Direct Mail or DM is a type of direct marketing that sends letters, postcards or other promotional materials to past, present or prospects or customers. DM campaigns can target consumers or businesses, or both. In many cases, mailings are sent to target demographics (such as homeowners) or geographic markets (such as specific regions). In most cases, bulk or bulk mail, but you can also send mail in small amounts directly.
Table of Contents
Direct Mail Advantages
- You can respond effectively if you write well and talk directly to the target market.
- Bulk mail is cheaper than regular mail.
- Track results.
Disadvantages of direct mail
- Many consumers do not read mail items directly, but discard them as “junk mail.”
- Response times are often lower than other direct marketing strategies.
- It’s especially expensive if the mailing doesn’t produce results.
7 ways to use Direct Mail in your home business
Often people only think in terms of mail advertising when considering direct mail. However, there are many ways that a home business can use direct mail to secure customers or clients.
- Product and Service Catalog: Send a catalog or a list of products you offer to prospects to see everything you need to offer. We recommend including a coupon (#2) to encourage purchases.
- Discounts and Specials: Instead of sending a card or letter introducing a product or service, why not include special deals like discounts for first time customers? People love good deals and are a great way for prospects to learn more about your business.
- Useful items or tips: Real estate agents often send calendars and recipes to customers and clients. Those who receive this item keep the item because it provides something helpful or useful, and remember the name of the real estate agent because it reminds them whenever a potential customer points to a calendar or recipe. You can do the same. What you send should be what people want and want to keep fit for your business.
- Notifications : It is recommended to send notifications to customers and clients depending on the product or service. For example, if you have a tax preparation business, you can send a notification of the deductible before the end of the year in December or notify your employer about bringing W-2 and 1099 by the end of January.
- Sample: If it’s not expensive, send us a product sample or provide a free sample to someone who responds to the mail. People love getting free items and testing products before buying. Send them samples and we will provide both.
- Notice: If you are launching a new product or service, please let us know your existing and customers and potential customers. Again, it’s a good idea to include discounts that encourage you to check for new products or services.
- Newsletter: E-mail newsletter is the cheapest way to regularly send information to your list, but printing and mailing news can also be effective. This allows you to combine many of the above ideas, such as a list of products or services, discounts, useful tips and announcements.
How to use DM in your home business
- Decide on your goals. What do you want people to do when they receive mail? order? Would you like a consultation?
- Decide what type of mail to send. Postcards are cheap, but there are limits on how much information you can put in them. At the same time, postcards are more likely to be read than letters that recipients need to open to view their content.
- Make a mail. For DM to succeed, you need to design an attractive mailer. To do that, you need to understand copywriting. It is not enough to tell people about your business. Instead, you should seduce them by telling them about their needs and offering them a solution to their problems. Don’t forget the message that entices people to open the letter, as you can put text in the envelope.
- Professionally design and print mail. In addition to words, the image used to determine how the mailer is displayed and whether the mail is read. Anyone who knows about direct mail should pay.
- Check the target market. Who will receive your mail? Contacting past customers, current prospects, or sending a cold mail from a list of purchased mails? If you are planning to purchase a list, check it out before spending money to see if it is an updated quality list. Also follow the list owner’s mailing rules. For example, “lease” only the name for one mailing. The only way to add a list member to the permanent list is to respond to mail.
- For group mail use, please contact your local post office. This is the cheapest way to send mail directly. With that said, stamp envelopes often have higher opening rates than bulk mail envelopes.
- Run a postal test. It’s expensive, so if you don’t pass the results, you don’t want to email the entire list. By sending a smaller test run, you can see if you’ve succeeded in getting results and the chances you can tweak to improve your response.
- Prepare a promotion for mailing and take it to your local post office.
- Response Tracking and ROI Calculations Determine whether direct mail is an effective marketing strategy for your home business.
