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MAILWAYS
A free newsletter offering direct mail marketing tips from
Bi-County Mailing & American Mail Communications
August 2010
Copyright © 2010
888-MAIL-888
IN THIS ISSUE
- Nifty DM Checklist
- Corporate Events
- Creative DM Techniques
- Ease $$$ Pressures
- Press Box
- Our Favorite Charities
- How Are We Doing?
- Hold That Thought
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HOLD THAT THOUGHT...
“If you’re going to tell people the truth, be funny or they’ll kill you.”
Billy Wilder
Film Director and Producer
Selected by Long Island Business News readers as..
An Insider’s Nifty
Direct Mail Checklist
Offer an extra “goodie” to the first 50 people who reply.
Charge $2.99 rather than $3.00.
Don’t promise savings in percentages. Instead, offer your product at “half price” or say, “Buy one, get one free.”
Mailing a packet? Don’t forget to put your company name, address and contact information on every piece.
Use these powerful words in your copy:
- FREE
- Exclusive
- Save
- Money
- Guarantee
- Love
- Easy
- Safe
- Proven
B-to-B Corporate Events
Solidify Relationships
The proprietary corporate event is a powerful B-to-B marketing tool that can provide you with exclusive access to customers and prospects, and allow you to deliver your company’s message in a very personalize manner without distractions.
Here are some productive corporate events:
- Client Conferences, designed to engage senior managers and address strategic issues, can focus on developing customer relationships, communicating corporate visions and cross- and up-selling.
- User Group Meetings can educate attendees about current products, uncover problems and offer solutions, and identify customer needs for additional products.
- Executive Seminars bring C-level customers together for education and peer interaction to learn about business solutions to common problems. The events usually position the host company as a partner - a trusted and reliable resource - as opposed to a vendor.
Creative Direct Mail Techniques Help Mailings Stand Out
Even in today’s multimedia marketing arena, direct mail produces the second highest response rates (beyond catalogs), according to the Direct Marketing Association. Here are some successful creative approaches mailers use to remain effective despite the competition:
- Some experts recommend making mail easier to read and understand by demonstrating and underscoring key points with charts or graphs rather than using dense text.
- When promoting events, seminars or workshops by direct mail, one organization increases attendance by including “buddy tickets,” urging recipients to bring a friend/colleague.
- On its order form, a company boosts orders by adding a check box with: “I’d like a representative to give me a live demo.”
- A gift card designed to reactivate lapsed customers or promote special sales improves response.
How to Ease the Pressure
of Rising Costs
The cost of the mail piece is always a great consideration when creating a direct mail marketing program. But short of reducing the volume of your mailing, which is really not an option, there are ways to cut expenses. Here are some tips:
- Try two-step mailings: First mail a letter and response card, offering more information about your product/service. Then mail a more elaborate package only to those who respond to the initial mailing.
- Use letter-sized mail instead of larger, complex packages.
- Send large cards to promote your sales, website, events, etc.
- Don’t use fancy designs that require additional production, such as die cutting or hand assembly.
- Clean your mailing list and keep it current.
Our mission is to make your use of direct mail correct, efficient, effective and as hassle-free as possible. In every way possible, we will operate as an extension of your company or organization
with your needs and goals as our paramount responsibility.