Home
>
Small Business
>
Direct Mail - For Small Businesses

Direct Mail - For Small Businesses

We hear a lot of talk about junk mail nowadays. Many people will tell you that they dump it straight in the trash. But why do you think so many organisations send out so called junk mail - because it works!

I dump most of my junk mail just like everyone else, but every so often I'm attracted and respond to something that comes through the mail. Whatever it is, grabs my interest just at the right time. Sometimes it's a mailing I've seen several times and I've been slightly interested; however, there comes a time when I decide to do something about it.

Research has shown that, on average, people need to see an advertisement seven times before they respond - it's the same with direct mail.

I'm not looking for a new credit card at present; however there are thousands of people who are. These people will respond to a credit card company mailing because they want a new card with a better interest rate or because their other card is at its limit or they want to transfer a balance.

It has to be said that the average response rate for direct mailing is less than 1% and as you'll appreciate, the large organisations send out millions of direct mailers. Small to medium sized businesses can have success with direct mailing by keeping it small, focussed and personal.

Target the right people - You need to have a good mailing list. The best one you can have is the one you've built yourself. You build it with all the contacts you make from your networking and all the enquiry phone calls you receive. (If anyone contacts your business you need to capture all their relevant information. Tell them you'll add them to your mailing list so that they'll receive all the up to date information)

Buy or rent a mailing list - There are many reputable suppliers (and some not so reputable) who'll supply you with a closely targeted list. If you wanted the names of Transport Managers in the food industry in your city - then they can provide it. For consumers, they can supply details of people by zip or postal code, age group, gender, special interests etc. You could probably get the details of female accountants under thirty, interested in fishing and living in a specific area of your city or country. (Not sure why you'd want that, but I'm sure you get the point)

The product or service has to be appealing - It has to have benefits or problem solving abilities for the person you're targeting

It must be clear - easy to understand and be believable

There must be a call to action - There are three things that someone will do with a piece of direct mail - 1. Scan it and throw it in the trash 2. Put it aside to make a decision later. (However later never comes or when it does, most mail will hit the trash) 3. Take action - Phone the free number or tear off the pre-paid reply coupon or complete the order form

It's vitally important that your mailing prompts action immediately.

Discover how you can generate more business without having to cold call! Alan Fairweather is the author of "How to get More Sales without Selling" This book is packed with practical things that you can do to ? get customers to come to you . Click here now http://www.howtogetmoresales.com

express cleaning service Arlington Heights ..

In The News:

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.