Direct Mail – It Works. Use It!

By Keith Goodman, VP, Corporate Solutions, Modern Postcard

As the owner or manager of a small or mid-size business, you constantly strive to grow your business and increase profitability. Often, your key challenge is simply bringing new customers in the door. Whether you’re a restaurant, dentist, CPA, tree-trimming service or yoga instructor, the name of the game is getting new customers!

No matter what type of business you own, direct mail is the effective and profitable way to find new customers. Getting the most bang for your buck is always important, but never more so than in a tough economy. In fact, according to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), the average return on investment for direct mail marketing is $12 in revenue for every $1 invested. You would be hard-pressed to find another type of advertising that can give you that type of return.

There are several important benefits to including direct mail in your marketing:

• Targeted – Unlike many other types of advertising, you can market only to the people most likely to buy your product or service.
• Measurable – You know exactly who you mailed to so it is easy to identify new business as a result of the program. You can track just how effective each mailing really is and compare it to your other types of advertising.
• Scalable - Mail 100 or 100,000 pieces. Once you find something that works, you can invest in larger mailings knowing that it will deliver the results you’re looking for.
• Expected – Mail is delivered 6 days a week. Your recipients don’t need to order it, subscribe to it or drive out to go get it. It is delivered to their home and office 6 days a week.
• Appreciated – Best of all, people actually like getting their mail. According to a recent study by the USPS, over 60% of consumers would rather get offers by mail than any other type of advertising. In addition, the average recipient will spend over 30 minutes a day reading what arrives in their mail box.

The most critical part of successful direct mail is getting it read. Before anyone can respond or purchase your product, they have to read your piece. DMA statistics show that postcards are more likely to be read than any other mail shape. It’s no wonder, really. A postcard carries immediate impact – it doesn’t need to be opened like typical envelopes, and its message and offer are instantly communicated to the reader. Next time you sort through your mail, pay attention and you’ll see what I mean.

Apart from standing out in the mail, postcards are also highly cost-effective. The save on printing costs and recent advancements in postal processing ensure optimized delivery times. These innovations mean less wasted mail and the lowest possible postage rates.

If you’re looking for the difference-maker in your business, consider direct mail. It just might be the marketing tactic you need to keep yourself busy all year long.

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