We are excited to introduce a series of articles that we’re sure you will find informative. Here is the first of twelve:
“The 12 Most Common Direct Mail Mistakes and How to Avoid Them”
If you would like more information after reading this article, please visit our website and use the Contact Us form or just give us a call at 619-593-9121 X114.
BONUS: Just for contacting us we will mail you a free “Handbook for Mailing List Acquisition & Data Base Management,” and our Certified List Broker Rachel Murany will offer one hour of list counseling FREE!
Mistake No. 1: Ignoring the most important factor in direct mail success.
Do you know what the most important part of your direct mail campaign is? It’s not the copy. It’s not the art work. It’s not even the format or when you mail. It is the mailing list.
A great mailing package, with superior copy and scintillating design, might pull double the response of a poorly conceived mailing. But the best list can pull a response 10 times more than the worst list for the identical mailing piece.
The most common direct-mail mistake is not spending enough time and effort up-front, when you select—and then test—the right lists.
Remember: In direct marketing, a mailing list is not just a way of reaching your market. It is the market.
The best list available to you is your “house” list—a list of customers and prospects who previously bought from you or responded to your ads, public relations campaign, or other mailings. Typically, your house list will pull double the response of an outside list. Yet, only 50% of business marketers I’ve surveyed capture and use customer and prospect names for mailing purposes.
When renting outside lists, get your ad agency or list broker involved in the early stages. The mailing piece should not be written and designed until after the right lists have been identified and selected.
(Robert W. Bly www.bly.com)
Here are some statistics to consider when deciding how to spend your marketing funds:
- 66% of direct mail is opened.
- 82% of opened direct mail is read for a minute or more.
- 56% of consumers who responded to direct mail went online or visited the physical store.
- 62% of consumers who responded to direct mail in the past three months made a purchase.
- Over 84% reported that personalization made them more likely to open a direct mail piece.
Mail Management Group can help your direct mail campaign be more successful. Contact us today!
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