06/04/09 by christian | Blog | 2 Comments »
I just received my requested “Results-Driven Marketing in a Down Economy” package from USPS. Very impressive looking material. This is the USPS’s friendly way of reminding us why we should use direct mail. Great info, I cant argue with ‘em…
An Overview
Today: Stay competitive. With the current economic challenge there is also an opportunity. More people may not be spending or buying, however there are still those out there just waiting for someone to reach out and hit them with a special offer, product, or service. How do you hit them effectively in a down economy? One proven way is through Direct Mail.
A study conducted during the last major recession (1980-1985) found that companies that continued to advertise increased their sales by 256 percent and gained valuable market-share.
Why Direct Mail?
Target-ability. Direct mail can be targeted only to people whom may be interested in the offer or message.
Capability. Direct mail gives you as much space as you need to convey your message effectively. Offer details, colorful images, testimonials.
Measure-ability. Account for every marketing dollar you spend. Measure the results down to a tee. Test the response, tweak the response.
Flexibility. Create a direct mail campaign with as much complexity or simplicity as you desire. Include product samples, inserts, DVDs, demos, reply cards, promotional material.
Personalization. Unlike many of the larger scale and more expensive forms of advertising, you can personalize your message with direct mail to the extent of your mailing list. Message is one-to-one personalized.
Direct Mail is extremely useful in customer acquisition. 64% of marketers say so in a a Ad Age Custom Publishing Report survey. Put your brand, your message, your deals, your sales pitch, your everything, literally into the hands of your potential customers.
Thanks USPS… Great information package. Sometimes we just need a little reminder that you are out there and that you still offer a service we cant live without. Also a beautiful looking design on the print – very impressive, this will go in my “mail to keep” pile. Oh, and thanks for the $5.00 Starbucks gift card that was included too…
for more information got to http://www.delivermagazine.com
Thinking about launching a direct mail campagin? Take a look at my Direct Marketing Challenge for added exposure.
05/14/09 by christian | Blog, Marketing, Personalized | No Comments »
Have you ever tried using direct marketing to promote yourself, your business, or your product?
Try Direct Mail and I will feature you on PrintedProof.com
I am always looking for great content to feature on this website. Let me help you launch a direct mail campaign and I will feature it on my website as well as social media sites such as Twitter, Digg, Mixx, Facebook, Flickr, Google and more. This is a great opportunity to get added exposure and only pay for the mailing!
Me & Direct Mail
In addition to publishing this blog I also work full time for a nation-wide leader in Direct Marketing. I am a “techie” person, not a sales person. My full time position here puts me in front of the latest technology and business development. I follow the printing and marketing communications industry on a daily basis. I help to make each direct mail campaign a success.
My company knows better than anyone how to market via postcards, self-mailers, personalized letters, newspaper inserts, shared mail products, and much more. Being employed by such a great company puts me in a position to bypass the “sales” force and “directly” into a great product for an unbeatable price.
If you are interested in learning more about using Direct Mail to promote your business please give me a call directly. Like I said, I am not a sales person. I would be happy to connect you with our sales crew if you wish or give you options and pricing myself.
I want to help my company get through this economy as much as you desire to boost your bottom line. Let me help you find out if direct mail can help your business.
Best Wishes,
Christian Collard
Email or give me a call directly at 508-871-1959
03/09/09 by christian | Marketing, Printing | No Comments »
The year 2008 was a challenging year for just about every business competing for work. I don’t need to go into the why, that’s well known. I will however comment on the “why” when it comes to an industry that was on a decline even prior to the nation-wide economic crisis; direct mail.
For so long the words were “Spray & Pray”. Print a million generic postcards, spray on the last known address for residents in a certain area (or not so certain), and pray that 1 percent of recipients respond to the offer or message. This was difficult even when postage rates were low and print was cheap.
In printing, as in nearly all industries, production costs increase. However, with the amount of junk out there people tend to get immune to all the advertisements and that 1 percent response does not increase.
So, is direct mail dead? Well, in some cases the “Spray & Pray” still works with the right offer on a product or service that everyone needs. But overall, the industry has been waiting for a change. There is no question that now is the time to make that transformation.
The transformation of direct mail is not some new revelation that one person suddenly came up with. Direct mail has had the technology to increase response at extraordinary levels for years. There are print companies and marketers doing it today. There are even more companies out there that say they can do it. Variable Data Printing – That’s the word out there anyway.
The transformation however is more than simply slapping “Dear Mary” and a picture of a puppy on a postcard to Mary Smith at 122 Main Street. The transformation of direct mail is Relevance through Personalization.
Relevance starts with the data. Learn and utilize everything possible from the data you have. Name, gender, age, demographic, community…. the possibilities are endless. Take a good look at the data and use it in a way that works for the person you are mailing. If you can present the recipient with information or an offer that is completely relevant, hit them and be sure to track results. If your offer is not relevant look into including an offer with a PURL (personal URL or website) to collect more data and make the next mailing a more targeted piece.
As we see more marketers and printers transform into better Direct Mailers we will see a huge shift in the way we look at advertising with efficiency. All of a sudden we are sending less junk mail, increasing our demands for sustainability, increasing our profits, and fulfilling the needs of those looking for the goods and services we are trying to sell.
03/02/09 by christian | Blog | No Comments »
I have always been a fan of direct mail… well, a fan when it’s correctly & effectively. Just read a great article on how its used smarter and harder when optimized. Targeting a direct mail campaign to RIGHT recipient, and completely optimizing the campaign inside and out, will always deliver outstanding results. I see all too many postcards hit my mailbox that are simply a waste of paper.
How to optimize? First the list, make sure its going to the right people, that those people are in-deed at those addresses. Once you get actually eyes, and ones that are interested in your message, make sure the message does not get lost. read on…
Article: 1to1 Media, How to Optimize Direct Mail
