Build Your Own No-Cost Mailing List

Written by Martha Retallick


Continued from page 1

So, there you have it, four readily available sources of names:

1. Your Rolodex (or some other business card file) 2. Family and friends 3. People referred by your family and friends (ask them!) 4. Membership directories from organizations you belong to.

You'll be able to build up quite a list in no time. And if you keep postcarding overrepparttar years, your list will grow some more.

Martha Retallick is an avid (and some say rabid) postcard marketer from Tucson, Arizona, USA. Examples of her postcards can be seen at:

http://www.Lrpdesigns.com/cardshow.html

You can subscribe to her free Postcard Marketing Secrets e-zine at:

http://www.postcardmarketingsecrets.com/newsletter.html


Top 10 Tips for Growing Your Business with Direct Mail Postcards

Written by Martha Retallick


Continued from page 1

2. Come torepparttar grand opening of your remodeled store.

3. Userepparttar 121283 discount on your new product or service.

This, in essence is what sets direct marketing apart from conventional advertising. Most conventional advertising is aimed at building an image of a company. This requires a lot of repetition of an advertising message, and as you would expect,repparttar 121284 process can take a long time and cost a lot of money.

Onrepparttar 121285 other hand, direct marketing isn't so much concerned with building an image as it is with getting people do something NOW. This is a much more cost-effective approach for small business.

Tip #6: Follow Your Printer's Instructions Carefully. This one goes without saying, but I have a confession to make: I delayedrepparttar 121286 printing of a crucial promotional postcard by sizingrepparttar 121287 card torepparttar 121288 wrong dimensions. The printer was kind enough to fix my error without charging me, and for that I am very grateful.

Printer's instructions can be lengthy - and confusing. There's a simple solution to this problem: Ask Questions. Most printers are happy to help, especially if you contact them before you actually send themrepparttar 121289 stuff you want printed.

Tip #7: Proofread Once. Proofread Twice. When I worked inrepparttar 121290 editorial field, I found myself onrepparttar 121291 receiving end of many a Boss Tirade aboutrepparttar 121292 importance of proofreading. This was because I wasn't very good at it, and a lot of Boss-Annoying errors got by me.

If you're a lousy proofreader with a lot of money, you can hire others to do it for you. If your budget isn't that hefty, you'll have to do it yourself. If I'm faced withrepparttar 121293 onerous task of proofreading, here's how I do it:

I read every word out loud. Slowly and carefully, just like I did back in first grade reading class. Sometimes, I decide to have some fun and do my proofreading inrepparttar 121294 form of dramatic readings. Hey, it makesrepparttar 121295 job go faster…

Tip #8: Who are you? Where are you?

My cards includerepparttar 121296 following contact information:

Lrpdesigns Web & Graphic Design P.O. Box 43161 Tucson, AZ 85733 Telephone: 520-690-1888 E-mail: Info@Lrpdesigns.com Web: http://www.Lrpdesigns.com/

I include all of this information so people can get a hold me by mail, Internet or telephone. Most of my responses tend to come via phone or e-mail. The return address is there sorepparttar 121297 post office can getrepparttar 121298 card back to me if a recipient's address is no longer valid.

Tip #9: Maintain Your List!

If your mailing list grows to any size, maintaining it can get to be a chore. And this task can be quite time-consuming. It is for me, but I like to have an accurate list. More ofrepparttar 121299 mail gets through that way.

Occasionally, people will call or e-mail and ask to be taken off my list. I do so immediately, no questions asked.

Tip #10: Keep At It!

This is another one of my dad's favorite expressions. But those three words reveal a lot of truth. Like other marketing efforts, postcard mailings must be done over and over again to have a positive effect on your bottom line.

Although postcard marketing can cost less than, say, a campaign of magazine advertising or promoting your business inrepparttar 121300 Yellow Pages, it is not cost-free. On a yearly basis, my postcard printing and mailing costs run around U.S. $2,500. However, I believe that this is money well spent, so I keep doing it.

Martha Retallick is an avid (and some say rabid) postcard marketer from Tucson, Arizona, USA. Examples of her postcards can be seen at:

http://www.Lrpdesigns.com/cardshow.html

You can subscribe to her free Postcard Marketing Secrets e-zine at:

http://www.postcardmarketingsecrets.com/newsletter.html


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