How to write direct mail that really, really works

Written by Julia Hyde


How to write direct mail that really, really works

So, you have something you want to sell. It may be a product, a service, or a cause. It could be a membership, a subscription, or a motor car. It might be paper, health products orrepparttar idea thatrepparttar 108219 humane society orrepparttar 108220 Alzheimer’s association is worth giving money to. It could be computer equipment, hand-sewn dolls clothes or garden gnomes.

Whatever it is you are selling, you need to letrepparttar 108221 right people know you’re selling it. And one ofrepparttar 108222 most effective ways of doing that is through direct mail.

Direct mail works best if you knowrepparttar 108223 type of person who buys your product or service. For instance, if you sell to building contractors or pet owners you can get a targeted, personal message to them quickly.

What’s more, computers make it possible for small businesses to produce professional looking mailings at a very attractive price. They make it possible to select names from mailing lists by demographic classification, frequency of purchase or by amount of purchase. Computers allow every letter in a mailing to includerepparttar 108224 name ofrepparttar 108225 addressee, not justrepparttar 108226 salutation but several times throughoutrepparttar 108227 body ofrepparttar 108228 letter.

Here’s some tips that will help you make your campaign more effective…

Always include a letter in your mailing

This may sound obvious but many mailings only contain a brochure. This is a mistake. There’s a saying “Brochures are sent by companies, letters are sent by people.” You need a letter because a letter is personal. And because letters persuade people to buy.

Get your letterhead right

What paper, layout and design you use are very important. I recommend you steer clear of official company letterhead and design something more appropriate to your message. If you want people to telephone, make your phone number stand out. If you want them to visit your web site, dorepparttar 108229 same. Your address is less important because even if you want people to reply by mail they’ll expect a reply paid envelope. Don’t put fax and telephone together – it’s confusing for people. Avoid using telephone numbers using letters such as, 1-800-OUR SHOP. If you absolutely must use this type of number make sure you placerepparttar 108230 numeric number close by.

Write long letters

Most people don’t want to write long letters, they worry they’ll sound rambling, or they think long letters don’t sell. But a long letter serves a purpose. If your prospect is going to buy your product, or contribute to your cause, he needs a lot of information. A short letter can’t hope to give him enough information to consider making a purchase.

Direct Mail

Written by Christopher


Direct Mail

The web is a most versatile and often misused medium for direct marketing. In this email, I will share tips and techniques to makerepparttar web a major advertising tool for your sales and marketing efforts.

Do you have a website? A Web Newsletter? A mailing list of e-mail addresses for customers? Do you track and test everything? You can userepparttar 108218 web to get sales in lots of exciting ways which are dependant on technology that’s available atrepparttar 108219 time.

Almost everyone is just too busy running their businesses to takerepparttar 108220 time or to give advertising much thought. This is just crazy.

Whether you budget is £600 or £6000, I can show you how it’s done effectively time after time after time!

So here's what I do when I start working with clients and I would like to offer it to you as a gift now. Have a look at this list of ten great ways of marketing. I guarantee, that nearly all web site owners will not have every one of these simple methods in place right now.

Please pick at least two that you're either not doing, or not doing that well - and MAKE A DECISION to add them to your marketing mix inrepparttar 108221 weeks ahead:

Direct Mail Internet Marketing Email Marketing Advertising Telephone Marketing Direct Sales Strategic Alliances Referral Systems PR Additional Products/Services

We will tackle these in order

Direct Mail

Direct mail is often overused and badly done. It’s got a bad reputation overrepparttar 108222 years, mainly due to spammers, used instead ofrepparttar 108223 telephone or by con artists seeking their next victim.

There are a lot of myths and nonsense about mailings. You may want to print this out, because in my continuing efforts to help you reach success – I am about to sharerepparttar 108224 secrets of direct mail - I’d be surprised ifrepparttar 108225 contents of this mail does not save you thousands of pounds overrepparttar 108226 next 12 months.

Byrepparttar 108227 way, if you are totally new to Direct Mail - “It’s anything sent by post, sales letters, electronic mail or brochures etc”

I want to dispel some things about DM to you. “Direct Mail doesn’t work” . This ingenious conclusion is arrived at byrepparttar 108228 fact that most people throw most ofrepparttar 108229 mail we get directly inrepparttar 108230 bin - thereforerepparttar 108231 thinking is that it's a waste of money. The truth is that 90 out of 100 people might throw your mailing inrepparttar 108232 bin, but if 5 people look at it, 5 more read it and one of those 5 buys from you - you may well have a highly profitable mailing.

Last week I sent 400 emails to potential clients, and got 37 replies. That’s to say that 37 people actually read my mail, and I got exactly 9 new clients as a result.

Now what would happen if I doubled my mailings next week? I could expect from 800 mails, about 80 replies and maybe 20 sales!

And that’s easily doable byrepparttar 108233 way, because I’ve done it. But saying that, your mailing may not work – it depends on what you say, pricing of your product and some products may just not be suited to an email campaign. It’s very much a numbers game, but one thing is certain, email is free!

Cont'd on page 2 ==>
 
ImproveHomeLife.com © 2005
Terms of Use