Direct Mail Advertising & Marketing

Direct mail advertising (a form of direct marketing) is a method of promoting your business by sending out mail shots whether it is a sales letter, brochure, flyer, postcards or newsletters direct to your target market. They may take the form of printed materials or now increasingly electronic or e-mail shots. The aim of direct mail is to elicit a specific immediate response from your potential customer whether it is to ‘buy now’, ‘book your place now’ or ‘make an appointment now.’

You may hate receiving what you might term ‘junk’ mail but it is recognised that direct mailing can be an extremely effective way of targeting potential clients if done effectively.

Remember that it is a ‘numbers’ game so accept that whilst the large proportion of people may throw your mail in the bin or delete from their inbox, there will be a small percentage that will respond positively. So you have to ensure that you send your mail out to many more times the number of contacts you are seeking and that they are written effectively to capture the attention of and compel action from your target market. You can also enhance your response rate by combining direct mail advertising with telemarketing.

There is now legislation that protects the privacy of consumers. You therefore need be aware of the current regulations in your own country so you know who you can send mail out to (whether it is by email or through the post). You can purchase mailing lists of both consumers and businesses who you can legitimately target in your campaigns.

If you don’t like the idea of doing this yourself or feel your efforts are best directed elsewhere there are specialist telemarketing companies who provide this service.

Recommended Further Reading:

Million Dollar Mailings - Denison Hatch

How to Write Sales Letters That Sell - Drayton Bird

Commonsense Direct & Digital Marketing: 12 by Drayton Bird (Paperback - 3 Jun 2007)

The Telesales Pocketbook (Management Pocket Book Series) by Peter Wyllie and Phil Hailstone (Paperback - 3 Jan 1998)

The Cold Calling by Will Kingdom (Paperback - 5 Mar 1998)

See Also:-

Constructing An Ad
Cold Calling Tips
Telephone Cold Calling
Using Promotional Gifts

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