Direct Mail Part 5: Increasing effectiveness

The final instalment of our Direct Mail series is just some quick hints and tips that can increase your mailshot effectiveness.

1. Change the headline on your letter. Your product may not change but your opener can
2. Change the timing of your mailshot. By varying the day of the week we increased readership of our own e-mailer by over 20%.
3. Focus on a different product benefit each time to see what works best
4. Get the right message to the right people. Send different messages to different people based on demographics
5. Include a brochure as well as a letter.
6. Include a free gift. It can convince people to respond
7. Learn from experience. Use your direct mail to improve your data
8. Offer a payment option such as interest free credit
9. Provide an early bird incentive. Prompt early action by limiting the time an offer is valid for
10. Offer a number of ways in which people can get in touch.

I hope you have found this series useful and if you wish anymore information please do not hesitate to contact us on;

01356 625033

enquiries@printmatters.info

PrintMatters on Facebook www.printmatters.info/facebook 

Direct Mail Part 4:

Last week we discussed how to successfully design your mailshot so this week we will make the natural progression onto production and despatch.

There are a few things you have to decide when producing your mailshot mainly whether it will be a standard letter or a fully designed mailer. PrintMatters can do both for you.

The important thing is that you maintain your database to assist mailshot production. Accuracy of information is key as an up-to-date database;

•  Increases response rates
• Reduces production and postage costs
• Helps ensure compliance with data protection regulations

So what about responses?

You really need to sort out your response method before you send out your direct mail. If you have not planned your response then a warm prospect can quickly turn to a cold shoulder.

Don’t fall into the trap of swamping yourself in responses.

Start off with smaller mailshots initially to gain an idea of the feedback you will receive, and then slowly increase the volume until you are comfortable.

There is no point in performing a large mailshot then not being able to handle the responses. This would not only result in a lost order, it will be a lost prospect that will be reluctant to do business with you again.

Next week I will give you the final part in our Direct Mail series.

Direct Mail Part 3: Writing your mailshot

Last week we discussed how to plan your mailshot. This week we will cover the main points to consider when writing your mailshot.

1.     After your greeting entice the reader with a Main benefit headline.

2.     Expand on this benefit

3.     Give other reasons to buy the product or service

4.     Give reassurance such as highlighting popularity or giving a guarantee

5.     Explain in one sentence what makes your company special

6.     Give details of opening hours, locations or just basic contact details encouraging the customer to respond

7.     Stipulate an end date to the benefit to encourage a quick response

8.     If you wish you can also include a further incentive, free gift, giveaway or such like to be redeemed by returning a voucher.

Of course you can write a non-sales mailer which could be thanking customers for repeat business, season’s greetings or congratulating on special dates. All the while highlighting other products or services you offer. Be discreet.

When designing the letter make sure to keep it simple, do not be afraid of white space.

Finally the envelope, we all receive special money off colourful envelopes but this can have an adverse effect. If you are not doing a large mailshot why not handwrite the envelopes?

You always open those ones first don’t you!

Next week we will discuss production and dispatch. 01356 625033 enquiries@printmatters.info 

Direct Mail Part 2: Planning your mailshot

Last week I discussed how direct mail can help you. This week you need to decide what you want to realistically achieve from your mailshot. Set yourself some targets whether it is number of enquiries, revenue generated or encouraging visits to your website.

If you want to target new customers then you will need new names and addresses. An external supplier can source names for you or you can generate the data yourself.

• Business directories
• Online sources such as yell.com
• Other peoples lists. Look at the person sitting next to you; they are a non-competing business in your area so why not swap lists?

To get a response you have to understand what people respond to.  Self interest and the need for news are two things that you need to focus on.

People take notice if they can make money, save money, save time or impress others.

Now you have grabbed the attention you need to give the recipient the opportunity to respond.

This could be a tear off slip, an order form an entry form for a competition. Whatever it is, make sure to gain more contact information.

Next week we will discuss writing and designing the mailshot.

enquiries@printmatters.info 01356 625033

How does Direct Mail help my business?

Over the next five weeks I will be enlightening you all to the benefits of direct mail.

Part one is working out how direct mail will help your business.

The reason why direct mail is so effective is because the first thing that people do when they get home from work, or arrive in work, is check the mail.

Direct mail helps you to achieve the following objectives;

• Increase sales to existing customers
• Build customer loyalty
• Re-establish contact with lapsed customers
• Generate new business

Direct mail does not suit everyone but here are some types of companies and what they can achieve by using it;

Ø Small businesses – a cost effective way of building relationships with old and new customers

Ø Start-ups – with a relatively small outlay for direct mail this is a great way to get your business off the ground with potentially high returns

Ø Retailers – use direct mail to build customer relationships and develop reputation of the brand

Ø Sales – to generate leads to follow up or to launch new products

Ø Events – get the relevant timely message out such as insurance renewals

Ø Fundraisers – one of the most effective use of direct mail to generate huge amounts of money

Next week we will talk about planning mail shots. 
PrintMatters; enquiries@printmatters.info. 01356 625 033.

Direct Mail tips

If you’re not contacting your customers, you can bet that someone will be. Imagine if that someone was your competitor?

The majority of businesses lose customers through lack of communication not bad service or poor products.

Contact your current customers via targeted direct mail. They already know how to spend money with you so it’s a lot easier to get them spending again.

Why not obtain a mailing list based on your current customer’s profile. Did you know you can receive up to 1000 business contacts from a local Business association absolutely free?

Repeat

In order for your message to be noticed you have to repeat it at least 3 times.

Personalise

Remember PrintMatters are a digital print company so we can personalise every individual piece of mail.

Be friendly

When writing the mailer write it to an individual and it will sound much more appealing.

Dont drown them

You want to create an interest in your product, service or company, you don’t want to bore them to death. Focus on the key benefits and what they will do to improve their life.

At PrintMatters we can design, print, post and cleanse your list through our mail return system.

PrintMatters, we do more. enquiries@printmatters.info 01356 625 033

Flyers distribution

Last week I discussed the effectiveness of one of the simplest promotional tools around. Flyers.

We constantly promote ourselves as a “print solutions provider”, what the hell does that mean I hear you ask? Well put simply we do more. More than just print.

Having hundreds or thousands of flyers is one thing, but they are no use to anyone sitting in a box in your cupboard. As a business owner you don’t have the time to sort out who gets the flyers where and when. We can do all that for you.

Not only will we consult with you, design and print your flyers we will also deliver them to your potential customers taking the time and effort to ensure that your message is not only created and printed, its delivered, driving new customers to your business.

What does it cost? Well if we deal with our immediate local area; to print and deliver flyers to 94-96% of the households in Brechin it will cost you from only £299.For Montrose it will cost from only £439. That’s to print and deliver 7,000 flyers and apart from writing the cheque you will not have to lift a finger.

Last week we mentioned some of the little gems that make your promotional materials stand out from the crowd;

Heavier stock to reduce throwaways and increase retention

Coupons to measure effectiveness and generate footfall

Pairing up your promotional activities through advertising, door drops, in store promotions and even seasonal “on van” promotions or adverts to maximise exposure. Remember it takes 5 sights of an advert before it registers with a customer.

We don’t just print, we design, we consult, we market, we distribute, we deliver.

Come and speak to PrintMatters….we do more.

01356 625033

Direct Mailing

Direct mail is a long established marketing tool and is considered a cost-effective way to attract attention to a company or product.

People tend to like receiving post and are statistically more likely to spend more time looking at what the postman’s delivered than what’s landed in their email inbox. Direct mail is tangible, you can hold it and the very act of opening a piece of DM already engages prospective customers much more so than an email.

Even if an email gets through the spamfilter and firewall the recipient still has only the subject line to decide whether they open or delete the message. This is a very small window of opportunity for the company advertising to “sell” to the recipient.

Traditionally direct mail has been one message to a mass of people where only a minority will respond positively to the advertising material. As a digital print company PrintMatters can target your data based on things such as postcode, name, or any other data that you hold on your customers or prospective customers. This data can then be used to change the message the recipient receives providing a much targeted mailing relevant to all your customers.

Due to the huge explosion in online and new media communications in the last ten years many companies are switching to direct mail as a way to stand out amongst the crowd.

Further evidence shows that while print is growing rapidly in its effectiveness and email communication diminishing; response rates can double by combining email and print in a direct marketing campaign. By following up print with a targeted email the response rates can double to that of print alone.

For more information on our previous direct mailing exercises or for a quote please contact us on 01356 625 033 or email enquiries@printmatters.info.