What is the best way to reach your audience and create a relationship with them? We offer Opt In Email Marketing, industry leading Direct Marketing Lists solutions, Post Card Mailing Service information, and Direct Marketing Lists tips. See Targeted Business Leads. All else can go well, yet if you send your marvelous offer to the wrong audience, it will not work. Plan ahead. Select your list by the quality you want, not quantity or price. If it is big and wrong, it is still wrong. If it is FREE and wrong, it cost too much! If it is $1.00 a name and it earns you a profit, it is the right list and could very well be a bargain. You will find both areas you wish to avoid and areas of pure gold within the same list. Plan enough up-front time early in your program to allow for thorough audience evaluation, selection, and ordering. First are 7 points to think about when you consider the lists we've just discussed: The offer is responsible for 20 percent, copy 15 percent, and format 5 percent. There are many different types of software programs that can help you compile your database. A relational database, such as Microsoft Access, is probably the best for direct advertising. This kind of database allows you to ask invaluable questions such as: "Which customers have purchased in the last three months?" |
Direct Marketing Lists
"Who bought brand X in the last six months?" This information helps to determine whom to call next week, whom to include in your next direct mail or catalog mailing, and what and to whom you should be cross selling. Cross selling is advertising an item to a customer who has already purchased another item from you.Once you've created a database, you can try direct mail. You'll want to create what is called a mailing piece. The mailing piece should consist of: An outer envelope or self-mailer, A brochure, A letter, An order or reply form, Gift slips and other enclosures. The most critical part of your mailing piece is probably the envelope.
If the recipient doesn't open it, all is for naught. According to Bob Stone in his book Successful Direct advertising Methods (Lincolnwood, Ill.: NTC Business Books, 1996), the envelope should: Dazzle readers with color or graphics and with promises of important benefits if they will open it. Impress readers with its simplicity and lead them to believe that the contents must be important.
Tease the readers and so excite their curiosity that they simply must open it. Simplicity is usually the most effective approach when selling business to business. This holds true for the contents as well. The dazzle and the tease should be saved for reaching the consumer. For consumer mailings, consider adding a selling message next to the address panel. You know it will be read.
What other production questions do you know are important?