaper.

The minimum is usually 10,000 pcs, breakpoints are normally 25k, 50k, etc... the pricing will range from $50 per thousand fliers to $100.

IN most cases, old school traditional type marketing kicks the Internets ass, period.

no offense to u mate,... none intended.

just making a very obvious point, .... if u r getting into printing, distributing.... u need to look into (at the end of the month) how many leads is it generating and is the ROI working for you.

for you it seems to be working out, but really cant be sure what works for you works for all. can we now?

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msolution

13 years ago

thread already bookmarked, i did scoll thru it, but i guess ill have to get down to read it proper, intersting on the whole.

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RichardDin

13 years ago

I'm a newbie
someone could explain in a couple of words what's direct mail actually is? Is this spam?

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SoCalMarketing 13 years ago

Originally Posted by RichardDin

I'm a newbie
someone could explain in a couple of words what's direct mail actually is? Is this spam?

Direct mail is physical mail sent out usually through the postal service, usually to a targeted list with a specific offer/message. If sent untargeted, it may be sent as "bulk mail" which some would consider "junk mail" the physical equivalent of the digital "spam".
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maxrezn

13 years ago

check out 3dmailresults.com for some out of the box ideas on increasing your direct mail/direct response results.

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sbishop

13 years ago

I was trying to decide where to get my list to start my mailing. I wanted new businesses. I looked a different websites and found a tip. I checked my county website and found free online access to the assumed name registrations. I can pick a date range and pull thier biz name who registered and address, all for FREE!

Keep looking for reasons to suceede and not for reasons to fail!!

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ilovemedia

13 years ago

The success of direct mail marketing is really dependent on what type of business is using it and how it is being used. It's easy to be blinded by the prospect of a boost in customer turnout, but if you don't consider certain factors, direct mail marketing may end up doing nothing at all or even making things for you.

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rambo9600

13 years ago

Originally Posted by ilovemedia

The success of direct mail marketing is really dependent on what type of business is using it and how it is being used. It's easy to be blinded by the prospect of a boost in customer turnout, but if you don't consider certain factors, direct mail marketing may end up doing nothing at all or even making things for you.

The only way you'll know is by testing. I can assure you direct mail works very, very well. Print media is the largest advertising media in the US, period.

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phpPro

13 years ago

then your avatar makes more sense, .. if u lose the gun and the aggressiveness, perhaps ull understand that my comment was in a general sense and not directed at you only.!

how does your NOT printing and the newpaper printing make any difference? at the end of the day, its your money!! and your just repeating what im saying!

some people just love to have a brain fart in public!!!

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chicka

13 years ago

Direct mail is ok, more on a personal touch, but also consider sending emails. Just dont make it look like a spam.

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printchesco

13 years ago

Direct mail is great, but is it all you do for your marketing? It might be a bad idea to put all your trust in one strategy, even if you're really adept at it and it's been working for you for years. It's always good to have some flexibility and diversity.

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Matt Lee

13 years ago

Direct mail is one of those methods of advertising that I just don't do enough. It's a great way to find clients and give you local exposure. Last week, I had a client signup who found me from a mailer i did a year ago. She checked me out a while ago and bookmarked my website to eventually contact me months later. Which was surprising for a direct mail campaign.

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FormerWageSlave

13 years ago

@ Jgregory or other direct-mail pros...

Perhaps you could give me some advice on focusing the lists. In the examples above you recommended narrowing down the niche and used restaurant as the example and even drilling down further, fine dining, ethnicity, etc.

I don't work with businesses who have a low customer transaction value. I prefer to work with larger B2B companies or B2C companies with high customer transaction values.

How can I best segment B2B companies? I'm using selection criteria like $1mil/yr in revenue, less than 10 employees, etc., but are there other factors that I could be considering. How would you be looking at them to come up with finely targeted list?

If it matters, I use ReferenceUSA databases.

Thanks!

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my herumi

13 years ago

Direct mail?
Did you mean physical mail sent out usually through the postal service for advertise reason?

Sure, I loved it all

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kwamster

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Top Dog Marketer

Hi,

My name's Mitchell and I'm new to this forum, but I'm not new to the marketing game at all. I've been successfully using direct mail for many years now, but I'm curious to see if anyone else on here uses direct mail as well?

It's cool that there's an offline section on this forum, and it seems like a lot of you are really interested in closing deals with local businesses and creating an SEO empire, but it also looks like many of you don't know how to get started as well.

I'd love to network with any direct mail junkies on here, and if anyone has questions or wants to just chat about marketing or direct mail, then add to the conversation and I'll be happy to help you.

Do you feel that using direct mail to drive traffic to one's site is perhaps a better way of getting visitors than SEO?

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damongreene

12 years ago

Yup. "Direct Mail is DEAD" or so it has been stated. Let the fools keep believing that! While the smart take advantage of it.

I convinced my landscaper to use direct mail to generate leads in my subdivision. He finally trusted me but after he got an additional 1200 per month recurring income & 12% conversion rate from only ONE subdivision he quickly realized.. IT WORKS.

Noone gets mail anymore so the opportunity is WIDE OPEN

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Rob28x 12 years ago

Direct mail is my favorite area for marketing, and I am just really starting to ramp it up. Thanks to all those who added tips to this thread, it was a very good read and I learned a lot. Looking forward to following this thread.
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I LOVE direct mail. Do you?

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