• Don’t send any types of unsolicited boxes.

Nothing you send should be covered or concealed. The recipient should be able to tell right away that they have received a promotional item.

• Don’t put restrictive endorsements such as “Personal” or “Confidential.”

Instead make every effort to make your mailing look as innocent as possible.

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Direct Mail advertising is still one of best ways to gain new customers and keep your old customers!

Consider these facts:

81% of Americans read a newspaper.

96% have a phone.

98% have a TV.

100% HAVE A MAILBOX.

If you want to stay ahead of this economic decline you must continue using direct mail advertising.

If you want to increase your direct mail advertising response rates you must put following Do’s into action.

----------------- Do’s:

• Do send postcards -

Of different types of direct mail pieces available following performed best in category for pieces immediately read: #1 Postcards (76.1%) #2 Letter-size envelops (74.3%) #3 Flyers (67.6%) #4 Catalogs (67.1%) (USPS)

• Do attach magnets, phone cards, or other promotional items to postcards –

Studies show that a typical sales call costs a company more than $300. Direct Mail with promotional products like magnets, phone cards, or non-magnetic items attached can decrease cost of securing a single sales appointment by almost 65%. (USPS)

Trade show traffic increases nearly 300% when a pre-show direct mail piece includes an attachable, such as a magnet, phone card, or non-magnetic item. (SAAGNY)

• Above all else… Do use common sense.

Imagine yourself in your prospects shoes. When you are looking down at mail on your doorstep, do you kick it out of way or does an innocent looking post card and a free refrigerator magnet catch your eye?

# ) Geography Is Important To Some. If your customer group is local, this is more than likely your number 10 here. There's no point in advertising to world if you only service surrounding communities. Do you only handle a local clientelle? Do you have to? There are some companies that remain small local companies because they have not yet opened their market to a larger audience, who often turn out to be better target.

# ) The Quantity Of Customers In This Group. Even if you have found ideal target group there is no point in marketing to a group of customers who will to soon be exhausted. Make sure you have quantity of possible customers in this group to support your efforts.

# ) You Can Reach This Group Easily. You want a group that you can expose your efforts to easily and often. You want to have a way of reaching your target group. Is this group seeing your promotion material, your advertising? Are they seeing enough of it? Is there a way to better reach this group than what you are doing now?

# ) References. If you had to choose, would you take on a large project for an unknown or new company, rather than a small job for a company who is prominently known for what they do? I hope you said smaller job. Word of mouth from prominent business owners or managers can be a major boost in getting your business where you want it to be.

# ) They Don't Know It Yet, But They Need You. The group of people who need your product or service, just have to make them aware that they need you. You have to have a group of people you know that really need what you have. You may have your group that you are already targeting. Are you sure this is group of people who need your service/product most?

# ) They Need You And They Know They Need You. This is group who has your service/product already on their mind, they just haven't found you yet. All you need to do is introduce your business and service/product. They are ready to buy, it's just matter of proving yourself and your seervice/product is what they are looking for.

After it is all said and done, you should have one group of customers who come out on top. This is group your marketing efforts should be focused on. Consider business you get from other groups gravy on your plate. This is one of many exercises I have picked up. Remember, Marketing is an exact science and treating it as such will take you far.

Happy Marketing