Planning Your Approach
Start out right by nailing down the big picture. Who are you trying to reach? The first choice is usually your existing customers. Perhaps it's potential new customers who mirror your current customers. Or maybe you want to do a test mailing to a brand new set of prospective customers. Whoever you are trying to reach you should plan your message and offer to match what you think that target audience wants.
Plan your approach with these simple steps:
Make a Compelling Offer
Your offer is the reason for your mailing. With the right incentive, you can attract attention, build interest, and compel customers to respond. Your offer should be based on who you are targeting, whether it's existing customers who you'd like to see again, potential new customers who can benefit from your products or services, or a whole new market.
Start by asking yourself these questions:
- Why do my customers need this product or service?
- How does my product or service benefit my customers?
- How is my product or service different from others on the market?
- What do I want my customers to do when they read this Direct Mail piece?
How will customers reply to your offer?
You may invite your customer to your store or choose to provide your customer with a prepaid postcard, a phone number, an email address or Web site so that they may reply to your offer.
How will you measure the success of your offer?
It can be as simple as counting the inquiries you received or the number of coupons redeemed or creating a spreadsheet to keep track. By coding, tracking and analyzing your results, you'll see what's working and can make adjustments to future mailings.