Small Businesses and Direct Mail?the Basics

Some small business owners may think the era of successful direct mail campaigns is over—however, in reality that is far from true. At first, it may be difficult to see the place for direct mail marketing in a new online world dominated by social media and search engine optimization. But advocates of direct mail—which presents marketing messages directly to prospective customers—point out that the technique can provide measurable success when you present the right message to a potential customer at the right time, thereby expanding the contacts in your customer management database.

What are the benefits of direct mail?

Targeted advertising. Direct mail offers you the potential to have total control over who receives information about your business. While placing an ad in a magazine or using paid search may give you a wide audience, direct mail's main benefit is that it allows you to choose exactly who sees your marketing message.

Ability to test out new markets. Because direct mail is so focused, you can also use it to experiment with new markets and gauge the reception.

Provides new leads. Through direct mail, you can gather qualified leads to follow up with via a phone call. Prospective customers will already be familiar with your business and primed for the sell.

Easy to track and assess success. You can evaluate the effectiveness of a direct mail campaign by comparing the number of mailings you sent with the number of responses you receive. Also, you can track the specific locations of customers redeeming coupons and sending in response cards to improve future campaigns, and to hone the lists in your customer management database.

Can be easy to do yourself. With a bit of research and the help of some free websites, you can create and implement your own direct mail campaign.

What makes a good direct mail campaign?

Carefully chosen list of recipients. Choosing your audience carefully is key to the success of a direct mail campaign. You want to reach a receptive group of people who fit your target demographic, may have already expressed interest in your company, or have a reason to be actively interested in your sector.

First, identify your target market. This is something you will probably have already done as part of your marketing or business plan.

Next, you may want to use this profile to obtain a mailing list through a broker. You can purchase a tailored mailing list for your target audience from a provider, who should have a wide variety of options available and who can advise you on the best use of your list.

Make sure you don't add all of the names to your customer management database immediately. Remember that you are simply renting the use of the list for a single campaign, and once someone responds you can proceed with adding them to your database.

Direct and concise message. Now is not the time to be wordy, subtle, or clever in your advertising message. Direct mail works best when you get straight to the point and communicate the most important message first.

Has a personal touch. Nobody likes receiving a form letter, so make sure you use friendly, informal, and welcoming language. Speak directly to the reader and keep your message tailored, even addressing individuals by name.

Focuses on benefits. Potential customers will decide in an instant whether they read your entire mailing, so promote your product or service's benefits from the start. Many direct mailings begin with a question that speaks to the audience's top concern—be it a problem or a desire. For example, a mailing from an office cleaning service might say, "Want to cut your cleaning bill by 10%?"

Informative. Tell people what they need to know about your business and any related offers. Before you finalize your message, try to think of any and all questions the recipient might have and try to incorporate those answers into your mailing.

Contains a call to action. You want to create a mailing that will inspire your audience to action—the classic example is telling them to "call today." You may also want to give them a time limit for doing so.

Includes a special offer or sample. Everyone loves getting free stuff, or being given an opportunity to get a deal. Grab the attention of potential customers by offering something for nothing (or nearly nothing).

Provides multiple types of contact information. Don't just include your phone number—also provide a fax number, email address, website address, and any other relevant contact information. Some of the most effective direct mailings also include a prepaid business reply card or other easy way for someone to get in touch.