Small Business Marketing Kit For Dummies, 3rd Edition

Marketing with Direct Mailers

All direct mailers, regardless of look, message, or purpose, are alike in one way: They go straight to your prospects’ mailboxes or inboxes rather than reaching them through mass-media broadcast and print ads.

Setting up for success with direct mail

Direct mailers are among the easiest of all marketing communications to monitor for success. With each mailing, you know exactly how many pieces you’re sending and therefore how many prospects you’re reaching. And because direct mailers almost always request an easy-to-track direct response (in the form of a sale, an inquiry, a visit to your business, a click, or some other prospect action), within days (for e-mail) or weeks (for surface mail), you can count the responses to determine the effectiveness of your direct mail effort.

Most successful direct mailers incorporate these factors:

A targeted list: To be great, a direct mail list must reach genuine prospects for your product or service. (See Chapter 2 for help in creating a prospect profile.)

A compelling offer: The offer is the deal — the catalyst to which the consumer reacts.

An attention-getting format: Some mailers involve nothing more than a regular ...