Planning a Direct Mail Campaign
Direct Mail should be a major element of any marketing campaign. After designing a social media blitz on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+, you should then continue with a design for a direct mail campaign to be a compliment to the blitz. You cannot depend on just one avenue to get to your audience and generate the leads that you are looking for. You will also need to include in your multifaceted campaign the content on your website. But, to get to all of these different parts of a marketing campaign, you have to plan! The following is a list of items and tasks that need to be executed in order to take your project to a successful conclusion.
First, you need to figure out what you are trying to accomplish. You will need to set your goals for the campaign and name the objectives. A simple one line naming the ultimate goal such as getting more clients, but then you have to flesh it out with a definition and a timeline and a budget. You want to create steps so that you can cross off each from your to do list while you travel to your end goal.
Next, you will need to put a name on the prospect you are trying to attract. Who are they? What is their age group, their habits and their wants and needs. And, importantly, you will need to address any questions they may have. Determine the benefits your customer is seeking and their location. Your ideal customer is one who gets their needs met!
You will need a list of these prospects that you have chosen. If you have an in house list, you can start there. But, if you are trying to increase the number of names that you have on the original list, you will have to determine if you need to buy a list or create a page on your website that people can sign up for a seminar or free information. You can also host an event or invite people to join the club, organize a giveaway or even try some telemarketing.
Then, you have to decide what your campaign is all about. Consider the message and the offer you are making to prospects. You will need to get their attention with a simple message and limited copy. Focus on benefits and have a distinct call to action. Make it easy for the prospect to respond to you with a pre-filled out postcard that they can simply send in. Your piece needs to get noticed and read with a design that stands out from the rest of the mail!
Finally, it is time for the campaign. You need the mail pieces to be printed and stamped and stuffed and addressed. You will need to decide if you will do these tasks in house or hire an outside company to take care of the heavy work. You will also have to make a decision on the follow up. Responding to phone calls, emails and letters should have be taken care of immediately and they need to be documented, recorded and analyzed. Again, you will need to decide whether you will take care of statistics and follow ups in house or use an outside company.
These are the basic actions you need to implement to make your direct mail campaign effective and successful. These will compliment the rest of your campaign that involves social media and your website and your large picture marketing strategy.
Direct Mail Marketing is one of the best advertising strategies you or your business could utilize to reach customers and prospective clients. It is cost-effective, versatile, highly customizable, quick and easy to set up, reliable and helps you stand out from the typical marketing routines of your competitors. The advantages of direct mail marketing are limitless! Also, the results of your marketing efforts can be measured and tracked easily when using direct mail – no more complicated analytics or time wasted wondering what works and what doesn’t. Everest Direct Mail & Marketing, using highly-target mailing lists, coupled with unique letters and envelopes, direct mail campaigns, can ensure your potential customers heed your message by putting your advertisements directly into their hands. In the spam-riddled world of today’s online marketing, using direct mail to publicize yourself makes every cent of your marketing budget count with a high chance for a strong return on your investment.
